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The basin, Australia

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

Also within 20 km of Rottnest Island

All 16 on Rottnest Island's map

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

Golden Hour at the Basin - Rottnest Island
The basin. Photo: Matthew.crompton, CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons

About The basin

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

The spot faces N (346°), so it takes swell from the N. The wind blows offshore from the S (166°). It is sheltered to the open swell. It suits beginners and up. It works in 4–16 ft of swell. The sea is about 19°C in August, its coldest month (2 mm shorty), and 22°C in January, its warmest (2 mm shorty). The town to stay in is Rottnest Island, 2.9 km away (about 5 min by car). Within 5 km we also list 8 surf spots.

Water about 19°C: 2 mm shorty. Typical sea temperature for the time of year, not a forecast.

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Book the trip

From Chicago: about 32 h 55 door to door, one way. An estimate; the journey never changes the score.

  1. Fly. Chicago O'Hare International Airport (ORD) to Perth International Airport (PER), changing at Hong Kong International Airport (HKG).

    See flights ORD → PER · Skyscanner from about £960 returnAd

  2. Getting there. 1 h from the airport to The basin.

    Car hire · Discover CarsAd

  3. Accommodation.

    Stay in Rottnest IslandAd

    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 Rottnest Island · GetYourGuideAdBoard and wetsuit hire in Rottnest Island · GetYourGuideAd

Everything else for the trip

Where it is

The basin 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

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

DayScoreSwellEnergyWindTemp
Sun 18Oct09 ft11 s1,637kJ18°C
Mon 19Oct07 ft9 s733kJ17°C
Tue 20Oct294 ft12 s442kJ19°C
Wed 21Oct010 ft12 s2,296kJ20°C
Thu 22Oct011 ft11 s2,643kJ17°C
Fri 23Oct010 ft11 s2,610kJ15°C
Sat 24Oct010 ft10 s1,783kJ15°C
Sun 25Oct07 ft10 s1,009kJ16°C
Mon 26Oct466 ft9 s414kJ18°C
Tue 27Oct364 ft9 s207kJ24°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. 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 PER, changing at HKG, then 1h by road. About 32h 55 door to door

  2. Tue 20 Oct
    Surf The Basin Ledge

    Best 14:00 to 17:00 local time: 4 ft at 12 s, wind 7 kn (12 km/h).

  3. Wed 21 Oct
    Rest day

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

  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 ORD to PER, changing at HKG, then 1h by road. About 32h 55 door to door

The plan picks the best of 17 spots near Rottnest Island each day: Bullets, Cathedral rock, Chicken Reef, Fruit Bowl, Hollow Night, Investigators, North point, Piss head's, Riceys Beach, Rotto Box, Salmon Bay, Stark Bay, Strickland Bay, The basin, The Basin Ledge, The Basins Lefty, Transit reef.

The trip from Rottnest Island, with every spot near it

Rough cost

About £1,655–£3,200 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 PER, estimated from distance and season, changing at HKG, full-service airlines, with a hold bag£960–£1,995
To the UK airportparking or the train, there and back£35–£65
Taxiairport and back, shared£70–£115
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£1,655–£3,200

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.