Igoda, South Africa
Also within 20 km of East London
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- Nahoon Reef Surf spot · 5.5 km from East London
- Nahoon Beach Break Surf spot · 5.7 km from East London
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- Naidoo's Point Surf spot · 7.7 km from East London
Watch this spot We email you when Igoda is worth the trip.
About Igoda
Facing, offshore wind, exposure, level and swell range are estimated. Facts: verified, surf details estimated.
The spot faces SE (156°), so it takes swell from the SE. The wind blows offshore from the NW (336°). It is exposed to the open swell. It suits intermediate surfers and up. It works in 2–8 ft of swell. The sea floor shelves gently: 10 m deep about 400 m out (1 in 42). On a typical 5 ft, 11 s swell the waves here would crumble. The sea is about 20°C in August, its coldest month (2 mm shorty), and 24°C in January, its warmest (no wetsuit). For intermediate surfers the best months are usually May and June, with about 2 good days in 7. From the weather of past years. The town to stay in is East London.
Water about 21°C: 2 mm shorty. Typical sea temperature for the time of year, not a forecast.
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Book the trip
From Chicago: about 30 h 40 door to door, one way. An estimate; the journey never changes the score.
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 returnAdGetting there. 30 min from the airport to Igoda.
Accommodation.
Nearest beds: East London, 15 km (about 30 min by car)Ad
No town with beds to book is nearer Igoda: 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 East London, 15 km away (ad) on Booking.com →Closest towns to stay in
East London 27 min by car · rooms from £40 a night · 86 places to stay · where Igoda stays
Places to stay in East London · Booking.com AdGonubie 50 min by car · rooms from £40 a night · 47 places to stay
Places to stay in Gonubie · Booking.com Ad
Typical prices for a double room that month, not a quote. Drives are estimates.
Hire and lessons.
Surf lessons in East London · GetYourGuideAdBoard and wetsuit hire in East London · GetYourGuideAd
Where it is
Igoda on Google Maps · Directions
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Forecast
Igoda 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 | 0, too big | 7 ft9 ssoft | 604kJ | wind from the west-south-west, 3 knots | 22°C |
| Mon 19Oct | 1, too small | 2 ft9 smushy | 41kJ | wind from the south-south-west, 18 knots | 17°C |
| Tue 20Oct | 32, poor | 5 ft7 smushy | 293kJ | wind from the south, 4 knots | 21°C |
| Wed 21Oct | 29, poor | 4 ft8 smushy | 203kJ | wind from the west-north-west, 7 knots | 26°C |
| Thu 22Oct | 9, poor | 3 ft11 smushy | 214kJ | wind from the south-west, 15 knots | 23°C |
| Fri 23Oct | 0, too big | 8 ft8 ssoft | 841kJ | wind from the west, 13 knots | 20°C |
| Sat 24Oct | 41, fair | 4 ft9 ssoft | 268kJ | wind from the east-north-east, 12 knots | 24°C |
| Sun 25Oct | 26, too small | 3 ft7 smushy | 68kJ | wind from the west-south-west, 11 knots | 22°C |
| Mon 26Oct | 17, too small | 2 ft8 smushy | 31kJ | wind from the east, 6 knots | 20°C |
| Tue 27Oct | 25, poor | 5 ft6 smushy | 119kJ | wind from the east-north-east, 15 knots | 24°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 ELS, changing at ATL and CPT, then 30 min by road. About 30h 40 door to door
- Tue 20 OctSurf Igoda
Best 11:00 to 14:00 local time: 5 ft at 7 s, wind 4 kn (8 km/h).
- Wed 21 OctSurf Igoda
Best 08:00 to 11:00 local time: 4 ft at 8 s, wind 7 kn (13 km/h).
- Thu 22 OctRest day
Nothing worth paddling out for: the best window scores 17 of 80.
- Fri 23 OctRest day
Nothing worth paddling out for: the best window scores 0 of 80.
- Sat 24 OctSurf Igoda
Best 11:00 to 14:00 local time: 4 ft at 9 s, wind 12 kn (22 km/h).
- Sun 25 OctTravel home
Fly MDW to ELS, changing at ATL and CPT, then 30 min by road. About 30h 40 door to door
Rough cost
About £1,120–£2,220 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 ELS, estimated from distance and season, changing at ATL and CPT, full-service airlines, with a hold bag | £795–£1,655 |
| To the UK airport | parking or the train, there and back | £35–£65 |
| Taxi | airport and back, shared | £15–£25 |
| Stay | 6 nights, a mid-range double, shared | £110–£185 |
| Food | 7 days eating out | £115–£210 |
| Board and wetsuit | 5 days, or about £85 to fly your own | £50–£80 |
| Total | £1,120–£2,220 |
Prices from public sources, checked in 2026: where they come from. Lessons, lift-pass deals and insurance are extra.
Places to eat near East London
- Debonairs Pizza Gillwell MallPizza · 0.2 km from the centre
- Debonairs Pizza Oxford StreetPizza · 0.5 km from the centre
- Hungry Lion Oxford StreetChicken · 0.5 km from the centre
- McDonald'sBurger · 0.5 km from the centre
- Nando'sChicken · 0.5 km from the centre
- Steers Oxford StreetBurger · 0.5 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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