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Paignton, UK

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

Also within 20 km of Paignton

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

Harbour of Paignton; Der Hafen von Paignton (Torbay, Devon, England)
Paignton. Photo: Jcg2006, Public domain, Wikimedia Commons

About Paignton

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

The spot faces E (94°), so it takes swell from the E. The wind blows offshore from the W (274°). It is sheltered to the open swell. It suits beginners and up. It works in 3–14 ft of swell. The sea floor shelves very gently: 10 m deep about 1.4 km out (1 in 139). On a typical 5 ft, 11 s swell the waves here would spill softly. The sea is about 9°C in March, its coldest month (4/3 or 5/4, boots and gloves), and 17°C in July, its warmest (3/2 wetsuit). The town to stay in is Paignton, 0.4 km away (about 5 min by car). Within 5 km we also list 1 surf spot and 1 dive site.

Water about 16°C: 3/2 wetsuit. Typical sea temperature for the time of year, not a forecast.

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Book the trip

From Chicago: about 16 h 30 door to door, one way. An estimate; the journey never changes the score.

  1. Fly. Chicago O'Hare International Airport (ORD) to EXT, changing at Dublin Airport (DUB).

    See flights ORD → EXT · Skyscanner from about £385 returnAd

  2. Getting there. 55 min from the airport to Paignton.

    Car hire · Discover CarsAd

  3. Accommodation.

    Stay in PaigntonAd

    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 Paignton · GetYourGuideAdBoard and wetsuit hire in Paignton · GetYourGuideAd

Everything else for the trip

Where it is

Paignton 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 intermediates, coloured as on the area pages:GoodFairPoorToo bigToo small

DayScoreSwellEnergyWindTemp
Sun 18Oct51 ft4 smushy6kJ13°C
Mon 19Oct21 ft5 smushy6kJ13°C
Tue 20Oct151 ft4 smushy4kJ13°C
Wed 21Oct152 ft6 smushy20kJ12°C
Thu 22Oct132 ft7 smushy36kJ15°C
Fri 23Oct223 ft8 ssoft127kJ12°C
Sat 24Oct82 ft7 smushy18kJ14°C
Sun 25Oct323 ft7 smushy90kJ15°C
Mon 26Oct162 ft7 smushy48kJ16°C
Tue 27Oct152 ft9 ssoft59kJ15°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

  1. Mon 19 Oct
    Travel out

    Fly ORD to EXT, changing at DUB, then 55 min by road. About 16h 30 door to door

  2. Tue 20 Oct
    Rest day

    Too small: 2 ft at best.

  3. Wed 21 Oct
    Rest day

    Too small: 2 ft at best.

  4. Thu 22 Oct
    Rest day

    Too small: 2 ft at best.

  5. Fri 23 Oct
    Rest day

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

  6. Sat 24 Oct
    Rest day

    Too small: 2 ft at best.

  7. Sun 25 Oct
    Travel home

    Fly ORD to EXT, changing at DUB, then 55 min by road. About 16h 30 door to door

The plan picks the best of 2 spots near Paignton each day: Paignton, Preston Beach.

The trip from Paignton, with every spot near it

Rough cost

About £1,070–£2,005 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 ORD to EXT, estimated from distance and season, changing at DUB, full-service airlines, with a hold bag£385–£805
To the UK airportparking or the train, there and back£35–£65
Taxiairport and back, shared£60–£100
Stay6 nights, a mid-range double, shared£250–£420
Food7 days eating out£240–£445
Board and wetsuit5 days, or about £85 to fly your own£100–£170
Total£1,070–£2,005

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

Places to eat near Paignton

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; food hygiene ratings from the Food Standards Agency (Open Government Licence). 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.