Bald Head Island- Point
Surf spot · United States
Is it worth the trip?
19Poor out of 100 for your dates
2 days tie for best
Mon 2 · 20 out of 100
- Swell
- 3 ft6 smushy
- Energy
- 49kJ
- Wind
- ENE 19 kn
- Temp
- 21°C
Tue 3 · 23 out of 100
- Swell
- 3 ft5 smushy
- Energy
- 56kJ
- Wind
- NE 13 kn
- Temp
- 21°C
Wed 4 · 24 out of 100
- Swell
- 4 ft6 smushy
- Energy
- 77kJ
- Wind
- NE 8 kn
- Temp
- 23°C
Thu 5 · 24 out of 100
- Swell
- 4 ft7 smushy
- Energy
- 137kJ
- Wind
- SSW 4 kn
- Temp
- 22°C
Fri 6 · 8 out of 100
- Swell
- 3 ft7 smushy
- Energy
- 87kJ
- Wind
- WSW 6 kn
- Temp
- 22°C
Sat 7 · 2 out of 100
- Swell
- under 1 ft3 s
- Energy
- 0kJ
- Wind
- N 9 kn
- Temp
- 20°C
Sun 8 · 8 out of 100
- Swell
- 2 ft7 smushy
- Energy
- 23kJ
- Wind
- NE 7 kn
- Temp
- 21°C
Tap a day for waves, wind and the temperature. Full forecast
Forecast: next 10 days
Full forecast- Sun 115, too small
- Mon 220, too small
- Tue 323, too small
- Wed 424, too small
- Thu 524, too small
- Fri 68, too small
- Sat 72, too small
- Sun 88, too small
- Mon 99, too small
- Tue 101, too small
The spot in five facts
- Faces Stakes swell from the S
- Offshore: Nwind from the land
- Intermediate +who it suits
- Works 3–10 ftof swell
- Water 18 °C2 mm shorty
Full forecast
every day, every number
| Day | Score for experts | Swell | Energy | Wind | Temp |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sun 1Nov | 15, too small | 3 ft6 smushyunder 1 ft at break (est.) | 56kJ | offshorewind from the north-north-east, 15 knots, offshore | 20°C |
| Mon 2Nov | 20, too small | 3 ft6 smushy2 ft at break (est.) | 49kJ | offshorewind from the east-north-east, 19 knots, offshore | 21°C |
| Tue 3Nov | 23, too small | 3 ft5 smushy2 ft at break (est.) | 56kJ | offshorewind from the north-east, 13 knots, offshore | 21°C |
| Wed 4Nov | 24, too small | 4 ft6 smushy2 ft at break (est.) | 77kJ | offshorewind from the north-east, 8 knots, offshore | 23°C |
| Thu 5Nov | 24, too small | 4 ft7 smushyunder 1 ft at break (est.) | 137kJ | wind from the south-south-west, 4 knots | 22°C |
| Fri 6Nov | 8, too small | 3 ft7 smushyunder 1 ft at break (est.) | 87kJ | wind from the west-south-west, 6 knots | 22°C |
| Sat 7Nov | 2, too small | under 1 ft3 s1 ft at break (est.) | 0kJ | offshorewind from the north, 9 knots, offshore | 20°C |
| Sun 8Nov | 8, too small | 2 ft7 smushyunder 1 ft at break (est.) | 23kJ | offshorewind from the north-east, 7 knots, offshore | 21°C |
| Mon 9Nov | 9, too small | 2 ft3 smushy2 ft at break (est.) | 6kJ | offshorewind from the north-east, 6 knots, offshore | 21°C |
| Tue 10Nov | 1, too small | 1 ft10 ssoftunder 1 ft at break (est.) | 7kJ | wind from the west-north-west, 9 knots | 18°C |
Energy is the swell's power, in kJ per metre of wave. Wind is in knots, the arrow where it blows to; green is offshore. More
Tide
- Sun 1 NovLow 05:46 −0.6 mHigh 12:10 +0.8 mLow 18:46 −0.6 m
- Mon 2 NovHigh 00:44 +0.6 mLow 06:58 −0.6 mHigh 13:15 +0.8 mLow 19:48 −0.6 m
- Tue 3 NovHigh 01:52 +0.6 mLow 08:08 −0.6 mHigh 14:19 +0.7 mLow 20:45 −0.6 m
Local clock times; heights about mean sea level. On open coasts the times are usually within a quarter of an hour; in bays, estuaries and on the Gulf of Mexico they can be an hour or more out. Tide: EOT20 global ocean tide model, Hart-Davis et al. 2021, DGFI-TUM (doi:10.17882/79489), CC BY 4.0. Times and heights computed by us. A model, not a tide table: check a local table before you go.
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
No month stands out
Good days in a typical week, each month, for intermediate surfers, from 2016 on (history scored the same way).
- Jan0of 7: a trip from Sat 2 Jan
- Feb1of 7: a trip from Sat 6 Feb
- Mar0of 7: a trip from Sat 6 Mar
- Apr0of 7: a trip from Sat 3 Apr
- May0of 7: a trip from Sat 1 May
- Jun0of 7: a trip from Sat 5 Jun
- Jul0of 7: a trip from Sat 3 Jul
- Aug0of 7: a trip from Sat 7 Aug
- Sep1of 7: a trip from Sat 4 Sept
- Oct1of 7: a trip from Sat 2 Oct
- Nov1of 7: a trip from Mon 2 Nov
- Dec1of 7: a trip from Sat 5 Dec
Tap a month to see this spot for a trip then.
Typical, not a forecast.
Map
the spot and its town
Bald Head Island- Point on Google Maps · Directions
Each place wears its best day on these dates, a surf spot for experts: green good, amber fair, pale red poor, as the key says.
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More surf near here
2 places
- Oak Island 12.1 km away
- Long Beach Chill Spot 18.7 km away
About
the place in full, sources, credits
About Bald Head Island- Point
Facing, offshore wind, exposure, level and swell range are estimated.
The spot faces S (200°), so it takes swell from the S. The wind blows offshore from the N (20°). It is sheltered to the open swell. It suits intermediate surfers and up. It works in 3–10 ft of swell. The sea floor shelves very gently: 10 m deep about 3.2 km out (1 in 323). On a typical 5 ft, 11 s swell the waves here would spill softly. The sea is about 11°C in February, its coldest month (4/3 or 5/4, boots and gloves), and 28°C in July, its warmest (no wetsuit). The town to stay in is Bald Head Island, 0 km away (about 5 min by car).
Water about 18°C: 2 mm shorty. Typical sea temperature for the time of year, not a forecast.
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$1,110–US$1,970 each
about US$1,110–US$1,970 each · 6 nights, 2 sharing: flights, hire car, stay, food, board and wetsuit.
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 ILM, estimated from distance and season, 2 airlines on the route, with a hold bag | about US$161–US$335 |
| 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 |
| Board and wetsuit | 5 days, or about US$114 to fly your own | about US$147–US$241 |
| Total | about US$1,110–US$1,970 |
For 2 people sharing a room. Lessons, lift-pass deals and insurance are extra. Prices from public sources, checked in 2026.
Where to stay: 3 towns
1 min by car · 15 places to stay
about US$114/nightcountry average
About Bald Head Island its beds, food and every spot near it
- Beds in Oak Island on Booking.com
21 min by car · 23 places to stay
- Beds in Holden Beach on Booking.com
51 min by car · 20 places to stay
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 5h 20m
About 5h 20m door to door from Chicago
Fly ORD → ILM, direct, then 1h 10m by road
Flights ORD → ILM on your dates · Skyscanner
An estimate, one way; the journey never changes the score.