Is it worth the trip?
31Poor out of 100 for your dates
Best on Mon 9: 4 ft swell at 7 s, sheltered (estimated): holds up in a blow
Tue 3 · 0 out of 100
- Swell
- 6 ft7 smushy
- Energy
- 325kJ
- Wind
- E 11 kn
- Temp
- 27°C
Wed 4 · 25 out of 100
- Swell
- 6 ft7 smushy
- Energy
- 243kJ
- Wind
- NE 9 kn
- Temp
- 28°C
Thu 5 · 16 out of 100
- Swell
- 5 ft6 smushy
- Energy
- 146kJ
- Wind
- NNE 13 kn
- Temp
- 27°C
Fri 6 · 0 out of 100
- Swell
- 6 ft8 smushy
- Energy
- 368kJ
- Wind
- N 13 kn
- Temp
- 27°C
Sat 7 · 15 out of 100
- Swell
- 6 ft7 smushy
- Energy
- 315kJ
- Wind
- N 9 kn
- Temp
- 27°C
Sun 8 · 42 out of 100
- Swell
- 5 ft7 smushy
- Energy
- 191kJ
- Wind
- NNE 7 kn
- Temp
- 27°C
Mon 9 · 69 out of 100
- Swell
- 4 ft7 smushy
- Energy
- 132kJ
- Wind
- SSE 7 kn
- Temp
- 28°C
Tap a day for waves, wind and the temperature. Full forecast
Forecast: next 9 days
Full forecast- Mon 20, too big
- Tue 30, too big
- Wed 425, poor
- Thu 516, poor
- Fri 60, too big
- Sat 715, poor
- Sun 842, poor
- Mon 969, good
- Tue 1055, fair
The spot in six facts
- Faces Ntakes swell from the N
- Offshore: Swind from the land
- Intermediate +who it suits
- Works 3–10 ftof swell
- Water 27 °Cno wetsuit
- Best in Sep2 good days in 7
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 | 0, too big | 7 ft7 smushy6 ft at break (est.) | 350kJ | wind from the east, 17 knots | 28°C |
| Tue 3Nov | 0, too big | 6 ft7 smushy6 ft at break (est.) | 325kJ | wind from the east, 11 knots | 27°C |
| Wed 4Nov | 25, poor | 6 ft7 smushy5 ft at break (est.) | 243kJ | wind from the north-east, 9 knots | 28°C |
| Thu 5Nov | 16, poor | 5 ft6 smushy4 ft at break (est.) | 146kJ | wind from the north-north-east, 13 knots | 27°C |
| Fri 6Nov | 0, too big | 6 ft8 smushy5 ft at break (est.) | 368kJ | wind from the north, 13 knots | 27°C |
| Sat 7Nov | 15, poor | 6 ft7 smushy5 ft at break (est.) | 315kJ | wind from the north, 9 knots | 27°C |
| Sun 8Nov | 42, poor | 5 ft7 smushy4 ft at break (est.) | 191kJ | wind from the north-north-east, 7 knots | 27°C |
| Mon 9Nov | 69, good | 4 ft7 smushy3 ft at break (est.) | 132kJ | offshorewind from the south-south-east, 7 knots, offshore | 28°C |
| Tue 10Nov | 55, fair | 3 ft7 smushy3 ft at break (est.) | 110kJ | offshorewind from the south-west, 8 knots, offshore | 27°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 01:18 +0.3 mLow 07:18 −0.3 mHigh 13:48 +0.5 mLow 20:19 −0.3 m
- Tue 3 NovHigh 02:24 +0.4 mLow 08:30 −0.3 mHigh 14:48 +0.5 mLow 21:13 −0.3 m
- Wed 4 NovHigh 03:26 +0.4 mLow 09:38 −0.3 mHigh 15:46 +0.4 mLow 22:03 −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 in Sep
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
- Sep2of 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
James Point 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
1 place
- Smugglers Beach 6.2 km away
About
the place in full, sources, credits
About James Point
Facing, offshore wind, exposure, level and swell range are estimated.
The spot faces N (356°), so it takes swell from the N. The wind blows offshore from the S (176°). It is sheltered to the open swell. It suits intermediate surfers and up. It works in 3–10 ft of swell. The sea floor shelves very gently: 10 m deep about 2.4 km out (1 in 238). On a typical 5 ft, 11 s swell the waves here would spill softly. The sea is about 24°C in February, its coldest month (no wetsuit), and 30°C in July, its warmest (no wetsuit). For intermediate surfers the best month is usually September, with about 2 good days in 7. From the weather of past years. The town to stay in is James Cistern.
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$1,170–US$2,100 each
about US$1,170–US$2,100 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 NAS, estimated from distance and season, 2 airlines on the route, with a hold bag | about US$208–US$435 |
| Hire car | 6 days, shared | about US$167–US$275 |
| Stay | 6 nights, a mid-range double, shared | about US$328–US$549 |
| Food | 7 days eating out | about US$375–US$697 |
| Board and wetsuit | 5 days, or about US$114 to fly your own | about US$87–US$141 |
| Total | about US$1,170–US$2,100 |
For 2 people sharing a room. Lessons, lift-pass deals and insurance are extra. Prices from public sources, checked in 2026.
Where to stay: 2 towns
about 5 min by car · 1 place to stay
about US$121/nightcountry average
About James Cistern its beds, food and every spot near it
- Beds in Rainbow Bay on Booking.com
about 10 min by car · 1 place to stay
Nearest town: James Cistern, 3 km (about 5 min by car)
About US$121 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 9h 10m
About 9h 10m door to door from Chicago
Fly ORD → NAS, direct, then 2h 20m by road
Flights ORD → NAS on your dates · Skyscanner
An estimate, one way; the journey never changes the score.