Hemlocks
Surf spot · United States
Is it worth the trip?
27Poor out of 100 for your dates
Best on Sat 7: 5 ft swell at 7 s
Mon 2 · 5 out of 100
- Swell
- under 1 ft12 s
- Energy
- 6kJ
- Wind
- W 8 kn
- Temp
- 15°C
Tue 3 · 9 out of 100
- Swell
- 1 ft8 s
- Energy
- 15kJ
- Wind
- SW 8 kn
- Temp
- 16°C
Wed 4 · 12 out of 100
- Swell
- 1 ft5 s
- Energy
- 6kJ
- Wind
- SSW 4 kn
- Temp
- 17°C
Thu 5 · 22 out of 100
- Swell
- 4 ft6 s
- Energy
- 77kJ
- Wind
- S 14 kn
- Temp
- 18°C
Fri 6 · 30 out of 100
- Swell
- 5 ft7 s
- Energy
- 190kJ
- Wind
- SSW 10 kn
- Temp
- 18°C
Sat 7 · 42 out of 100
- Swell
- 5 ft7 s
- Energy
- 223kJ
- Wind
- WNW 10 kn
- Temp
- 14°C
Sun 8 · 32 out of 100
- Swell
- 2 ft8 s
- Energy
- 63kJ
- Wind
- W 9 kn
- Temp
- 11°C
Tap a day for waves, wind and the temperature. Full forecast
Forecast: next 10 days
Full forecast- Sun 118, too small
- Mon 25, too small
- Tue 39, too small
- Wed 412, too small
- Thu 522, poor
- Fri 630, poor
- Sat 742, poor
- Sun 832, too small
- Mon 928, too small
- Tue 1038, poor
The spot in five facts
- Faces Stakes swell from the S
- Offshore: Nwind from the land
- Intermediate +who it suits
- Works 3–10 ftof swell
- Water 14 °C4/3 wetsuit and boots
Full forecast
every day, every number
| Day | Score for intermediates | Swell | Energy | Wind | Temp |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sun 1Nov | 18, too small | 1 ft8 s2 ft at break (est.) | 21kJ | offshorewind from the north-north-east, 8 knots, offshore | 12°C |
| Mon 2Nov | 5, too small | under 1 ft12 s1 ft at break (est.) | 6kJ | wind from the west, 8 knots | 15°C |
| Tue 3Nov | 9, too small | 1 ft8 s2 ft at break (est.) | 15kJ | wind from the south-west, 8 knots | 16°C |
| Wed 4Nov | 12, too small | 1 ft5 s2 ft at break (est.) | 6kJ | wind from the south-south-west, 4 knots | 17°C |
| Thu 5Nov | 22, poor | 4 ft6 s4 ft at break (est.) | 77kJ | wind from the south, 14 knots | 18°C |
| Fri 6Nov | 30, poor | 5 ft7 s6 ft at break (est.) | 190kJ | wind from the south-south-west, 10 knots | 18°C |
| Sat 7Nov | 42, poor | 5 ft7 s6 ft at break (est.) | 223kJ | wind from the west-north-west, 10 knots | 14°C |
| Sun 8Nov | 32, too small | 2 ft8 s3 ft at break (est.) | 63kJ | wind from the west, 9 knots | 11°C |
| Mon 9Nov | 28, too small | 2 ft8 s2 ft at break (est.) | 37kJ | wind from the east-south-east, 2 knots | 13°C |
| Tue 10Nov | 38, poor | 3 ft6 s3 ft at break (est.) | 66kJ | offshorewind from the north-north-east, 19 knots, offshore | 13°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 05:27 −0.5 mHigh 11:51 +0.8 mLow 18:26 −0.6 m
- Mon 2 NovHigh 00:41 +0.5 mLow 06:39 −0.5 mHigh 13:00 +0.7 mLow 19:29 −0.6 m
- Tue 3 NovHigh 01:50 +0.6 mLow 07:52 −0.5 mHigh 14:07 +0.7 mLow 20:29 −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).
- 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
- 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
Hemlocks 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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More surf near here
3 places
- Robert Moses (democrat point) 0.2 km away
- Democrat Point (Robert Moses) 0.3 km away
- Coastguards 1.9 km away
About
the place in full, sources, credits
About Hemlocks
Facing, offshore wind, exposure, level and swell range are estimated.
The spot faces S (175°), so it takes swell from the S. The wind blows offshore from the N (355°). It is exposed to the open swell. It suits intermediate surfers and up. It works in 3–10 ft of swell. The sea is about 4°C in February, its coldest month (5/4 or 6/5, hood, boots and gloves), and 24°C in July, its warmest (no wetsuit). The town to stay in is Babylon, 8.6 km away (about 15 min by car). Within 5 km we also list 4 surf spots.
Water about 14°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$1,040–US$1,860 each
about US$1,040–US$1,860 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 JFK, estimated from distance and season, 4 airlines on the route, with a hold bag | about US$161–US$328 |
| Taxi | airport and back, shared | about US$87–US$147 |
| 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$1,040–US$1,860 |
For 2 people sharing a room. Lessons, lift-pass deals and insurance are extra. Prices from public sources, checked in 2026.
Where to stay: Babylon
15 min by car · 1 place to stay
about US$114/nightcountry average
About Babylon 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 5h 10m
About 5h 10m door to door from Chicago
Fly ORD → JFK, direct, then 1h by road
Flights ORD → JFK on your dates · Skyscanner
An estimate, one way; the journey never changes the score.