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The Pit, South Africa

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

Also within 20 km of Paternoster

All 16 on Paternoster's map

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

Paternoster South Africa 1
Paternoster, the nearest town, 4 km away. Photo: Octagon, CC BY 3.0, Wikimedia Commons

About The Pit

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

The spot faces SW (242°), so it takes swell from the SW. The wind blows offshore from the NE (62°). 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 steeply: 10 m deep about 150 m out (1 in 16). On a typical 5 ft, 11 s swell the waves here would break hollow. The sea is about 14°C in June, its coldest month (4/3 wetsuit and boots), and 16°C in January, its warmest (3/2 wetsuit). For intermediate surfers the best months are usually January, February, March and April, with about 1 good days in 7. From the weather of past years. The town to stay in is Paternoster, 4.4 km away (about 10 min by car). Within 5 km we also list 1 surf spot and 1 wind sports spot.

Water about 15°C: 4/3 wetsuit and boots. Typical sea temperature for the time of year, not a forecast.

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Book the trip

From Chicago: about 28 h 35 door to door, one way. An estimate; the journey never changes the score.

  1. 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 returnAd

  2. Getting there. 2 h 50 from the airport to The Pit.

    Car hire · Discover CarsAd

  3. Accommodation.

    Stay in PaternosterAd

    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 Paternoster · GetYourGuideAdBoard and wetsuit hire in Paternoster · GetYourGuideAd

Everything else for the trip

Where it is

The Pit 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 Pit 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

DayScoreInter­mediateSwellEnergyWindTemp
Sun 18Oct09 ft10 smushy1,325kJ15°C
Mon 19Oct08 ft8 scrumbling741kJ15°C
Tue 20Oct405 ft8 smushy320kJ15°C
Wed 21Oct06 ft9 shollow611kJ16°C
Thu 22Oct07 ft8 scrumbling641kJ16°C
Fri 23Oct07 ft8 scrumbling577kJ17°C
Sat 24Oct224 ft8 smushy226kJ17°C
Sun 25Oct62 ft9 smushy58kJ17°C
Mon 26Oct333 ft9 shollow117kJ17°C
Tue 27Oct364 ft6 smushy110kJ17°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

    Fly MDW to CPT, changing at ATL, then 2h 50 by road. About 28h 35 door to door

  2. Tue 20 Oct
    Surf The Pit

    Best 08:00 to 11:00 local time: 5 ft at 8 s, offshore wind.

  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 31 of 80.

  7. Sun 25 Oct
    Travel home

    Fly MDW to CPT, changing at ATL, then 2h 50 by road. About 28h 35 door to door

The plan picks the best of 3 spots near Paternoster each day: Klein Trekoskraal, Paternoster, The Pit.

The trip from Paternoster, with every spot near it

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.

WhatHow we worked it outEach
Flightsreturn MDW to CPT, estimated from distance and season, changing at ATL, full-service airlines, with a hold bag£765–£1,585
To the UK airportparking or the train, there and back£35–£65
Hire car6 days, shared£50–£85
Stay6 nights, a mid-range double, shared£110–£185
Food7 days eating out£115–£210
Board and wetsuit5 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 Paternoster

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

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.