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Whacky Point, South Africa

Stay in Gonubie: see the trip Its beds, the way there and every spot near it.

Also within 20 km of Gonubie

All 11 on Gonubie's map

Watch this spot We email you when Whacky Point is worth the trip.

About Whacky Point

Facing, offshore wind, exposure, level and swell range are estimated. Facts: verified, surf details estimated.

The spot faces SE (121°), so it takes swell from the SE. The wind blows offshore from the NW (301°). It is exposed to the open swell. It suits intermediate surfers and up. It works in 2–10 ft of swell. The sea floor shelves gently: 10 m deep about 650 m out (1 in 66). On a typical 5 ft, 11 s swell the waves here would spill softly. The sea is about 20°C in September, its coldest month (2 mm shorty), and 24°C in January, its warmest (no wetsuit). The town to stay in is Gonubie. Within 5 km we also list 1 surf spot.

Water about 21°C: 2 mm shorty. Typical sea temperature for the time of year, not a forecast.

Save this trip A link to come back to, or to send to the group.

Book the trip

From Chicago: about 31 h 40 door to door, one way. An estimate; the journey never changes the score.

  1. Fly. Chicago Midway International Airport (MDW) to ELS, changing at Hartsfield Jackson Atlanta International Airport (ATL) and Cape Town International Airport (CPT).

    See flights MDW → ELS · Skyscanner from about £795 returnAd

  2. Getting there. 1 h 25 from the airport to Whacky Point.

    Car hire · Discover CarsAd

  3. Accommodation.

    Nearest beds: Gonubie, 44 km (about 1h 20 by car)Ad

    No town with beds to book is nearer Whacky Point: plan on the drive each day you surf.

    Typical prices for a double room that month, not a quote.

    Room photos are examples, not these hotels (credits).

    See all places to stay in Gonubie, 44 km away on Booking.com →

    Closest towns to stay in

    Typical prices for a double room that month, not a quote. Drives are estimates.

  4. Hire and lessons.

    Surf lessons in Gonubie · GetYourGuideAdBoard and wetsuit hire in Gonubie · GetYourGuideAd

Everything else for the trip

Where it is

Whacky Point on Google Maps · Directions

The map needs JavaScript. Every place on it is listed on this page, and each place's page links to Google Maps.

One finger scrolls the page; two fingers move the map. Pins are our own positions. Map OpenFreeMap, © OpenMapTiles, data © OpenStreetMap contributors.

Forecast

Whacky Point does not suit beginners. This is the forecast for intermediates, so you can see what it does.

The score for intermediates, coloured as on the area pages:GoodFairPoorToo bigToo small

DayScoreInter­mediateSwellEnergyWindTemp
Sun 18Oct76 ft9 smushy454kJ22°C
Mon 19Oct42 ft12 scrumbling144kJ19°C
Tue 20Oct316 ft8 smushy353kJ20°C
Wed 21Oct273 ft8 smushy131kJ22°C
Thu 22Oct55 ft11 ssoft470kJ21°C
Fri 23Oct07 ft8 ssoft578kJ21°C
Sat 24Oct175 ft9 ssoft350kJ22°C
Sun 25Oct232 ft7 smushy56kJ21°C
Mon 26Oct132 ft9 smushy45kJ20°C
Tue 27Oct132 ft8 smushy51kJ22°C

Day scores here are the conditions out of 80; a trip's score on the results is the same conditions out of 100. The journey never scores. The forecast reaches about 10 days. Energy is the swell's power in kJ per metre of wave, from its height and interval: it grows with the square of each, so a long-period swell hits far harder than a short one the same size. The word under the swell is the wave's shape, our estimate from the sea floor. Wind is in knots: 10 kn is about 19 km/h. The arrow points where the wind blows to; offshore wind, blowing from the land out to sea, is green and says so.

Your trip, day by day

6 nights from Mon 19 Oct, leaving from Chicago, for intermediate surfers. Change dates

  1. Mon 19 Oct
    Travel out

    Fly MDW to ELS, changing at ATL and CPT, then 1h 25 by road. About 31h 40 door to door

  2. Tue 20 Oct
    Surf Whacky Point

    Best 08:00 to 11:00 local time: 6 ft at 8 s, offshore wind.

  3. Wed 21 Oct
    Surf Whacky Point

    Best 08:00 to 11:00 local time: 3 ft at 8 s, offshore wind.

  4. Thu 22 Oct
    Rest day

    Nothing worth paddling out for: the best window scores 22 of 80.

  5. Fri 23 Oct
    Rest day

    Nothing worth paddling out for: the best window scores 0 of 80.

  6. Sat 24 Oct
    Rest day

    Nothing worth paddling out for: the best window scores 31 of 80.

  7. Sun 25 Oct
    Travel home

    Fly MDW to ELS, changing at ATL and CPT, then 1h 25 by road. About 31h 40 door to door

The trip from Gonubie, with every spot near it

Rough cost

About £1,155–£2,280 each for 6 nights, 2 people sharing a room. A guide from typical prices, not a quote: check the real prices before you book.

WhatHow we worked it outEach
Flightsreturn MDW to ELS, estimated from distance and season, changing at ATL and CPT, full-service airlines, with a hold bag£795–£1,655
To the UK airportparking or the train, there and back£35–£65
Hire car6 days, shared£50–£85
Stay6 nights, a mid-range double, shared£110–£185
Food7 days eating out£115–£210
Board and wetsuit5 days, or about £85 to fly your own£50–£80
Total£1,155–£2,280

Prices from public sources, checked in 2026: where they come from. Lessons, lift-pass deals and insurance are extra.

Places to eat near Gonubie

Within 2 km of the town centre, listed by how complete the listing is (website, opening hours, cuisine) and whether two sources name it. Not a judgement of the food: we have no reviews. Listings © OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL) and Overture Maps Foundation. Credits

Book the trip

Getting thereAd

Flights · Skyscanner Car hire · Discover Cars

Where to stayAd

Nearest beds: Gonubie, 44 km (about 1h 20 by car) · Booking.com

In the waterAd

Surf lessons · GetYourGuide Board and wetsuit hire · GetYourGuide

Links marked Ad may pay us a small commission if you book. You pay the same price, and it never changes a score.