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Sodwana Bay, South Africa

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

Also within 20 km of Sodwana Bay

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About Sodwana Bay

Known for kitesurfing and windsurfing, by the OpenStreetMap map of the area. The shore faces E, so wind from the W blows out to sea (our estimate from the coastline). Facts: verified.

Water about 23°C: 2 mm shorty. Typical sea temperature for the time of year, not a forecast.

A spot for kitesurfing and windsurfing, as OpenStreetMap maps it, on a shore facing E. Wind from the E blows onshore, wind from the W blows out to sea, and wind from the S or N runs along the shore. It is exposed to the open sea. The sea floor shelves moderately: 10 m deep about 250 m out (1 in 26). The sea is about 23°C in July, its coldest month (2 mm shorty), and 28°C in February, its warmest (no wetsuit). For windsurfing at intermediate level the best months are usually September, October, November and December, with about 5 good days in 7; in June, about 2. From the weather of past years. The town to stay in is Sodwana Bay. Within 5 km we also list 7 dive sites.

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Book the trip

From Chicago: about 30 h 30 door to door, one way. An estimate; the journey never changes the score.

  1. Fly. Chicago O'Hare International Airport (ORD) to MPM, changing at Lisbon Humberto Delgado Airport (LIS). About 4 flights a week that month.

    See flights ORD → MPM · Skyscanner from about £795 returnAd

  2. Getting there. 3 h 25 from the airport to Sodwana Bay.

    Car hire · Discover CarsAd

  3. Accommodation.

    Stay in Sodwana BayAd

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

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

    See all places to stay 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.

    Windsurfing lessons in Sodwana Bay · GetYourGuideAdBoard and rig hire in Sodwana Bay · GetYourGuideAd

Everything else for the trip

Where it is

Sodwana Bay 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

Best on Mon 19: 12 kn gusting 24, side-shore. Water: waves 1.4 m.

The score for windsurf, coloured as on the area pages:GoodFairPoor

DayScoreWindGustsShoreWater
Sun 18Oct6426knside-on1.4 mwaves
Mon 19Oct7824knside1.4 mwaves
Tue 20Oct4330knside2.8 mwaves
Wed 21Oct5330knside-on1.4 mwaves
Thu 22Oct5330knside1.2 mwaves
Fri 23Oct7125knside-on1.6 mwaves
Sat 24Oct1721knside1.5 mwaves
Sun 25Oct6725knside1.4 mwaves
Mon 26Oct6525knside1.8 mwaves
Tue 27Oct4423knside-on2.5 mwaves

Day scores are the conditions out of 80. Wind is the day's best reading: the mean and the gusts in knots (10 kn is about 19 km/h); the arrow points where it blows to. Shore: "side" is side-shore, blowing along the beach, the safe way; "side-on" and "on" blow in towards it; "cross-off" and "off" blow out to sea, and offshore scores nothing for kite and windsurf. Water is the open sea's waves near the spot: flat under 0.3 m, chop to 0.8 m.

The season

Good windsurf days in a typical week, each month, from 2016 on (ERA5 history scored the same way).

  1. Jan4of 7
  2. Feb4of 7
  3. Mar3of 7
  4. Apr4of 7
  5. May3of 7
  6. Jun2of 7
  7. Jul3of 7
  8. Aug4of 7
  9. Sep5of 7
  10. Oct5of 7
  11. Nov5of 7
  12. Dec5of 7

Typical, not a forecast. Reanalysis wind misses some local thermal winds, so a spot known for an afternoon breeze may do better than this.

Your trip, day by day

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

  1. Mon 19 Oct
    Travel out

    Fly ORD to MPM, changing at LIS, then 3h 25 by road. About 30h 30 door to door

  2. Tue 20 Oct
    Windsurf Sodwana Bay

    14 kn gusting 30, side-shore. Water: waves 2.8 m.

  3. Wed 21 Oct
    Windsurf Sodwana Bay

    15 kn gusting 30, side-onshore. Water: waves 1.4 m.

  4. Thu 22 Oct
    Windsurf Sodwana Bay

    15 kn gusting 30, side-shore. Water: waves 1.2 m.

  5. Fri 23 Oct
    Windsurf Sodwana Bay

    12 kn gusting 25, side-onshore. Water: waves 1.6 m.

  6. Sat 24 Oct
    Rest day

    Not enough of the right wind: 10 kn gusting 21, side-shore. Water: waves 1.5 m.

  7. Sun 25 Oct
    Travel home

    Fly ORD to MPM, changing at LIS, then 3h 25 by road. About 30h 30 door to door

Rough cost

About £1,105–£2,200 each for 6 nights, 2 people sharing. A guide from typical prices, not a quote. Kit hire is not in it yet: we have no sourced price for it.

  • Flights £795–£1,655
  • To the UK airport £35–£65
  • Hire car £50–£85
  • Stay £110–£185
  • Food £115–£210

Book the trip

Getting thereAd

Flights · Skyscanner Car hire · Discover Cars

Where to stayAd

Places to stay · Booking.com

In the waterAd

Windsurfing lessons · GetYourGuide Board and rig 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.