Is it worth the trip?
59Fair out of 100 for your dates
2 days tie for best
Tue 3 · 0 out of 100
- Wind
- E 11 knF4
- Gusts
- 14kn
- Shore
- cross-off
- Water
- chop
- Air
- 27°C
Wed 4 · 0 out of 100
- Wind
- ENE 6 knF2
- Gusts
- 10kn
- Shore
- cross-off
- Water
- flat
- Air
- 27°C
Thu 5 · 100 out of 100
- Wind
- NE 8 knF3
- Gusts
- 11kn
- Shore
- side
- Water
- flat
- Air
- 27°C
Fri 6 · 48 out of 100
- Wind
- NNE 5 knF2
- Gusts
- 8kn
- Shore
- side
- Water
- flat
- Air
- 27°C
Sat 7 · 50 out of 100
- Wind
- N 6 knF2
- Gusts
- 9kn
- Shore
- side-on
- Water
- flat
- Air
- 26°C
Sun 8 · 0 out of 100
- Wind
- E 2 knF1
- Gusts
- 5kn
- Shore
- offnot safe
- Water
- flat
- Air
- 27°C
Mon 9 · 100 out of 100
- Wind
- N 8 knF3
- Gusts
- 11kn
- Shore
- side-on
- Water
- flat
- Air
- 27°C
Tap a day for wind, gusts, shore and air. Full forecast
Forecast: next 9 days
Full forecast- Mon 232, poor
- Tue 30, poor
- Wed 40, poor
- Thu 5100, good
- Fri 648, fair
- Sat 750, fair
- Sun 80, poor
- Mon 9100, good
- Tue 100, poor
The spot in six facts
- Faces NWopen to the NW
- Best wind: NE or SWalong the shore
- Avoid: SEblows out to sea
- Shelteredto the swell
- Water 26 °Cno wetsuit
- Best Sep, Nov–Jan2 good days in 7
Full forecast
every day, every number
The score doesn't know gusts, offshore wind, tides or your skill.
| Day | Score | Wind | Gusts | Shore | Water | Air |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mon 2Nov | 32, poor | wind from the north-east, 11 knotsF4 | 15kn | side | chop | 26°C |
| Tue 3Nov | 0, poor | wind from the east, 11 knotsF4 | 14kn | cross-off | chop | 27°C |
| Wed 4Nov | 0, poor | wind from the east-north-east, 6 knotsF2 | 10kn | cross-off | flat | 27°C |
| Thu 5Nov | 100, good | wind from the north-east, 8 knotsF3 | 11kn | side | flat | 27°C |
| Fri 6Nov | 48, fair | wind from the north-north-east, 5 knotsF2 | 8kn | side | flat | 27°C |
| Sat 7Nov | 50, fair | wind from the north, 6 knotsF2 | 9kn | side-on | flat | 26°C |
| Sun 8Nov | 0, poor | wind from the east, 2 knotsF1 | 5kn | offnot safe | flat | 27°C |
| Mon 9Nov | 100, good | wind from the north, 8 knotsF3 | 11kn | side-on | flat | 27°C |
| Tue 10Nov | 0, poor | wind from the north-north-east, 18 knotsF5 | 28kn | side-on | flat | 25°C |
Wind is the day's best reading, mean and gusts, in knots; the arrow points where it blows to. Shore "off" blows out to sea. More
Forecast updated . It refreshes every three hours. Forecast data: ECMWF, DWD, Météo-France and NOAA, served by Open-Meteo.com (CC BY 4.0). Changed by us. Generated using E.U. Copernicus Marine Service Information.
Best time to go
best Sep, Nov–Jan
Good sailing days in a typical week, each month, from 2016 on (ERA5 history scored the same way).
- Jan2of 7: a trip from Sat 2 Jan
- Feb1of 7: a trip from Sat 6 Feb
- Mar1of 7: a trip from Sat 6 Mar
- Apr1of 7: a trip from Sat 3 Apr
- May1of 7: a trip from Sat 1 May
- Jun1of 7: a trip from Sat 5 Jun
- Jul1of 7: a trip from Sat 3 Jul
- Aug1of 7: a trip from Sat 7 Aug
- Sep2of 7: a trip from Sat 4 Sept
- Oct1of 7: a trip from Sat 2 Oct
- Nov2of 7: a trip from Tue 3 Nov
- Dec2of 7: a trip from Sat 5 Dec
Tap a month to see this spot for a trip then.
Typical, not a forecast. Reanalysis wind misses some local thermal winds, so a spot known for an afternoon breeze may do better than this.
Map
the spot and its town
Sea Bird Marina on Google Maps · Directions
Each place wears its best day on these dates: green good, amber fair, pale red poor, as the key says.
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.
About
the place in full, sources, credits
About Sea Bird Marina
Known for sailing, by the OpenStreetMap map of the area. The shore faces NW, so wind from the SE blows out to sea (our estimate from the coastline).
Water about 26°C: no wetsuit. Typical sea temperature for the time of year, not a forecast.
A spot for sailing, as OpenStreetMap maps it, on a shore facing NW. Wind from the NW blows onshore, wind from the SE blows out to sea, and wind from the NE or SW runs along the shore. It is sheltered to the open sea. The sea is about 23°C in January, its coldest month (2 mm shorty), and 31°C in July, its warmest (no wetsuit). For sailing at beginner level the best months are usually January, September, November and December, with about 2 good days in 7. From the weather of past years. The town to stay in is Long Key. Within 5 km we also list 1 surf spot.
The score is the conditions only: the journey, the price and the partners never change it (how we score, how we earn).
Rough cost (estimate): about US$1,000–US$1,820 each
about US$1,000–US$1,820 each · 6 nights, 2 sharing: flights, hire car, stay, food.
Our estimate from typical public prices, not a quote: check the real prices before you book (where they come from). Prices are about, in US Dollar (USD): our pound figures at the European Central Bank's rate of 30 October 2026.
How we worked it out
| What | How we worked it out | Each |
|---|---|---|
| Flights | return ORD to EYW, estimated from distance and season, 3 airlines on the route, with a hold bag | about US$208–US$429 |
| Hire car | 6 days, shared | about US$154–US$255 |
| Stay | 6 nights, a mid-range double, shared | about US$301–US$502 |
| Food | 7 days eating out | about US$342–US$636 |
| Total | about US$1,000–US$1,820 |
Kit hire is not priced yet: we have no sourced price, so it is not in it. Prices from public sources, checked in 2026.
Where to stay: Long Key
Ad Links marked Ad may pay us if you book. You pay the same, and they never change a score. How we earn
about 5 min by car · 2 places to stay
about US$114/nightcountry average
About Long Key its beds, food and every spot near it
About US$114 a night is our estimate of the country's average 2-star double room that month: not each town's price, and not a quote. Drives are estimates. Prices are about, in US Dollar (USD): our pound figures at the European Central Bank's rate of 30 October 2026.
Getting there: about 7h 20m
About 7h 20m door to door from Chicago
Fly ORD → EYW, direct, then 2h 05m by road
Flights ORD → EYW on your dates · AviasalesAd
An estimate, one way; the journey never changes the score.