Is it worth the trip?
11Poor out of 100 for your dates
Best on Fri 6: 3 ft swell at 7 s, sheltered (estimated): holds up in a blow
Mon 2 · 5 out of 100
- Swell
- 1 ft6 smushy
- Energy
- 9kJ
- Wind
- ENE 6 kn
- Temp
- 17°C
Tue 3 · 4 out of 100
- Swell
- 1 ft5 smushy
- Energy
- 8kJ
- Wind
- E 2 kn
- Temp
- 18°C
Wed 4 · 6 out of 100
- Swell
- 2 ft5 smushy
- Energy
- 13kJ
- Wind
- SE 8 kn
- Temp
- 19°C
Thu 5 · 9 out of 100
- Swell
- 3 ft6 smushy
- Energy
- 53kJ
- Wind
- S 8 kn
- Temp
- 20°C
Fri 6 · 17 out of 100
- Swell
- 3 ft7 smushy
- Energy
- 59kJ
- Wind
- NNW 9 kn
- Temp
- 19°C
Sat 7 · 15 out of 100
- Swell
- 2 ft7 smushy
- Energy
- 50kJ
- Wind
- NNW 11 kn
- Temp
- 17°C
Sun 8 · 8 out of 100
- Swell
- 2 ft8 smushy
- Energy
- 25kJ
- Wind
- N 5 kn
- Temp
- 17°C
Tap a day for waves, wind and the temperature. Full forecast
Forecast: next 10 days
Full forecast- Sun 16, too small
- Mon 25, too small
- Tue 34, too small
- Wed 46, too small
- Thu 59, too small
- Fri 617, too small
- Sat 715, too small
- Sun 88, too small
- Mon 91, too small
- Tue 105, too small
The spot in six facts
- Faces Stakes swell from the S
- Offshore: Nwind from the land
- Beginner +who it suits
- Works 2–8 ftof swell
- Water 15 °C4/3 wetsuit and boots
- Best Sep–Oct1 good days in 7
Full forecast
every day, every number
| Day | Score for experts | Swell | Energy | Wind | Temp |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sun 1Nov | 6, too small | 2 ft7 smushy2 ft at break (est.) | 21kJ | offshorewind from the north-north-east, 11 knots, offshore | 16°C |
| Mon 2Nov | 5, too small | 1 ft6 smushy1 ft at break (est.) | 9kJ | wind from the east-north-east, 6 knots | 17°C |
| Tue 3Nov | 4, too small | 1 ft5 smushy2 ft at break (est.) | 8kJ | wind from the east, 2 knots | 18°C |
| Wed 4Nov | 6, too small | 2 ft5 smushy2 ft at break (est.) | 13kJ | wind from the south-east, 8 knots | 19°C |
| Thu 5Nov | 9, too small | 3 ft6 smushy3 ft at break (est.) | 53kJ | wind from the south, 8 knots | 20°C |
| Fri 6Nov | 17, too small | 3 ft7 smushy3 ft at break (est.) | 59kJ | offshorewind from the north-north-west, 9 knots, offshore | 19°C |
| Sat 7Nov | 15, too small | 2 ft7 smushy3 ft at break (est.) | 50kJ | offshorewind from the north-north-west, 11 knots, offshore | 17°C |
| Sun 8Nov | 8, too small | 2 ft8 smushy2 ft at break (est.) | 25kJ | offshorewind from the north, 5 knots, offshore | 17°C |
| Mon 9Nov | 1, too small | under 1 ft11 sunder 1 ft at break (est.) | 2kJ | wind from the east-south-east, 9 knots | 18°C |
| Tue 10Nov | 5, too small | 1 ft7 smushy2 ft at break (est.) | 11kJ | wind from the west-south-west, 6 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 NovHigh 00:38 +0.3 mLow 06:42 −0.3 mHigh 13:09 +0.6 mLow 19:46 −0.4 m
- Mon 2 NovHigh 01:50 +0.4 mLow 07:59 −0.3 mHigh 14:17 +0.5 mLow 20:49 −0.4 m
- Tue 3 NovHigh 02:58 +0.4 mLow 09:12 −0.3 mHigh 15:21 +0.5 mLow 21:46 −0.4 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 Sep–Oct
Good days in a typical week, each month, for beginners, 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
- Sep1of 7: a trip from Sat 4 Sept
- Oct1of 7: a trip from Sat 2 Oct
- Nov0of 7: a trip from Mon 2 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
Fishermans Island 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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About
the place in full, sources, credits
About Fishermans Island
Facing, offshore wind, exposure, level and swell range are estimated.
The spot faces S (164°), so it takes swell from the S. The wind blows offshore from the N (344°). It is sheltered to the open swell. It suits beginners and up. It works in 2–8 ft of swell. The sea floor shelves very gently: 10 m deep about 5.3 km out (1 in 526). On a typical 5 ft, 11 s swell the waves here would spill softly. The sea is about 6°C in February, its coldest month (5/4 or 6/5, hood, boots and gloves), and 26°C in July, its warmest (no wetsuit). For beginners the best months are usually September and October, with about 1 good days in 7. From the weather of past years. No town nearby. Nearest place to stay we found: Cape Charles / Chesapeake Bay KOA Resort, Cape Charles, 5 km. Nearest beds: Virginia Beach, 27 km (about 50 min by car). Nearest airport: Norfolk International Airport (ORF), 30 km.
Water about 15°C: 4/3 wetsuit and boots. 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$710–US$1,310 each
about US$710–US$1,310 each · 6 nights, 2 sharing: flights, taxi, 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 |
| Taxi | airport and back, shared | about US$67–US$114 |
| 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$710–US$1,310 |
No town nearby, so no stay is in it. For 2 people sharing a room. Lessons, lift-pass deals and insurance are extra. Prices from public sources, checked in 2026.
Where to stay: nearest beds 27 km away
No town nearby
Nearest place to stay we found: Cape Charles / Chesapeake Bay KOA Resort, Cape Charles, 5 km. Nearest beds: Virginia Beach, 27 km (about 50 min by car). Nearest airport: Norfolk International Airport (ORF), 30 km.
See places to stay near Virginia Beach, 27 km away · Booking.comGetting there: about 4h 45m
About 4h 45m door to door from Chicago
Fly MDW → ORF, direct, then 50 min by road
Flights MDW → ORF on your dates · Skyscanner
An estimate, one way; the journey never changes the score.