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St Francis Bay, South Africa

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

Also within 20 km of St. Francis Bay

All 27 on St. Francis Bay's map

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About St Francis Bay

Known for kitesurfing and windsurfing, by the OpenStreetMap map of the area. The shore faces E, so wind from the W blows out to sea (our estimate from the coastline). Facts: verified.

Water about 17°C: 3/2 wetsuit. Typical sea temperature for the time of year, not a forecast.

A spot for kitesurfing and windsurfing, as OpenStreetMap maps it, on a shore facing E. Wind from the E blows onshore, wind from the W blows out to sea, and wind from the S or N runs along the shore. It is sheltered to the open sea. The sea floor shelves gently: 10 m deep about 700 m out (1 in 68). The sea is about 17°C in August, its coldest month (3/2 wetsuit), and 20°C in January, its warmest (2 mm shorty). For windsurfing at intermediate level the best month is usually January, with about 3 good days in 7; in June and July, about 0. From the weather of past years. The town to stay in is St. Francis Bay. Within 5 km we also list 14 surf spots.

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Book the trip

From Chicago: about 31 h 30 door to door, one way. An estimate; the journey never changes the score.

  1. Fly. Chicago Midway International Airport (MDW) to PLZ, changing at Hartsfield Jackson Atlanta International Airport (ATL) and Cape Town International Airport (CPT).

    See flights MDW → PLZ · Skyscanner from about £790 returnAd

  2. Getting there. 1 h 35 from the airport to St Francis Bay.

    Car hire · Discover CarsAd

  3. Accommodation.

    Stay in St. Francis BayAd

    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.

    Windsurfing lessons in St. Francis Bay · GetYourGuideAdBoard and rig hire in St. Francis Bay · GetYourGuideAd

Everything else for the trip

Where it is

St Francis Bay on Google Maps · Directions

The map needs JavaScript. Every place on it is listed on this page, and each place's page links to Google Maps.

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

Forecast

Best on Tue 27: 14 kn gusting 23, side-onshore. Water: waves 0.9 m.

The score for windsurf, coloured as on the area pages:GoodFairPoor

DayScoreWindGustsShoreWater
Sun 18Oct4022knside-on1.5 mwaves
Mon 19Oct018kncross-off1.5 mwaves
Tue 20Oct011knoffnot safe0.9 mwaves
Wed 21Oct010knoffnot safe1.1 mwaves
Thu 22Oct023knoffnot safe1.6 mwaves
Fri 23Oct3616knon1.4 mwaves
Sat 24Oct3421knon0.9 mwaves
Sun 25Oct022knoffnot safechop
Mon 26Oct7218knon0.8 mwaves
Tue 27Oct7623knside-on0.9 mwaves

Day scores are the conditions out of 80. Wind is the day's best reading: the mean and the gusts in knots (10 kn is about 19 km/h); the arrow points where it blows to. Shore: "side" is side-shore, blowing along the beach, the safe way; "side-on" and "on" blow in towards it; "cross-off" and "off" blow out to sea, and offshore scores nothing for kite and windsurf. Water is the open sea's waves near the spot: flat under 0.3 m, chop to 0.8 m.

The season

Good windsurf days in a typical week, each month, from 2016 on (ERA5 history scored the same way).

  1. Jan3of 7
  2. Feb2of 7
  3. Mar2of 7
  4. Apr2of 7
  5. May1of 7
  6. Jun0of 7
  7. Jul0of 7
  8. Aug1of 7
  9. Sep1of 7
  10. Oct2of 7
  11. Nov2of 7
  12. Dec2of 7

Typical, not a forecast. Reanalysis wind misses some local thermal winds, so a spot known for an afternoon breeze may do better than this.

Your trip, day by day

6 nights from Mon 19 Oct, leaving from Chicago, for windsurf. Change dates

  1. Mon 19 Oct
    Travel out

    Fly MDW to PLZ, changing at ATL and CPT, then 1h 35 by road. About 31h 30 door to door

  2. Tue 20 Oct
    Rest day

    Not enough of the right wind: 3 kn gusting 11, offshore. Offshore: not safe to ride. Water: waves 0.9 m.

  3. Wed 21 Oct
    Rest day

    Not enough of the right wind: 8 kn gusting 10, offshore. Offshore: not safe to ride. Water: waves 1.1 m.

  4. Thu 22 Oct
    Rest day

    Not enough of the right wind: 17 kn gusting 23, offshore. Offshore: not safe to ride. Water: waves 1.6 m.

  5. Fri 23 Oct
    Windsurf St Francis Bay

    13 kn gusting 16, onshore. Water: waves 1.4 m.

  6. Sat 24 Oct
    Rest day

    Not enough of the right wind: 11 kn gusting 21, onshore. Water: waves 0.9 m.

  7. Sun 25 Oct
    Travel home

    Fly MDW to PLZ, changing at ATL and CPT, then 1h 35 by road. About 31h 30 door to door

Rough cost

About £1,100–£2,190 each for 6 nights, 2 people sharing. A guide from typical prices, not a quote. Kit hire is not in it yet: we have no sourced price for it.

  • Flights £790–£1,645
  • To the UK airport £35–£65
  • Hire car £50–£85
  • Stay £110–£185
  • Food £115–£210

Places to eat near St. Francis Bay

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

Windsurfing lessons · GetYourGuide Board and rig 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.