Is it worth the trip?
11Poor out of 100 for your dates
Best on Mon 2: 6 ft swell at 11 s, onshore wind, 20 kn (36 km/h)
Mon 2 · 27 out of 100
- Swell
- 6 ft11 s
- Energy
- 724kJ
- Wind
- E 20 kn
- Temp
- 25°C
Tue 3 · 15 out of 100
- Swell
- 3 ft10 s
- Energy
- 234kJ
- Wind
- E 17 kn
- Temp
- 25°C
Wed 4 · 4 out of 100
- Swell
- 1 ft9 s
- Energy
- 28kJ
- Wind
- E 19 kn
- Temp
- 25°C
Thu 5 · 2 out of 100
- Swell
- 2 ft5 s
- Energy
- 17kJ
- Wind
- ESE 17 kn
- Temp
- 25°C
Fri 6 · 6 out of 100
- Swell
- 2 ft12 s
- Energy
- 73kJ
- Wind
- E 17 kn
- Temp
- 25°C
Sat 7 · 6 out of 100
- Swell
- 2 ft11 s
- Energy
- 77kJ
- Wind
- E 18 kn
- Temp
- 25°C
Sun 8 · 3 out of 100
- Swell
- 2 ft8 s
- Energy
- 28kJ
- Wind
- ESE 20 kn
- Temp
- 25°C
Tap a day for waves, wind and the temperature. Full forecast
Forecast: next 10 days
Full forecast- Sun 136, poor
- Mon 227, too small
- Tue 315, too small
- Wed 44, too small
- Thu 52, too small
- Fri 66, too small
- Sat 76, too small
- Sun 83, too small
- Mon 94, too small
- Tue 1010, too small
The spot in six facts
- Faces Stakes swell from the S
- Offshore: Nwind from the land
- Intermediate +who it suits
- Works 3–11 ftof swell
- Water 27 °Cno wetsuit
- Best in Mar3 good days in 7
Full forecast
every day, every number
| Day | Score for experts | Swell | Energy | Wind | Temp |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sun 1Nov | 36, poor | 6 ft12 s9 ft at break (est.) | 1,023kJ | wind from the east, 17 knots | 25°C |
| Mon 2Nov | 27, too small | 6 ft11 s8 ft at break (est.) | 724kJ | wind from the east, 20 knots | 25°C |
| Tue 3Nov | 15, too small | 3 ft10 s5 ft at break (est.) | 234kJ | wind from the east, 17 knots | 25°C |
| Wed 4Nov | 4, too small | 1 ft9 s2 ft at break (est.) | 28kJ | wind from the east, 19 knots | 25°C |
| Thu 5Nov | 2, too small | 2 ft5 s2 ft at break (est.) | 17kJ | wind from the east-south-east, 17 knots | 25°C |
| Fri 6Nov | 6, too small | 2 ft12 s3 ft at break (est.) | 73kJ | wind from the east, 17 knots | 25°C |
| Sat 7Nov | 6, too small | 2 ft11 s3 ft at break (est.) | 77kJ | wind from the east, 18 knots | 25°C |
| Sun 8Nov | 3, too small | 2 ft8 s2 ft at break (est.) | 28kJ | wind from the east-south-east, 20 knots | 25°C |
| Mon 9Nov | 4, too small | 1 ft15 s2 ft at break (est.) | 44kJ | wind from the east, 22 knots | 25°C |
| Tue 10Nov | 10, too small | 2 ft13 s4 ft at break (est.) | 178kJ | wind from the east, 18 knots | 25°C |
| Wed 11Nov | 15, too small | 3 ft11 s5 ft at break (est.) | 208kJ | wind from the east-south-east, 15 knots | 25°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 05:09 −0.8 mHigh 11:37 +0.5 mLow 17:30 −0.5 mHigh 23:38 +0.6 m
- Mon 2 NovLow 06:12 −0.7 mHigh 12:42 +0.6 mLow 18:41 −0.5 m
- Tue 3 NovHigh 00:48 +0.6 mLow 07:15 −0.7 mHigh 13:45 +0.6 mLow 19:49 −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 Mar
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
- Feb2of 7: a trip from Sat 6 Feb
- Mar3of 7: a trip from Sat 6 Mar
- Apr2of 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
- Sep0of 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
Frigates Passage 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.
The map needs JavaScript. Every place on it is listed on this page, and each place's page links to Google Maps.
One finger scrolls the page; two fingers move the map. Pins are our own positions. Map OpenFreeMap, © OpenMapTiles, data © OpenStreetMap contributors.
About
the place in full, sources, credits
About Frigates Passage
Facing, offshore wind, exposure, level and swell range are estimated.
The spot faces S (192°), so it takes swell from the S. The wind blows offshore from the N (12°). It is exposed to the open swell. It suits intermediate surfers and up. It works in 3–11 ft of swell. The sea is about 26°C in July, its coldest month (no wetsuit), and 29°C in January, its warmest (no wetsuit). For intermediate surfers the best month is usually March, with about 3 good days in 7; in September, about 0. From the weather of past years. No town nearby. Rukua, 12 km away, is the nearest town we list; we have not checked places to stay there. Nearest beds: Namatakula, 36 km (about 1h 05m by car). Nearest airport: Nausori International Airport (SUV), 74 km.
Water about 27°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$1,030–US$2,030 each
about US$1,030–US$2,030 each · 6 nights, 2 sharing: flights, hire car, 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 NAN, estimated from distance and season, changing at LAX, full-service airlines, with a hold bag | about US$744–US$1,550 |
| Hire car | 6 days, shared | about US$60–US$100 |
| Food | 7 days eating out | about US$134–US$241 |
| Board and wetsuit | 5 days, or about US$114 to fly your own | about US$87–US$141 |
| Total | about US$1,030–US$2,030 |
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 36 km away
No town nearby
Rukua, 12 km away, is the nearest town we list; we have not checked places to stay there. Nearest beds: Namatakula, 36 km (about 1h 05m by car). Nearest airport: Nausori International Airport (SUV), 74 km.
See places to stay near Namatakula, 36 km away · Booking.comGetting there: about 24h 30m
About 24h 30m door to door from Chicago
Fly MDW → NAN, changing at Los Angeles International Airport (LAX), then 2h by road
Flights MDW → NAN on your dates · Skyscanner
An estimate, one way; the journey never changes the score.