Silkies, South Africa
Also within 20 km of Strand
- AECI beachbreak. Surf spot · 1.3 km from Strand
- Die Poort Surf spot · 1.6 km from Strand
- Duckies Reef Surf spot · 1.8 km from Strand
- Strand (pipe) Surf spot · 1.8 km from Strand
- Blinkklip Inner Reef Surf spot · 2.7 km from Strand
- Blinkklip Reef Surf spot · 2.9 km from Strand
- Greenways Reef Surf spot · 2.9 km from Strand
- Seconds Surf spot · 2.9 km from Strand
Watch this spot We email you when Silkies is worth the trip.
About Silkies
Facing, offshore wind, exposure, level and swell range are estimated. Facts: verified, surf details estimated.
The spot faces SW (227°), so it takes swell from the SW. The wind blows offshore from the NE (47°). It is exposed to the open swell. It suits intermediate surfers and up. It works in 3–11 ft of swell. The sea floor shelves very gently: 10 m deep about 1.0 km out (1 in 103). On a typical 5 ft, 11 s swell the waves here would spill softly. The sea is about 15°C in June, its coldest month (4/3 wetsuit and boots), and 18°C in January, its warmest (2 mm shorty). For intermediate surfers the best months are usually April, May and October, with about 1 good days in 7. From the weather of past years. The town to stay in is Strand, 1.2 km away (about 5 min by car). Within 5 km we also list 9 surf spots.
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 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. 45 min from the airport to Silkies.
Accommodation.
Stay in StrandAd
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 Strand (ad) on Booking.com →Closest towns to stay in
Strand 2 min by car · rooms from £40 a night · 53 places to stay · where Silkies stays
Places to stay in Strand · Booking.com AdKhayelitsha 29 min by car · rooms from £40 a night · 19 places to stay
Places to stay in Khayelitsha · Booking.com AdPringle Bay 46 min by car · rooms from £40 a night · 16 places to stay
Places to stay in Pringle Bay · Booking.com AdBetty's Bay 50 min by car · rooms from £40 a night · 13 places to stay
Places to stay in Betty's Bay · Booking.com AdKleinmond 55 min by car · rooms from £40 a night · 33 places to stay
Places to stay in Kleinmond · Booking.com Ad
Typical prices for a double room that month, not a quote. Drives are estimates.
Hire and lessons.
Surf lessons in Strand · GetYourGuideAdBoard and wetsuit hire in Strand · GetYourGuideAd
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Where it is
Silkies on Google Maps · Directions
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Forecast
Silkies 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 | 49, good | 5 ft9 ssoft | 365kJ | wind from the north, 4 knots | 15°C |
| Tue 20Oct | 45, fair | 4 ft7 smushy | 167kJ | wind from the north, 5 knots | 16°C |
| Wed 21Oct | 6, poor | 6 ft9 ssoft | 454kJ | wind from the north, 18 knots | 16°C |
| Thu 22Oct | 0, too big | 6 ft8 smushy | 464kJ | wind from the north-north-west, 10 knots | 16°C |
| Fri 23Oct | 0, too big | 6 ft9 ssoft | 454kJ | wind from the north, 2 knots | 18°C |
| Sat 24Oct | 45, fair | 4 ft8 smushy | 164kJ | wind from the south-south-west, 2 knots | 18°C |
| Sun 25Oct | 17, too small | 2 ft7 smushy | 48kJ | wind from the south-east, 10 knots | 20°C |
| Mon 26Oct | 32, too small | 3 ft7 smushy | 61kJ | wind from the south-east, 9 knots | 23°C |
| Tue 27Oct | 24, too small | 2 ft7 smushy | 37kJ | wind from the west-north-west, 2 knots | 19°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. 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 Tue 20 Oct, leaving from Chicago, for intermediate surfers. Change dates
- Tue 20 OctTravel out
Fly MDW to CPT, changing at ATL, then 45 min by road. About 26h 35 door to door
- Wed 21 OctSurf Blinkklip Reef
Best 08:00 to 11:00 local time: 6 ft at 9 s, offshore wind.
- Thu 22 OctSurf Harbour Island
Best 17:00 to 20:00 local time: 5 ft at 8 s, wind 4 kn (7 km/h).
- Fri 23 OctSurf Harbour Island
Best 17:00 to 20:00 local time: 5 ft at 8 s, wind 5 kn (9 km/h).
- Sat 24 OctSurf Seconds
Best 08:00 to 11:00 local time: 4 ft at 8 s, wind 2 kn (3 km/h).
- Sun 25 OctRest day
Too small: 2 ft at best.
- Mon 26 OctTravel home
Fly MDW to CPT, changing at ATL, then 45 min by road. About 26h 35 door to door
The plan picks the best of 16 spots near Strand each day: AECI beachbreak., Blinkklip Inner Reef, Blinkklip Reef, Die Poort, Duckies Reef, Gordons Bay, Back Reef, Gordon's Bay , Bikini beach, Gordons Bay, Bikini Shorebreak., Gordons Bay, helicopters, Greenways Reef, Harbour Island, Seconds, Seconds, Silkies, Strand (pipe), Virgin Point.
Rough cost
About £1,125–£2,210 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 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 |
| 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 | £1,125–£2,210 |
Prices from public sources, checked in 2026: where they come from. Lessons, lift-pass deals and insurance are extra.
Places to eat near Strand
- Cape Town Fish MarketSeafood · 0.9 km from the centre
- Addis in Cape Ethiopian RestaurantEthiopian · 1.0 km from the centre
- Ben's on the BeachSteakhouse · 1.0 km from the centre
- De BrasserieBelgian · 1.0 km from the centre
- Chilli Bae StrandIndian · 1.2 km from the centre
- Pap Mama African CuisineAfrican · 1.2 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
Book the trip
Where to stayAd
Places to stay · Booking.com (ad)Links marked Ad may pay us a small commission if you book. You pay the same price, and it never changes a score.