Is it worth the trip?
12Poor out of 100 for your dates
Best on Mon 2: too small (2 ft swell at 10 s), 4 hours of offshore wind, sheltered (estimated): holds up in a blow
Mon 2 · 14 out of 100
- Swell
- 2 ft10 scrumbling
- Energy
- 71kJ
- Wind
- ESE 9 kn
- Temp
- 28°C
Tue 3 · 12 out of 100
- Swell
- 2 ft11 scrumbling
- Energy
- 56kJ
- Wind
- SE 11 kn
- Temp
- 29°C
Wed 4 · 11 out of 100
- Swell
- 1 ft10 scrumbling
- Energy
- 35kJ
- Wind
- E 8 kn
- Temp
- 29°C
Thu 5 · 12 out of 100
- Swell
- 2 ft7 smushy
- Energy
- 34kJ
- Wind
- ESE 8 kn
- Temp
- 29°C
Fri 6 · 10 out of 100
- Swell
- 2 ft8 scrumbling
- Energy
- 37kJ
- Wind
- SE 9 kn
- Temp
- 29°C
Sat 7 · 11 out of 100
- Swell
- 2 ft8 smushy
- Energy
- 38kJ
- Wind
- SE 10 kn
- Temp
- 29°C
Sun 8 · 9 out of 100
- Swell
- 2 ft7 smushy
- Energy
- 29kJ
- Wind
- ESE 8 kn
- Temp
- 29°C
Tap a day for waves, wind and the temperature. Full forecast
Forecast: next 10 days
Full forecast- Sun 115, too small
- Mon 214, too small
- Tue 312, too small
- Wed 411, too small
- Thu 512, too small
- Fri 610, too small
- Sat 711, too small
- Sun 89, too small
- Mon 99, too small
- Tue 1018, too small
The spot in five facts
- Faces NWtakes swell from the NW
- Offshore: SEwind from the land
- Beginner +who it suits
- Works 5–20 ftof swell
- Water 29 °Cno wetsuit
Full forecast
every day, every number
Mount Irvine Bay does not suit intermediates. This is the forecast for experts, so you can see what it does.
| Day | Scorefor Expert | Swell | Energy | Wind | Temp |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sun 1Nov | 15, too small | 2 ft10 scrumbling3 ft at break (est.) | 69kJ | offshorewind from the east-south-east, 10 knots, offshore | 28°C |
| Mon 2Nov | 14, too small | 2 ft10 scrumbling2 ft at break (est.) | 71kJ | offshorewind from the east-south-east, 9 knots, offshore | 28°C |
| Tue 3Nov | 12, too small | 2 ft11 scrumbling2 ft at break (est.) | 56kJ | offshorewind from the south-east, 11 knots, offshore | 29°C |
| Wed 4Nov | 11, too small | 1 ft10 scrumbling2 ft at break (est.) | 35kJ | offshorewind from the east, 8 knots, offshore | 29°C |
| Thu 5Nov | 12, too small | 2 ft7 smushy2 ft at break (est.) | 34kJ | offshorewind from the east-south-east, 8 knots, offshore | 29°C |
| Fri 6Nov | 10, too small | 2 ft8 scrumbling2 ft at break (est.) | 37kJ | offshorewind from the south-east, 9 knots, offshore | 29°C |
| Sat 7Nov | 11, too small | 2 ft8 smushy1 ft at break (est.) | 38kJ | offshorewind from the south-east, 10 knots, offshore | 29°C |
| Sun 8Nov | 9, too small | 2 ft7 smushy1 ft at break (est.) | 29kJ | offshorewind from the east-south-east, 8 knots, offshore | 29°C |
| Mon 9Nov | 9, too small | 2 ft8 scrumbling2 ft at break (est.) | 50kJ | offshorewind from the east-south-east, 11 knots, offshore | 30°C |
| Tue 10Nov | 18, too small | 2 ft9 scrumbling2 ft at break (est.) | 85kJ | offshorewind from the east-south-east, 10 knots, offshore | 29°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 02:15 −0.3 mHigh 08:58 +0.2 mLow 14:07 −0.1 mHigh 20:21 +0.3 m
- Mon 2 NovLow 03:28 −0.3 mHigh 10:13 +0.2 mLow 15:43 −0.1 mHigh 21:51 +0.3 m
- Tue 3 NovLow 04:40 −0.3 mHigh 11:16 +0.3 mLow 17:10 −0.1 mHigh 23:16 +0.3 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.
Map
the spot and its town
Mount Irvine Bay 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.
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.
More surf near here
1 place
- Airport 6.5 km away
About
the place in full, sources, credits
About Mount Irvine Bay
Facing, offshore wind, exposure, level and swell range are estimated.
The spot faces NW (315°), so it takes swell from the NW. The wind blows offshore from the SE (135°). It is sheltered to the open swell. It suits beginners and up. It works in 5–20 ft of swell. The sea floor shelves gently: 10 m deep about 400 m out (1 in 40). On a typical 5 ft, 11 s swell the waves here would crumble. The sea is about 27°C in January, its coldest month (no wetsuit), and 30°C in September, its warmest (no wetsuit). The town to stay in is Lowlands, 4.7 km away (about 10 min by car). Within 5 km we also list 3 dive sites.
Water about 29°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$864–US$1,610 each
about US$864–US$1,610 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 TAB, estimated from distance and season, changing at JFK, full-service airlines, with a hold bag | about US$335–US$690 |
| Taxi | airport and back, shared | about US$20–US$33 |
| Stay | 6 nights, a mid-range double, shared | about US$201–US$328 |
| Food | 7 days eating out | about US$221–US$415 |
| Board and wetsuit | 5 days, or about US$114 to fly your own | about US$87–US$141 |
| Total | about US$864–US$1,610 |
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
8 min by car · 33 places to stay
About Lowlands its beds, food and every spot near it
- Beds in Crown Point on Booking.com
10 min by car · 76 places to stay
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 13h 55m
About 13h 55m door to door from Chicago
Fly ORD → TAB, changing at John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK), then 25 min by road
Flights ORD → TAB on your dates · Skyscanner
An estimate, one way; the journey never changes the score.