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Swanage, UK

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

Also within 20 km of Swanage

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

Beach Huts, New Swanage
Swanage. Photo: Gary Rogers, CC BY-SA 2.0, Wikimedia Commons

About Swanage

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

The spot faces E (108°), so it takes swell from the E. The wind blows offshore from the W (288°). It is sheltered to the open swell. It suits beginners and up. It works in 5–20 ft of swell. The sea floor shelves very gently: 10 m deep about 1.1 km out (1 in 114). On a typical 5 ft, 11 s swell the waves here would spill softly. The sea is about 9°C in February, its coldest month (4/3 or 5/4, boots and gloves), and 18°C in August, its warmest (2 mm shorty). The town to stay in is Swanage, 1.1 km away (about 5 min by car). Within 5 km we also list 1 surf spot.

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 15 h 10 door to door, one way. An estimate; the journey never changes the score.

  1. Fly. Chicago O'Hare International Airport (ORD) to LHR, direct.

    See flights ORD → LHR · Skyscanner from about £395 returnAd

  2. Getting there. 2 h 45 from the airport to Swanage.

    Car hire · Discover CarsAd

  3. Accommodation.

    Stay in SwanageAd

    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 Swanage · GetYourGuideAdBoard and wetsuit hire in Swanage · GetYourGuideAd

Everything else for the trip

Where it is

Swanage 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 18Oct11 ft5 s1kJ14°C
Mon 19Oct11 ft4 smushy1kJ14°C
Tue 20Oct51 ft4 smushy3kJ13°C
Wed 21Oct92 ft7 smushy41kJ12°C
Thu 22Oct203 ft6 smushy80kJ14°C
Fri 23Oct305 ft10 ssoft399kJ11°C
Sat 24Oct62 ft6 smushy28kJ14°C
Sun 25Oct163 ft7 smushy85kJ14°C
Mon 26Oct82 ft8 ssoft39kJ14°C
Tue 27Oct41 ft11 ssoft20kJ15°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

    Direct flight ORD to LHR, then 2h 45 by road. About 15h 10 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
    Surf Durlston Point

    Best 13:00 to 16:00 local time: 4 ft at 7 s, offshore wind.

  5. Fri 23 Oct
    Surf Durlston Point

    Best 13:00 to 16:00 local time: 4 ft at 11 s, offshore wind.

  6. Sat 24 Oct
    Rest day

    Too small: 2 ft at best.

  7. Sun 25 Oct
    Travel home

    Direct flight ORD to LHR, then 2h 45 by road. About 15h 10 door to door

The plan picks the best of 2 spots near Swanage each day: Durlston Point, Swanage.

The trip from Swanage, with every spot near it

Rough cost

About £1,125–£2,095 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 LHR, estimated from distance and season, 3 airlines on the route, with a hold bag£395–£820
To the UK airportparking or the train, there and back£35–£65
Hire car6 days, shared£105–£175
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£1,125–£2,095

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

Places to eat near Swanage

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.