Masonborough Island
Surf spot · United States
Is it worth the trip?
51Fair out of 100 for your dates
Best on Fri 6: 4 ft swell at 7 s
Mon 2 · 29 out of 100
- Swell
- 3 ft6 s
- Energy
- 43kJ
- Wind
- NNE 9 kn
- Temp
- 21°C
Tue 3 · 35 out of 100
- Swell
- 3 ft5 s
- Energy
- 61kJ
- Wind
- ENE 9 kn
- Temp
- 23°C
Wed 4 · 44 out of 100
- Swell
- 4 ft6 s
- Energy
- 76kJ
- Wind
- NE 8 kn
- Temp
- 24°C
Thu 5 · 63 out of 100
- Swell
- 5 ft7 s
- Energy
- 180kJ
- Wind
- SE 3 kn
- Temp
- 24°C
Fri 6 · 69 out of 100
- Swell
- 4 ft7 s
- Energy
- 131kJ
- Wind
- SW 3 kn
- Temp
- 24°C
Sat 7 · 47 out of 100
- Swell
- 2 ft7 s
- Energy
- 60kJ
- Wind
- NW 7 kn
- Temp
- 22°C
Sun 8 · 30 out of 100
- Swell
- 2 ft7 s
- Energy
- 35kJ
- Wind
- ENE 4 kn
- Temp
- 19°C
Tap a day for waves, wind and the temperature. Full forecast
Forecast: next 10 days
Full forecast- Sun 130, poor
- Mon 229, too small
- Tue 335, poor
- Wed 444, poor
- Thu 563, good
- Fri 669, good
- Sat 747, fair
- Sun 830, too small
- Mon 925, too small
- Tue 1014, too small
The spot in five facts
- Faces Etakes swell from the E
- Offshore: Wwind from the land
- Intermediate +who it suits
- Works 3–11 ftof swell
- Water 19 °C2 mm shorty
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sun 1Nov | 30, poor | 3 ft6 s4 ft at break (est.) | 73kJ | wind from the north-north-east, 11 knots | 21°C |
| Mon 2Nov | 29, too small | 3 ft6 s4 ft at break (est.) | 43kJ | wind from the north-north-east, 9 knots | 21°C |
| Tue 3Nov | 35, poor | 3 ft5 s4 ft at break (est.) | 61kJ | wind from the east-north-east, 9 knots | 23°C |
| Wed 4Nov | 44, poor | 4 ft6 s4 ft at break (est.) | 76kJ | wind from the north-east, 8 knots | 24°C |
| Thu 5Nov | 63, good | 5 ft7 s6 ft at break (est.) | 180kJ | wind from the south-east, 3 knots | 24°C |
| Fri 6Nov | 69, good | 4 ft7 s5 ft at break (est.) | 131kJ | wind from the south-west, 3 knots | 24°C |
| Sat 7Nov | 47, fair | 2 ft7 s4 ft at break (est.) | 60kJ | offshorewind from the north-west, 7 knots, offshore | 22°C |
| Sun 8Nov | 30, too small | 2 ft7 s3 ft at break (est.) | 35kJ | wind from the east-north-east, 4 knots | 19°C |
| Mon 9Nov | 25, too small | 2 ft7 s3 ft at break (est.) | 24kJ | offshorewind from the west-south-west, 5 knots, offshore | 18°C |
| Tue 10Nov | 14, too small | 1 ft8 s2 ft at break (est.) | 16kJ | offshorewind from the north-west, 15 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 05:46 −0.6 mHigh 12:09 +0.8 mLow 18:48 −0.6 m
- Mon 2 NovHigh 00:43 +0.5 mLow 06:58 −0.6 mHigh 13:15 +0.7 mLow 19:49 −0.6 m
- Tue 3 NovHigh 01:52 +0.6 mLow 08:09 −0.6 mHigh 14:19 +0.7 mLow 20:47 −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
- 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 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, its town, photos
Masonborough Island 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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One finger scrolls the page; two fingers move the map. Pins are our own positions. Map OpenFreeMap, © OpenMapTiles, data © OpenStreetMap contributors.
Photos of Masonborough Island
More surf near here
5 places
- South End 0.4 km away
- Crystal Pier 1.1 km away
- Columbia St. 3.3 km away
- Mercer Pier 4 km away
- Shell Island 5.1 km away
About
the place in full, sources, credits
About Masonborough Island
Facing, offshore wind, exposure, level and swell range are estimated.
The spot faces E (106°), so it takes swell from the E. The wind blows offshore from the W (286°). 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 12°C in February, its coldest month (4/3 or 5/4, boots and gloves), and 28°C in July, its warmest (no wetsuit). The town to stay in is Wrightsville Beach, 3 km away (about 5 min by car). Within 5 km we also list 4 surf spots.
Water about 19°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$978–US$1,760 each
about US$978–US$1,760 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 ILM, estimated from distance and season, 2 airlines on the route, with a hold bag | about US$161–US$335 |
| Taxi | airport and back, shared | about US$27–US$47 |
| 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$978–US$1,760 |
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
5 min by car · 15 places to stay
about US$114/nightcountry average
About Wrightsville Beach its beds, food and every spot near it
- Beds in Carolina Beach on Booking.com
32 min by car · 62 places to stay
- Beds in Kure Beach on Booking.com
40 min by car · 31 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 4h 45m
About 4h 45m door to door from Chicago
Fly ORD → ILM, direct, then 35 min by road
Flights ORD → ILM on your dates · Skyscanner
An estimate, one way; the journey never changes the score.