Cape Lookout
Surf spot · United States
Is it worth the trip?
54Fair out of 100 for your dates
Best on Thu 5: 9 ft swell at 9 s
Tue 3 · 71 out of 100
- Swell
- 7 ft12 s
- Energy
- 1,139kJ
- Wind
- SSE 4 kn
- Temp
- 12°C
Wed 4 · 34 out of 100
- Swell
- 5 ft10 s
- Energy
- 510kJ
- Wind
- SE 4 kn
- Temp
- 13°C
Thu 5 · 75 out of 100
- Swell
- 9 ft9 s
- Energy
- 1,144kJ
- Wind
- SSW 3 kn
- Temp
- 12°C
Fri 6 · 4 out of 100
- Swell
- 11 ft12 s
- Energy
- 3,370kJ
- Wind
- S 20 kn
- Temp
- 13°C
Sat 7 · 46 out of 100
- Swell
- 9 ft11 s
- Energy
- 1,728kJ
- Wind
- S 5 kn
- Temp
- 14°C
Sun 8 · 55 out of 100
- Swell
- 9 ft11 s
- Energy
- 1,684kJ
- Wind
- SSE 7 kn
- Temp
- 13°C
Mon 9 · 44 out of 100
- Swell
- 10 ft10 s
- Energy
- 1,781kJ
- Wind
- S 7 kn
- Temp
- 14°C
Tap a day for waves, wind and the temperature. Full forecast
Forecast: next 9 days
Full forecast- Mon 285, good
- Tue 371, good
- Wed 434, too small
- Thu 575, good
- Fri 64, poor
- Sat 746, fair
- Sun 855, fair
- Mon 944, poor
- Tue 1020, poor
The spot in six facts
- Faces SWtakes swell from the SW
- Offshore: NEwind from the land
- Intermediate +who it suits
- Works 3–10 ftof swell
- Water 12 °C4/3 or 5/4, boots and gloves
- Best in Sep2 good days in 7
Full forecast
every day, every number
The score doesn't know rips, currents, rocks or your skill.
| Day | Score for experts | Swell | Energy | Wind | Temp |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mon 2Nov | 85, good | 8 ft14 s9 ft at break (est.) | 1,986kJ | offshorewind from the east-north-east, 4 knots, offshore | 13°C |
| Tue 3Nov | 71, good | 7 ft12 s7 ft at break (est.) | 1,139kJ | wind from the south-south-east, 4 knots | 12°C |
| Wed 4Nov | 34, too small | 5 ft10 s6 ft at break (est.) | 510kJ | wind from the south-east, 4 knots | 13°C |
| Thu 5Nov | 75, good | 9 ft9 s9 ft at break (est.) | 1,144kJ | wind from the south-south-west, 3 knots | 12°C |
| Fri 6Nov | 4, poor | 11 ft12 s12 ft at break (est.) | 3,370kJ | wind from the south, 20 knots | 13°C |
| Sat 7Nov | 46, fair | 9 ft11 s9 ft at break (est.) | 1,728kJ | wind from the south, 5 knots | 14°C |
| Sun 8Nov | 55, fair | 9 ft11 s10 ft at break (est.) | 1,684kJ | wind from the south-south-east, 7 knots | 13°C |
| Mon 9Nov | 44, poor | 10 ft10 s11 ft at break (est.) | 1,781kJ | wind from the south, 7 knots | 14°C |
| Tue 10Nov | 20, poor | 9 ft10 s10 ft at break (est.) | 1,515kJ | wind from the south, 20 knots | 15°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 06:30 +0.8 mLow 12:11 −0.3 mHigh 17:51 +0.8 m
- Tue 3 NovLow 00:37 −1.3 mHigh 07:27 +0.9 mLow 13:31 −0.6 mHigh 19:18 +0.7 m
- Wed 4 NovLow 01:40 −1.1 mHigh 08:16 +1.0 mLow 14:36 −0.9 mHigh 20:35 +0.7 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 in Sep
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
- 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
- Nov1of 7: a trip from Tue 3 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
Cape Lookout 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
1 place
- Cape Lookout - Boyscout Camp 3.2 km away
About
the place in full, sources, credits
About Cape Lookout
Facing, offshore wind, exposure, level and swell range are estimated.
The spot faces SW (229°), so it takes swell from the SW. The wind blows offshore from the NE (49°). It is exposed to the open swell. It suits intermediate surfers and up. It works in 3–10 ft of swell. The sea is about 9°C in February, its coldest month (4/3 or 5/4, boots and gloves), and 15°C in August, its warmest (4/3 wetsuit and boots). For intermediate surfers the best month is usually September, with about 2 good days in 7; in January and February, about 0. From the weather of past years. The town to stay in is Netarts. Within 5 km we also list 1 surf spot.
Water about 12°C: 4/3 or 5/4, boots and gloves. 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$1,190–US$2,150 each
about US$1,190–US$2,150 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 PDX, estimated from distance and season, 1 airline on the route, with a hold bag | about US$248–US$516 |
| 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$1,190–US$2,150 |
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 · 16 places to stay
about US$114/nightcountry average
About Netarts its beds, food and every spot near it
- Beds in Pacific City on Booking.com
about 30 min by car · 35 places to stay
Nearest beds: Netarts, 12 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 8h 20m
About 8h 20m door to door from Chicago
Fly MDW → PDX, direct, then 2h 15m by road
Flights MDW → PDX on your dates · Skyscanner
An estimate, one way; the journey never changes the score.