Inlet Shoals
Surf spot · United States
Is it worth the trip?
49Fair out of 100 for your dates
Best on Sat 7: 3 ft swell at 8 s, 3 hours of offshore wind
Tue 3 · 16 out of 100
- Swell
- 1 ft7 s
- Energy
- 17kJ
- Wind
- SE 3 kn
- Temp
- 18°C
Wed 4 · 12 out of 100
- Swell
- 2 ft6 s
- Energy
- 21kJ
- Wind
- SSE 8 kn
- Temp
- 18°C
Thu 5 · 48 out of 100
- Swell
- 3 ft6 s
- Energy
- 60kJ
- Wind
- S 5 kn
- Temp
- 18°C
Fri 6 · 45 out of 100
- Swell
- 4 ft6 s
- Energy
- 93kJ
- Wind
- SSW 12 kn
- Temp
- 19°C
Sat 7 · 77 out of 100
- Swell
- 3 ft8 s
- Energy
- 127kJ
- Wind
- NW 8 kn
- Temp
- 18°C
Sun 8 · 58 out of 100
- Swell
- 3 ft7 s
- Energy
- 100kJ
- Wind
- ENE 2 kn
- Temp
- 16°C
Mon 9 · 33 out of 100
- Swell
- 3 ft7 s
- Energy
- 77kJ
- Wind
- E 6 kn
- Temp
- 18°C
Tap a day for waves, wind and the temperature. Full forecast
Forecast: next 9 days
Full forecast- Mon 224, too small
- Tue 316, too small
- Wed 412, too small
- Thu 548, fair
- Fri 645, fair
- Sat 777, good
- Sun 858, fair
- Mon 933, too small
- Tue 102, too small
The spot in five facts
- Faces Etakes swell from the E
- Offshore: Wwind from the land
- Intermediate +who it suits
- Works 2–9 ftof swell
- Water 15 °C4/3 wetsuit and boots
Full forecast
every day, every number
The score doesn't know rips, currents, rocks or your skill.
| Day | Score for intermediates | Swell | Energy | Wind | Temp |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mon 2Nov | 24, too small | 2 ft7 s2 ft at break (est.) | 20kJ | wind from the south-east, 3 knots | 16°C |
| Tue 3Nov | 16, too small | 1 ft7 s2 ft at break (est.) | 17kJ | wind from the south-east, 3 knots | 18°C |
| Wed 4Nov | 12, too small | 2 ft6 s3 ft at break (est.) | 21kJ | wind from the south-south-east, 8 knots | 18°C |
| Thu 5Nov | 48, fair | 3 ft6 s4 ft at break (est.) | 60kJ | wind from the south, 5 knots | 18°C |
| Fri 6Nov | 45, fair | 4 ft6 s4 ft at break (est.) | 93kJ | wind from the south-south-west, 12 knots | 19°C |
| Sat 7Nov | 77, good | 3 ft8 s5 ft at break (est.) | 127kJ | offshorewind from the north-west, 8 knots, offshore | 18°C |
| Sun 8Nov | 58, fair | 3 ft7 s5 ft at break (est.) | 100kJ | wind from the east-north-east, 2 knots | 16°C |
| Mon 9Nov | 33, too small | 3 ft7 s4 ft at break (est.) | 77kJ | wind from the east, 6 knots | 18°C |
| Tue 10Nov | 2, too small | 2 ft8 s4 ft at break (est.) | 53kJ | wind from the south-east, 18 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 01:03 +0.4 mLow 07:06 −0.5 mHigh 13:37 +0.6 mLow 20:05 −0.5 m
- Tue 3 NovHigh 02:13 +0.5 mLow 08:19 −0.5 mHigh 14:43 +0.6 mLow 21:02 −0.5 m
- Wed 4 NovHigh 03:16 +0.5 mLow 09:26 −0.5 mHigh 15:43 +0.6 mLow 21:54 −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
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
- 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, its town, photos
Inlet Shoals 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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Photos of Inlet Shoals
More surf near here
5 places
- Porkies 1.2 km away
- Wedge 1.8 km away
- Cumbuscuits 2.1 km away
- Weiners 5 km away
- 48th Street (Ocean City) 6.1 km away
About
the place in full, sources, credits
About Inlet Shoals
Facing, offshore wind, exposure, level and swell range are estimated.
The spot faces E (108°), so it takes swell from the E. The wind blows offshore from the W (288°). It is exposed to the open swell. It suits intermediate surfers and up. It works in 2–9 ft of swell. The sea is about 5°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 Ocean City, 1.5 km away (about 5 min by car). Within 5 km we also list 3 surf spots and 2 wind sports spots.
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$1,090–US$1,940 each
about US$1,090–US$1,940 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 MDW to BWI, estimated from distance and season, 2 airlines on the route, with a hold bag | about US$147–US$308 |
| 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$1,090–US$1,940 |
For 2 people sharing a room. Lessons, lift-pass deals and insurance are extra. Prices from public sources, checked in 2026.
Where to stay: 3 towns
about 5 min by car · 130 places to stay
about US$114/nightcountry average
About Ocean City its beds, food and every spot near it
- Beds in Fenwick Island on Booking.com
about 30 min by car · 15 places to stay
- Beds in Bethany Beach on Booking.com
about 45 min by car · 34 places to stay
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 55m
About 6h 55m door to door from Chicago
Fly MDW → BWI, direct, then 3h 10m by road
Flights MDW → BWI on your dates · Skyscanner
An estimate, one way; the journey never changes the score.