Is it worth the trip?
19Poor out of 100 for your dates
Best on Mon 2: too small (3 ft swell at 5 s), 4 hours of offshore wind, sheltered (estimated): holds up in a blow
Mon 2 · 25 out of 100
- Swell
- 3 ft5 s
- Energy
- 28kJ
- Wind
- ESE 13 kn
- Temp
- 29°C
Tue 3 · 16 out of 100
- Swell
- 1 ft7 s
- Energy
- 16kJ
- Wind
- ESE 14 kn
- Temp
- 29°C
Wed 4 · 24 out of 100
- Swell
- 2 ft6 s
- Energy
- 21kJ
- Wind
- ESE 10 kn
- Temp
- 29°C
Thu 5 · 20 out of 100
- Swell
- 2 ft7 s
- Energy
- 23kJ
- Wind
- SSE 7 kn
- Temp
- 28°C
Fri 6 · 13 out of 100
- Swell
- 1 ft7 s
- Energy
- 17kJ
- Wind
- SW 7 kn
- Temp
- 28°C
Sat 7 · 10 out of 100
- Swell
- 1 ft7 s
- Energy
- 17kJ
- Wind
- SW 11 kn
- Temp
- 27°C
Sun 8 · 9 out of 100
- Swell
- 1 ft8 s
- Energy
- 21kJ
- Wind
- NW 6 kn
- Temp
- 29°C
Tap a day for waves, wind and the temperature. Full forecast
Forecast: next 10 days
Full forecast- Sun 15, too small
- Mon 225, too small
- Tue 316, too small
- Wed 424, too small
- Thu 520, too small
- Fri 613, too small
- Sat 710, too small
- Sun 89, too small
- Mon 930, too small
- Tue 1021, too small
The spot in five facts
- Faces NWtakes swell from the NW
- Offshore: SEwind from the land
- Intermediate +who it suits
- Works 3–13 ftof swell
- Water 29 °Cno wetsuit
Full forecast
every day, every number
| Day | Score for intermediates | Swell | Energy | Wind | Temp |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sun 1Nov | 5, too small | 1 ft6 s1 ft at break (est.) | 9kJ | wind from the east, 16 knots | 29°C |
| Mon 2Nov | 25, too small | 3 ft5 sunder 1 ft at break (est.) | 28kJ | offshorewind from the east-south-east, 13 knots, offshore | 29°C |
| Tue 3Nov | 16, too small | 1 ft7 s2 ft at break (est.) | 16kJ | offshorewind from the east-south-east, 14 knots, offshore | 29°C |
| Wed 4Nov | 24, too small | 2 ft6 s2 ft at break (est.) | 21kJ | offshorewind from the east-south-east, 10 knots, offshore | 29°C |
| Thu 5Nov | 20, too small | 2 ft7 s2 ft at break (est.) | 23kJ | offshorewind from the south-south-east, 7 knots, offshore | 28°C |
| Fri 6Nov | 13, too small | 1 ft7 s2 ft at break (est.) | 17kJ | wind from the south-west, 7 knots | 28°C |
| Sat 7Nov | 10, too small | 1 ft7 s2 ft at break (est.) | 17kJ | wind from the south-west, 11 knots | 27°C |
| Sun 8Nov | 9, too small | 1 ft8 s2 ft at break (est.) | 21kJ | wind from the north-west, 6 knots | 29°C |
| Mon 9Nov | 30, too small | 2 ft7 s2 ft at break (est.) | 52kJ | wind from the west, 4 knots | 28°C |
| Tue 10Nov | 21, too small | 2 ft7 s2 ft at break (est.) | 31kJ | wind from the south-south-west, 1 knot | 29°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 05:40 −0.1 mHigh 14:17 +0.2 m
- Mon 2 NovLow 06:51 −0.1 mHigh 15:03 +0.2 mLow 22:17 +0.0 m
- Tue 3 NovHigh 02:06 +0.0 mLow 08:13 −0.1 mHigh 15:43 +0.1 mLow 22:30 −0.0 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).
- Jan1of 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
- 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
Dolphins 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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About
the place in full, sources, credits
About Dolphins
Facing, offshore wind, exposure, level and swell range are estimated.
The spot faces NW (321°), so it takes swell from the NW. The wind blows offshore from the SE (141°). 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 26°C in March, its coldest month (no wetsuit), and 29°C in July, its warmest (no wetsuit). The town to stay in is West End Village, 0.9 km away (about 5 min by car).
Water about 29°C: no 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$831–US$1,550 each
about US$831–US$1,550 each · 6 nights, 2 sharing: flights, taxi, 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 SXM, estimated from distance and season, 2 airlines on the route, with a hold bag | about US$288–US$603 |
| Taxi | airport and back, shared | about US$33–US$60 |
| Stay | 6 nights, a mid-range double, shared | about US$201–US$328 |
| Food | 7 days eating out | about US$221–US$415 |
| Board and wetsuit | 5 days, or about US$114 to fly your own | about US$87–US$141 |
| Total | about US$831–US$1,550 |
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
2 min by car · 18 places to stay
About West End Village its beds, food and every spot near it
- Beds in The Valley on Booking.com
19 min by car · 8 places to stay
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 9h 20m
About 9h 20m door to door from Chicago
Fly ORD → SXM, direct, then 35 min by road
Flights ORD → SXM on your dates · Skyscanner
An estimate, one way; the journey never changes the score.