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Piccaninnie Beach, Australia

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

Also within 20 km of Nelson

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

About Piccaninnie Beach

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

The spot faces S (192°), so it takes swell from the S. The wind blows offshore from the N (12°). 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 very gently: 10 m deep about 2.5 km out (1 in 250). On a typical 5 ft, 11 s swell the waves here would spill softly. The sea is about 14°C in August, its coldest month (4/3 wetsuit and boots), and 18°C in February, its warmest (2 mm shorty). For intermediate surfers the best months are usually February, March, April and May, with about 1 good days in 7; in January and September, about 0. From the weather of past years. The town to stay in is Nelson, 5.7 km away (about 10 min by car). Within 5 km we also list 1 surf spot.

Water about 14°C: 4/3 wetsuit and boots. Typical sea temperature for the time of year, not a forecast.

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From Chicago: about 32 h 30 door to door, one way. An estimate; the journey never changes the score.

  1. Fly. Chicago Midway International Airport (MDW) to MGB, changing at Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) and Melbourne Airport (MEL).

    See flights MDW → MGB · Skyscanner from about £875 returnAd

  2. Getting there. 1 h from the airport to Piccaninnie Beach.

    Car hire · Discover CarsAd

  3. Accommodation.

    Stay in NelsonAd

    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 Nelson · GetYourGuideAdBoard and wetsuit hire in Nelson · GetYourGuideAd

Everything else for the trip

Where it is

Piccaninnie Beach on Google Maps · Directions

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Forecast

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

DayScoreSwellEnergyWindTemp
Sun 18Oct443 ft10 ssoft125kJ23°C
Mon 19Oct654 ft12 ssoft448kJ23°C
Tue 20Oct524 ft10 ssoft341kJ21°C
Wed 21Oct415 ft9 ssoft342kJ17°C
Thu 22Oct08 ft12 ssoft1,507kJ22°C
Fri 23Oct07 ft12 ssoft1,348kJ22°C
Sat 24Oct07 ft11 smushy1,279kJ15°C
Sun 25Oct07 ft10 smushy988kJ12°C
Mon 26Oct08 ft10 ssoft1,201kJ14°C
Tue 27Oct06 ft10 ssoft592kJ15°C
Wed 28Oct0––––

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 MDW to MGB, changing at LAX and MEL, then 1h by road. About 32h 30 door to door

  2. Tue 20 Oct
    Surf Catholic Thommo's

    Best 14:00 to 17:00 local time: 4 ft at 10 s, wind 2 kn (4 km/h).

  3. Wed 21 Oct
    Surf Catholic Thommo's

    Best 11:00 to 14:00 local time: 5 ft at 9 s, wind 5 kn (10 km/h).

  4. Thu 22 Oct
    Rest day

    Nothing worth paddling out for: the best window scores 0 of 80.

  5. Fri 23 Oct
    Rest day

    Nothing worth paddling out for: the best window scores 0 of 80.

  6. Sat 24 Oct
    Rest day

    Nothing worth paddling out for: the best window scores 0 of 80.

  7. Sun 25 Oct
    Travel home

    Fly MDW to MGB, changing at LAX and MEL, then 1h by road. About 32h 30 door to door

The plan picks the best of 2 spots near Nelson each day: Catholic Thommo's, Piccaninnie Beach.

The trip from Nelson, with every spot near it

Rough cost

About £1,565–£3,010 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 MGB, estimated from distance and season, changing at LAX and MEL, full-service airlines, with a hold bag£875–£1,815
To the UK airportparking or the train, there and back£35–£65
Taxiairport and back, shared£65–£105
Stay6 nights, a mid-range double, shared£240–£395
Food7 days eating out£245–£455
Board and wetsuit5 days, or about £85 to fly your own£105–£175
Total£1,565–£3,010

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

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.