Dee why, Australia
Also within 20 km of Manly
- Manly Surf spot · 0.1 km from Manly
- Manly Kite spot · 0.4 km from Manly
- Fairy Bower Surf spot · 0.7 km from Manly
- North Steyne Surf spot · 0.8 km from Manly
- Queenscliff Surf spot · 0.8 km from Manly
- Fairy Bower Dive site · 0.9 km from Manly
- Shelley Beach Dive site · 1 km from Manly
- Winki Surf spot · 1 km from Manly
Watch this spot We email you when Dee why is worth the trip.
About Dee why
Facing, offshore wind, exposure, level and swell range are estimated. Facts: verified, surf details estimated.
The spot faces SE (117°), so it takes swell from the SE. The wind blows offshore from the NW (297°). 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 600 m out (1 in 58). On a typical 5 ft, 11 s swell the waves here would spill softly. The sea is about 18°C in August, its coldest month (2 mm shorty), and 24°C in February, its warmest (no wetsuit). For intermediate surfers the best month is usually May, with about 3 good days in 7. From the weather of past years. The town to stay in is Manly, 5.4 km away (about 10 min by car). Within 5 km we also list 25 surf spots, 1 wind sports spot and 2 dive sites.
Water about 20°C: 2 mm shorty. Typical sea temperature for the time of year, not a forecast.
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From Chicago: about 27 h 40 door to door, one way. An estimate; the journey never changes the score.
Fly. Chicago Midway International Airport (MDW) to Sydney Kingsford Smith International Airport (SYD), changing at Los Angeles International Airport (LAX).
See flights MDW → SYD · Skyscanner from about £820 returnAdGetting there. 45 min from the airport to Dee why.
Accommodation.
Stay in ManlyAd
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 Manly (ad) on Booking.com →Closest towns to stay in
Manly 9 min by car · rooms from £90 a night · 50 places to stay · where Dee why stays
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Typical prices for a double room that month, not a quote. Drives are estimates.
Hire and lessons.
Surf lessons in Manly · GetYourGuideAdBoard and wetsuit hire in Manly · GetYourGuideAd
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Where it is
Dee why on Google Maps · Directions
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Forecast
Dee why 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
| Day | Scorefor Intermediate | Swell | Energy | Wind | Temp |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sun 18Oct | 49, good | 4 ft7 smushy | 128kJ | wind from the south-east, 4 knots | 19°C |
| Mon 19Oct | 25, too small | 3 ft7 smushy | 50kJ | wind from the south-west, 4 knots | 20°C |
| Tue 20Oct | 23, too small | 3 ft5 smushy | 35kJ | wind from the north, 7 knots | 20°C |
| Wed 21Oct | 23, too small | 3 ft5 smushy | 36kJ | wind from the north-north-east, 8 knots | 20°C |
| Thu 22Oct | 17, poor | 3 ft5 smushy | 46kJ | wind from the north-east, 12 knots | 20°C |
| Fri 23Oct | 22, poor | 4 ft5 smushy | 58kJ | wind from the north-north-east, 12 knots | 20°C |
| Sat 24Oct | 35, poor | 4 ft6 smushy | 94kJ | offshorewind from the north-north-west, 4 knots, offshore | 21°C |
| Sun 25Oct | 52, good | 4 ft6 smushy | 146kJ | offshorewind from the north-north-west, 8 knots, offshore | 21°C |
| Mon 26Oct | 44, fair | 3 ft7 smushy | 99kJ | wind from the south-west, 2 knots | 21°C |
| Tue 27Oct | 12, too small | 2 ft7 smushy | 42kJ | wind from the south-south-west, 9 knots | 17°C |
| Wed 28Oct | 2, too small | 1 ft7 smushy | 10kJ | wind from the east-south-east, 19 knots | 16°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
- Mon 19 OctTravel out
Fly MDW to SYD, changing at LAX, then 45 min by road. About 27h 40 door to door
- Tue 20 OctSurf Butterbox
Best 08:00 to 11:00 local time: 3 ft at 5 s, wind 7 kn (13 km/h).
- Wed 21 OctSurf North Steyne
Best 08:00 to 11:00 local time: 3 ft at 5 s, wind 3 kn (5 km/h).
- Thu 22 OctRest day
Nothing worth paddling out for: the best window scores 35 of 80.
- Fri 23 OctSurf North Steyne
Best 08:00 to 11:00 local time: 4 ft at 5 s, wind 4 kn (8 km/h).
- Sat 24 OctSurf Collaroy
Best 08:00 to 11:00 local time: 4 ft at 5 s, wind 2 kn (4 km/h).
- Sun 25 OctTravel home
Fly MDW to SYD, changing at LAX, then 45 min by road. About 27h 40 door to door
The plan picks the best of 31 spots near Manly each day: Butterbox, Castel corner- curl curl, Collaroy, Collaroy End, Crazies, curl curl shoz, Deadmans, Dee why, Diggers Rights, Dontals, Fairy Bower, Fishermans Bay, Freshwater beach, Long-Reef, Long Reef Bombie, luzas, Makaha, Manly, Monkeys, North Curl Curl, North Narrabeen, North Steyne, papa chins, Queenscliff, Queensie bombie, Queensie Mini, Sth Narrabeen, The trench, White Rock, Winki, Winkipop.
Rough cost
About £1,485–£2,865 each for 6 nights, 2 people sharing a room. A guide from typical prices, not a quote: check the real prices before you book.
| What | How we worked it out | Each |
|---|---|---|
| Flights | return MDW to SYD, estimated from distance and season, changing at LAX, full-service airlines, with a hold bag | £820–£1,705 |
| To the UK airport | parking or the train, there and back | £35–£65 |
| Taxi | airport and back, shared | £40–£70 |
| Stay | 6 nights, a mid-range double, shared | £240–£395 |
| Food | 7 days eating out | £245–£455 |
| Board and wetsuit | 5 days, or about £85 to fly your own | £105–£175 |
| Total | £1,485–£2,865 |
Prices from public sources, checked in 2026: where they come from. Lessons, lift-pass deals and insurance are extra.
Places to eat near Manly
- Manly Ocean FoodsSeafood · in the centre
- Oporto ManlyChicken · in the centre
- WahlburgersBurger · in the centre
- Acai Bros.Brazilian · 0.1 km from the centre
- Arun Thai CuisineThai · 0.1 km from the centre
- Ashiana Indian RestaurantIndian · 0.1 km from the centre
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
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