Fort Macon
Surf spot · United States
Is it worth the trip?
17Poor out of 100 for your dates
Best on Sat 7: 3 ft swell at 8 s, sheltered (estimated): holds up in a blow
Tue 3 · 17 out of 100
- Swell
- 3 ft5 s
- Energy
- 38kJ
- Wind
- NNE 8 kn
- Temp
- 21°C
Wed 4 · 15 out of 100
- Swell
- 3 ft5 s
- Energy
- 59kJ
- Wind
- ENE 8 kn
- Temp
- 22°C
Thu 5 · 19 out of 100
- Swell
- 3 ft6 s
- Energy
- 60kJ
- Wind
- ESE 4 kn
- Temp
- 22°C
Fri 6 · 18 out of 100
- Swell
- 4 ft7 s
- Energy
- 120kJ
- Wind
- S 7 kn
- Temp
- 23°C
Sat 7 · 21 out of 100
- Swell
- 3 ft8 s
- Energy
- 112kJ
- Wind
- W 4 kn
- Temp
- 22°C
Sun 8 · 13 out of 100
- Swell
- 3 ft7 s
- Energy
- 72kJ
- Wind
- ENE 5 kn
- Temp
- 20°C
Mon 9 · 10 out of 100
- Swell
- 2 ft7 s
- Energy
- 44kJ
- Wind
- E 7 kn
- Temp
- 20°C
Tap a day for waves, wind and the temperature. Full forecast
Forecast: next 9 days
Full forecast- Mon 217, too small
- Tue 317, too small
- Wed 415, too small
- Thu 519, too small
- Fri 618, too small
- Sat 721, too small
- Sun 813, too small
- Mon 910, too small
- Tue 105, too small
The spot in five facts
- Faces Stakes swell from the S
- Offshore: Nwind from the land
- Intermediate +who it suits
- Works 3–11 ftof swell
- Water 20 °C2 mm shorty
Full forecast
every day, every number
| Day | Score for experts | Swell | Energy | Wind | Temp |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mon 2Nov | 17, too small | 3 ft5 s1 ft at break (est.) | 38kJ | offshorewind from the north-north-east, 10 knots, offshore | 20°C |
| Tue 3Nov | 17, too small | 3 ft5 s2 ft at break (est.) | 38kJ | offshorewind from the north-north-east, 8 knots, offshore | 21°C |
| Wed 4Nov | 15, too small | 3 ft5 s3 ft at break (est.) | 59kJ | wind from the east-north-east, 8 knots | 22°C |
| Thu 5Nov | 19, too small | 3 ft6 s2 ft at break (est.) | 60kJ | wind from the east-south-east, 4 knots | 22°C |
| Fri 6Nov | 18, too small | 4 ft7 s3 ft at break (est.) | 120kJ | wind from the south, 7 knots | 23°C |
| Sat 7Nov | 21, too small | 3 ft8 s2 ft at break (est.) | 112kJ | wind from the west, 4 knots | 22°C |
| Sun 8Nov | 13, too small | 3 ft7 sunder 1 ft at break (est.) | 72kJ | offshorewind from the east-north-east, 5 knots, offshore | 20°C |
| Mon 9Nov | 10, too small | 2 ft7 sunder 1 ft at break (est.) | 44kJ | wind from the east, 7 knots | 20°C |
| Tue 10Nov | 5, too small | 2 ft5 s1 ft at break (est.) | 21kJ | wind from the west-north-west, 8 knots | 19°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 00:40 +0.5 mLow 06:49 −0.5 mHigh 13:12 +0.7 mLow 19:43 −0.5 m
- Tue 3 NovHigh 01:50 +0.5 mLow 08:01 −0.5 mHigh 14:17 +0.6 mLow 20:42 −0.5 m
- Wed 4 NovHigh 02:55 +0.6 mLow 09:09 −0.5 mHigh 15:17 +0.6 mLow 21:35 −0.6 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).
- Jan0of 7: a trip from Sat 2 Jan
- Feb1of 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
- 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
Fort Macon 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
- Shackleford Banks 7.9 km away
About
the place in full, sources, credits
About Fort Macon
Facing, offshore wind, exposure, level and swell range are estimated.
The spot faces S (197°), so it takes swell from the S. The wind blows offshore from the N (17°). It is sheltered to the open swell. It suits intermediate surfers and up. It works in 3–11 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). The town to stay in is Beaufort, 2.8 km away (about 5 min by car). Within 5 km we also list 3 wind sports spots and 1 dive site.
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: Beaufort
about 5 min by car · 14 places to stay
about US$114/nightcountry average
About Beaufort its beds, food and every spot near it
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 40m
About 6h 40m door to door from Chicago
Fly ORD → ILM, direct, then 2h 25m by road
Flights ORD → ILM on your dates · Skyscanner
An estimate, one way; the journey never changes the score.