Kota Belud 42.3
#4842 of 5753 surf spots in the world · 🇲🇾 Malaysia · Sabah · near Kota Kinabalu
Wind is the enemy here, peaks in November, boardshorts water.
Warm waterBeginner friendlyBeginner
Surf score42.3 /100
Surfable days59% of the year
Clean days2% groundswell + friendly wind
Groundswell2% period 11 s+
Typical size0.7 m 2.3 ft median
Water30°C boardshorts
Best time to surf Kota Belud
The best time to surf Kota Belud is January, November, December. It rarely works. In November the water sits around 30°C, so pack boardshorts, and the typical wave is 0.8 m. The nearest airport is BKI (72 km) and the nearest town is Kota Kinabalu (63 km).
| Month | Surfable | Clean | Size | Water | Suit |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 87% | 2% | 1.0 m | 29°C | boardies |
| Feb | 85% | 1% | 0.9 m | 28°C | boardies |
| Mar | 48% | 0% | 0.6 m | 27°C | boardies |
| Apr | 40% | 1% | 0.5 m | 29°C | boardies |
| May | 18% | 0% | 0.4 m | 31°C | boardies |
| Jun | 31% | 0% | 0.4 m | 31°C | boardies |
| Jul | 56% | 0% | 0.7 m | 30°C | boardies |
| Aug | 45% | 0% | 0.6 m | 31°C | boardies |
| Sep | 63% | 0% | 0.7 m | 30°C | boardies |
| Oct | 68% | 2% | 0.8 m | 30°C | boardies |
| Nov | 77% | 7% | 0.8 m | 30°C | boardies |
| Dec | 95% | 5% | 1.1 m | 30°C | boardies |
Why 42.3
Seven parts, each normalised 0 to 1 and weighted; the sum is scaled so the best spot in the world is 100.
Consistency 26%
17.3
Clean days 24%
0.3
Groundswell 12%
0.0
Season spread 10%
5.5
Wave size 8%
0.8
Water comfort 10%
10.0
Access 10%
7.3
The detail
Faces 330° with 42% open water around it. Friendly morning wind 83% of days. Mean peak period 6.9 s. Days over 3 m: 0%. Mellow days (0.4 to 1.2 m): 65%. Months that work: 7 of 12. Coordinates 6.445, 116.435 (OpenStreetMap).
Spots nearby
Shabandar🇲🇾 Malaysia · score 36.9Nexus🇲🇾 Malaysia · score 37.4Nexus west end🇲🇾 Malaysia · score 38.4Pulau Manukan🇲🇾 Malaysia · score 37.6
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