cape lookout
Surf spot · United States
Is it worth the trip?
21Poor out of 100 for your dates
Best on Sat 7: 4 ft swell at 8 s, sheltered (estimated): holds up in a blow
Tue 3 · 20 out of 100
- Swell
- 3 ft5 s
- Energy
- 50kJ
- Wind
- NE 9 kn
- Temp
- 21°C
Wed 4 · 14 out of 100
- Swell
- 4 ft6 s
- Energy
- 79kJ
- Wind
- ENE 9 kn
- Temp
- 21°C
Thu 5 · 21 out of 100
- Swell
- 4 ft7 s
- Energy
- 136kJ
- Wind
- SSE 7 kn
- Temp
- 21°C
Fri 6 · 25 out of 100
- Swell
- 5 ft7 s
- Energy
- 202kJ
- Wind
- W 5 kn
- Temp
- 21°C
Sat 7 · 26 out of 100
- Swell
- 4 ft8 s
- Energy
- 165kJ
- Wind
- SW 4 kn
- Temp
- 21°C
Sun 8 · 22 out of 100
- Swell
- 3 ft7 s
- Energy
- 110kJ
- Wind
- NNE 8 kn
- Temp
- 20°C
Mon 9 · 5 out of 100
- Swell
- 3 ft7 s
- Energy
- 71kJ
- Wind
- WNW 12 kn
- Temp
- 18°C
Tap a day for waves, wind and the temperature. Full forecast
Forecast: next 9 days
Full forecast- Mon 221, too small
- Tue 320, too small
- Wed 414, too small
- Thu 521, too small
- Fri 625, too small
- Sat 726, too small
- Sun 822, too small
- Mon 95, too small
- Tue 106, too small
The spot in six facts
- Faces SWtakes swell from the SW
- Offshore: NEwind from the land
- Intermediate +who it suits
- Works 3–13 ftof swell
- Water 20 °C2 mm shorty
- Best in Oct1 good days in 7
Full forecast
every day, every number
| Day | Score for experts | Swell | Energy | Wind | Temp |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mon 2Nov | 21, too small | 3 ft5 sunder 1 ft at break (est.) | 52kJ | offshorewind from the north-east, 10 knots, offshore | 20°C |
| Tue 3Nov | 20, too small | 3 ft5 sunder 1 ft at break (est.) | 50kJ | offshorewind from the north-east, 9 knots, offshore | 21°C |
| Wed 4Nov | 14, too small | 4 ft6 sunder 1 ft at break (est.) | 79kJ | offshorewind from the east-north-east, 9 knots, offshore | 21°C |
| Thu 5Nov | 21, too small | 4 ft7 sunder 1 ft at break (est.) | 136kJ | wind from the south-south-east, 7 knots | 21°C |
| Fri 6Nov | 25, too small | 5 ft7 sunder 1 ft at break (est.) | 202kJ | wind from the west, 5 knots | 21°C |
| Sat 7Nov | 26, too small | 4 ft8 sunder 1 ft at break (est.) | 165kJ | wind from the south-west, 4 knots | 21°C |
| Sun 8Nov | 22, too small | 3 ft7 sunder 1 ft at break (est.) | 110kJ | offshorewind from the north-north-east, 8 knots, offshore | 20°C |
| Mon 9Nov | 5, too small | 3 ft7 sunder 1 ft at break (est.) | 71kJ | wind from the west-north-west, 12 knots | 18°C |
| Tue 10Nov | 6, too small | 3 ft6 sunder 1 ft at break (est.) | 58kJ | wind from the north-west, 13 knots | 16°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 00:35 +0.4 mLow 06:42 −0.5 mHigh 13:07 +0.6 mLow 19:38 −0.5 m
- Tue 3 NovHigh 01:45 +0.5 mLow 07:55 −0.5 mHigh 14:12 +0.6 mLow 20:36 −0.5 m
- Wed 4 NovHigh 02:50 +0.6 mLow 09:04 −0.5 mHigh 15:13 +0.6 mLow 21:30 −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 in 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
- 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
- Sep0of 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, its town, photos
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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Photos of cape lookout
More surf near here
1 place
- Shackleford Banks 9.3 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 (231°), so it takes swell from the SW. The wind blows offshore from the NE (51°). It is sheltered to the open swell. It suits intermediate surfers and up. It works in 3–13 ft of swell. The sea is about 14°C in January, its coldest month (4/3 wetsuit and boots), and 28°C in July, its warmest (no wetsuit). For intermediate surfers the best month is usually October, with about 1 good days in 7. From the weather of past years. The town to stay in is Cape Lookout.
Water about 20°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: Cape Lookout
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
about US$114/nightcountry average
About Cape Lookout its beds, food and every spot near it
Nearest town: Cape Lookout, 1 km (about 5 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 ORD → ILM, direct, then 2h 35m by road
Flights ORD → ILM on your dates · AviasalesAd
An estimate, one way; the journey never changes the score.