Madiba's Hat, South Africa
No town nearby. No stay checked for this site yet: Blouberg, 11 km away, is the nearest town we list. Nearest airport: Cape Town International Airport (CPT), 27 km.
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About Madiba's Hat
Facing, offshore wind, exposure, level and swell range are estimated. Facts: verified, surf details estimated.
The spot faces SW (209°), so it takes swell from the SW. The wind blows offshore from the NE (29°). It is exposed to the open swell. It suits intermediate surfers and up. It works in 2–9 ft of swell. The sea is about 14°C in May, its coldest month (4/3 wetsuit and boots), and 16°C in January, its warmest (3/2 wetsuit). For intermediate surfers the best months are usually April and May, with about 1 good days in 7. From the weather of past years. No town nearby. No stay checked for this site yet: Blouberg, 11 km away, is the nearest town we list. Nearest airport: Cape Town International Airport (CPT), 27 km. Within 5 km we also list 4 surf spots and 1 dive site.
Water about 15°C: 4/3 wetsuit and boots. Typical sea temperature for the time of year, not a forecast.
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The link holds the trip itself: nothing about you is kept. Check the forecast again before you book.
Book the trip
From Chicago: about 26 h 35 door to door, one way. An estimate; the journey never changes the score.
Fly. Chicago Midway International Airport (MDW) to Cape Town International Airport (CPT), changing at Hartsfield Jackson Atlanta International Airport (ATL).
See flights MDW → CPT · Skyscanner from about £765 returnAdGetting there. 50 min from the airport to Madiba's Hat.
Accommodation.
No town nearby
No stay checked for this site yet: Blouberg, 11 km away, is the nearest town we list. Nearest airport: Cape Town International Airport (CPT), 27 km.
Hire and lessons.
Surf lessons in Madiba's Hat · GetYourGuideAdBoard and wetsuit hire in Madiba's Hat · GetYourGuideAd
Where it is
Madiba's Hat on Google Maps · Directions
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Forecast
Madiba's Hat 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mon 19Oct | 0, too big | 7 ft9 s | 745kJ | wind from the north-east, 4 knots | 14°C |
| Tue 20Oct | 11, poor | 6 ft7 s | 322kJ | wind from the north-west, 8 knots | 14°C |
| Wed 21Oct | 0, too big | 9 ft8 s | 1,006kJ | wind from the north-north-west, 18 knots | 16°C |
| Thu 22Oct | 0, too big | 8 ft8 s | 758kJ | wind from the north-west, 8 knots | 15°C |
| Fri 23Oct | 0, too big | 7 ft8 s | 650kJ | wind from the north-north-east, 1 knot | 16°C |
| Sat 24Oct | 42, fair | 4 ft8 s | 214kJ | wind from the south-south-east, 2 knots | 19°C |
| Sun 25Oct | 10, too small | 2 ft7 s | 56kJ | wind from the south-south-east, 11 knots | 20°C |
| Mon 26Oct | 38, fair | 3 ft8 s | 73kJ | wind from the north-north-west, 2 knots | 22°C |
| Tue 27Oct | 38, fair | 3 ft8 s | 119kJ | offshorewind from the north-north-east, 2 knots, offshore | 16°C |
| Wed 28Oct | 0, poor | – | – | – | – |
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. 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 Tue 20 Oct, leaving from Chicago, for intermediate surfers. Change dates
- Tue 20 OctTravel out
Fly MDW to CPT, changing at ATL, then 50 min by road. About 26h 35 door to door
- Wed 21 OctRest day
Nothing worth paddling out for: the best window scores 0 of 80.
- Thu 22 OctRest day
Nothing worth paddling out for: the best window scores 0 of 80.
- Fri 23 OctRest day
Nothing worth paddling out for: the best window scores 0 of 80.
- Sat 24 OctSurf Madiba's Hat
Best 08:00 to 11:00 local time: 4 ft at 8 s, wind 2 kn (4 km/h).
- Sun 25 OctRest day
Too small: 2 ft at best.
- Mon 26 OctTravel home
Fly MDW to CPT, changing at ATL, then 50 min by road. About 26h 35 door to door
Rough cost
About £1,015–£2,025 each for 6 nights, 2 people sharing a room. A guide from typical prices, not a quote: check the real prices before you book. No town nearby, so no stay is in it.
| What | How we worked it out | Each |
|---|---|---|
| Flights | return MDW to CPT, estimated from distance and season, changing at ATL, full-service airlines, with a hold bag | £765–£1,585 |
| To the UK airport | parking or the train, there and back | £35–£65 |
| Hire car | 6 days, shared | £50–£85 |
| Food | 7 days eating out | £115–£210 |
| Board and wetsuit | 5 days, or about £85 to fly your own | £50–£80 |
| Total | £1,015–£2,025 |
Prices from public sources, checked in 2026: where they come from. Lessons, lift-pass deals and insurance are extra.
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