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Lucien, South Africa

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

Also within 20 km of Margate

All 18 on Margate's map

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

Margate Main beach
Margate, the nearest town, 1 km away. Photo: Mr. Anonymous (af), Public domain, Wikimedia Commons

About Lucien

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

The spot faces SE (130°), so it takes swell from the SE. The wind blows offshore from the NW (310°). 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 moderately: 10 m deep about 300 m out (1 in 32). On a typical 5 ft, 11 s swell the waves here would crumble. The sea is about 22°C in July, its coldest month (2 mm shorty), and 27°C in February, its warmest (no wetsuit). For intermediate surfers the best months are usually May and June, with about 1 good days in 7. From the weather of past years. The town to stay in is Margate, 1.4 km away (about 5 min by car). Within 5 km we also list 4 surf spots and 1 wind sports spot.

Water about 22°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 50 door to door, one way. An estimate; the journey never changes the score.

  1. Fly. Chicago Midway International Airport (MDW) to MGH, changing at Hartsfield Jackson Atlanta International Airport (ATL) and O.R. Tambo International Airport (JNB).

    See flights MDW → MGH · Skyscanner from about £800 returnAd

  2. Getting there. 25 min from the airport to Lucien.

    Car hire · Discover CarsAd

  3. Accommodation.

    Stay in MargateAd

    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.

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

Everything else for the trip

Where it is

Lucien on Google Maps · Directions

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

Forecast

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

DayScoreSwellEnergyWindTemp
Sun 18Oct245 ft7 smushy245kJ23°C
Mon 19Oct135 ft9 scrumbling292kJ22°C
Tue 20Oct397 ft7 smushy415kJ20°C
Wed 21Oct264 ft8 smushy183kJ23°C
Thu 22Oct357 ft8 smushy490kJ21°C
Fri 23Oct187 ft8 smushy484kJ21°C
Sat 24Oct166 ft9 ssoft501kJ22°C
Sun 25Oct83 ft8 smushy136kJ23°C
Mon 26Oct123 ft7 smushy91kJ22°C
Tue 27Oct135 ft6 smushy218kJ22°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 expert surfers. Change dates

  1. Mon 19 Oct
    Travel out

    Fly MDW to MGH, changing at ATL and JNB, then 25 min by road. About 30h 50 door to door

  2. Tue 20 Oct
    Surf MK's

    Best 17:00 to 20:00 local time: 7 ft at 7 s, wind 5 kn (10 km/h).

  3. Wed 21 Oct
    Rest day

    Too small: 5 ft at best.

  4. Thu 22 Oct
    Surf Dolphin Point

    Best 08:00 to 11:00 local time: 7 ft at 9 s, wind 10 kn (19 km/h).

  5. Fri 23 Oct
    Rest day

    Nothing worth paddling out for: the best window scores 27 of 80.

  6. Sat 24 Oct
    Rest day

    Nothing worth paddling out for: the best window scores 34 of 80.

  7. Sun 25 Oct
    Travel home

    Fly MDW to MGH, changing at ATL and JNB, then 25 min by road. About 30h 50 door to door

The plan picks the best of 7 spots near Margate each day: Dolphin Point, Lucien, Margate Beach, MK's, Ski-Boat Bay, St Michaels, Uvongo Beach.

The trip from Margate, with every spot near it

Rough cost

About £1,125–£2,230 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 MGH, estimated from distance and season, changing at ATL and JNB, full-service airlines, with a hold bag£800–£1,665
To the UK airportparking or the train, there and back£35–£65
Taxiairport and back, shared£15–£25
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£1,125–£2,230

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

Places to eat near Margate

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

Places to stay · 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.