Boiler
Surf spot · United States
Is it worth the trip?
52Fair out of 100 for your dates
2 days tie for best
Tue 3 · 10 out of 100
- Swell
- 1 ft9 smushy
- Energy
- 16kJ
- Wind
- NE 9 kn
- Temp
- 19°C
Wed 4 · 40 out of 100
- Swell
- 3 ft5 smushy
- Energy
- 39kJ
- Wind
- E 5 kn
- Temp
- 20°C
Thu 5 · 67 out of 100
- Swell
- 4 ft6 smushy
- Energy
- 87kJ
- Wind
- S 4 kn
- Temp
- 20°C
Fri 6 · 49 out of 100
- Swell
- 3 ft7 smushy
- Energy
- 85kJ
- Wind
- SSE 9 kn
- Temp
- 21°C
Sat 7 · 67 out of 100
- Swell
- 4 ft8 smushy
- Energy
- 152kJ
- Wind
- WNW 7 kn
- Temp
- 19°C
Sun 8 · 50 out of 100
- Swell
- 3 ft8 smushy
- Energy
- 106kJ
- Wind
- NNE 6 kn
- Temp
- 18°C
Mon 9 · 32 out of 100
- Swell
- 3 ft7 smushy
- Energy
- 77kJ
- Wind
- ENE 8 kn
- Temp
- 21°C
Tap a day for waves, wind and the temperature. Full forecast
Forecast: next 9 days
Full forecast- Mon 215, too small
- Tue 310, too small
- Wed 440, too small
- Thu 567, good
- Fri 649, fair
- Sat 767, good
- Sun 850, fair
- Mon 932, too small
- Tue 1068, good
The spot in six facts
- Faces Etakes swell from the E
- Offshore: Wwind from the land
- Intermediate +who it suits
- Works 2–10 ftof swell
- Water 17 °C3/2 wetsuit
- Best Mar, Sep–Oct1 good days in 7
Full forecast
every day, every number
The score doesn't know rips, currents, rocks or your skill.
| Day | Score for intermediates | Swell | Energy | Wind | Temp |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mon 2Nov | 15, too small | 2 ft5 smushy3 ft at break (est.) | 20kJ | wind from the north-east, 9 knots | 19°C |
| Tue 3Nov | 10, too small | 1 ft9 smushy2 ft at break (est.) | 16kJ | wind from the north-east, 9 knots | 19°C |
| Wed 4Nov | 40, too small | 3 ft5 smushy3 ft at break (est.) | 39kJ | wind from the east, 5 knots | 20°C |
| Thu 5Nov | 67, good | 4 ft6 smushy4 ft at break (est.) | 87kJ | wind from the south, 4 knots | 20°C |
| Fri 6Nov | 49, fair | 3 ft7 smushy4 ft at break (est.) | 85kJ | wind from the south-south-east, 9 knots | 21°C |
| Sat 7Nov | 67, good | 4 ft8 smushy5 ft at break (est.) | 152kJ | offshorewind from the west-north-west, 7 knots, offshore | 19°C |
| Sun 8Nov | 50, fair | 3 ft8 smushy4 ft at break (est.) | 106kJ | wind from the north-north-east, 6 knots | 18°C |
| Mon 9Nov | 32, too small | 3 ft7 smushy4 ft at break (est.) | 77kJ | wind from the east-north-east, 8 knots | 21°C |
| Tue 10Nov | 68, good | 4 ft6 smushy4 ft at break (est.) | 83kJ | offshorewind from the south-south-west, 10 knots, offshore | 20°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
- Mon 2 NovHigh 01:04 +0.4 mLow 06:59 −0.4 mHigh 13:29 +0.6 mLow 19:53 −0.4 m
- Tue 3 NovHigh 02:11 +0.5 mLow 08:12 −0.4 mHigh 14:34 +0.5 mLow 20:50 −0.4 m
- Wed 4 NovHigh 03:12 +0.5 mLow 09:21 −0.4 mHigh 15:34 +0.5 mLow 21:42 −0.5 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
best Mar, Sep–Oct
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
- Feb0of 7: a trip from Sat 6 Feb
- Mar1of 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
- Nov0of 7: a trip from Tue 3 Nov
- Dec0of 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
Boiler on Google Maps · Directions
Each place wears its best day on these dates, a surf spot for intermediates: green good, amber fair, pale red poor, as the key says.
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More surf near here
5 places
- New New Inlet 4.1 km away
- S-Turns 12.3 km away
- Rodanthe 13.9 km away
- Sea Haven 14.1 km away
- Rhodanthe Pier 14.9 km away
About
the place in full, sources, credits
About Boiler
Facing, offshore wind, exposure, level and swell range are estimated.
The spot faces E (74°), so it takes swell from the E. The wind blows offshore from the W (254°). It is exposed to the open swell. It suits intermediate surfers and up. It works in 2–10 ft of swell. The sea floor shelves gently: 10 m deep about 600 m out (1 in 62). On a typical 5 ft, 11 s swell the waves here would spill softly. The sea is about 10°C in February, its coldest month (4/3 or 5/4, boots and gloves), and 27°C in July, its warmest (no wetsuit). For intermediate surfers the best months are usually March, September and October, with about 1 good days in 7. From the weather of past years. The town to stay in is Rodanthe. Within 5 km we also list 2 surf spots.
Water about 17°C: 3/2 wetsuit. 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$1,100–US$1,960 each
about US$1,100–US$1,960 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 MDW to ORF, estimated from distance and season, 1 airline on the route, with a hold bag | about US$154–US$322 |
| 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$1,100–US$1,960 |
For 2 people sharing a room. Lessons, lift-pass deals and insurance are extra. Prices from public sources, checked in 2026.
Where to stay: 2 towns
about 25 min by car · 36 places to stay
about US$114/nightcountry average
About Rodanthe its beds, food and every spot near it
- Beds in Waves on Booking.com
about 30 min by car · 42 places to stay
Nearest beds: Rodanthe, 14 km (about 25 min by car)
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 6h 45m
About 6h 45m door to door from Chicago
Fly MDW → ORF, direct, then 2h 50m by road
Flights MDW → ORF on your dates · Skyscanner
An estimate, one way; the journey never changes the score.