Otter Cove
Surf spot · United States
Is it worth the trip?
35Poor out of 100 for your dates
Best on Fri 6: too small (4 ft swell at 5 s), sheltered (estimated): holds up in a blow
Tue 3 · 18 out of 100
- Swell
- 2 ft4 smushy
- Energy
- 19kJ
- Wind
- N 3 kn
- Temp
- 13°C
Wed 4 · 10 out of 100
- Swell
- 2 ft3 smushy
- Energy
- 6kJ
- Wind
- S 7 kn
- Temp
- 14°C
Thu 5 · 8 out of 100
- Swell
- 2 ft5 smushy
- Energy
- 12kJ
- Wind
- SW 8 kn
- Temp
- 15°C
Fri 6 · 54 out of 100
- Swell
- 4 ft5 smushy
- Energy
- 60kJ
- Wind
- ESE 1 kn
- Temp
- 16°C
Sat 7 · 32 out of 100
- Swell
- 3 ft5 smushy
- Energy
- 52kJ
- Wind
- N 5 kn
- Temp
- 12°C
Sun 8 · 47 out of 100
- Swell
- 4 ft6 smushy
- Energy
- 96kJ
- Wind
- NW 8 kn
- Temp
- 10°C
Mon 9 · 30 out of 100
- Swell
- 2 ft7 smushy
- Energy
- 43kJ
- Wind
- N 6 kn
- Temp
- 10°C
Tap a day for waves, wind and the temperature. Full forecast
Forecast: next 9 days
Full forecast- Mon 28, too small
- Tue 318, too small
- Wed 410, too small
- Thu 58, too small
- Fri 654, fair
- Sat 732, too small
- Sun 847, fair
- Mon 930, too small
- Tue 1025, too small
The spot in five facts
- Faces Stakes swell from the S
- Offshore: Nwind from the land
- Intermediate +who it suits
- Works 4–16 ftof swell
- Water 10 °C4/3 or 5/4, boots and gloves
Full forecast
every day, every number
Otter Cove does not suit beginners. This is the forecast for intermediates, so you can see what it does.
| Day | Scorefor Intermediate | Swell | Energy | Wind | Temp |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mon 2Nov | 8, too small | 1 ft9 scrumbling2 ft at break (est.) | 15kJ | wind from the west-south-west, 8 knots | 16°C |
| Tue 3Nov | 18, too small | 2 ft4 smushy2 ft at break (est.) | 19kJ | offshorewind from the north, 3 knots, offshore | 13°C |
| Wed 4Nov | 10, too small | 2 ft3 smushy2 ft at break (est.) | 6kJ | wind from the south, 7 knots | 14°C |
| Thu 5Nov | 8, too small | 2 ft5 smushy2 ft at break (est.) | 12kJ | wind from the south-west, 8 knots | 15°C |
| Fri 6Nov | 54, fair | 4 ft5 smushy4 ft at break (est.) | 60kJ | wind from the east-south-east, 1 knot | 16°C |
| Sat 7Nov | 32, too small | 3 ft5 smushy4 ft at break (est.) | 52kJ | offshorewind from the north, 5 knots, offshore | 12°C |
| Sun 8Nov | 47, fair | 4 ft6 smushy5 ft at break (est.) | 96kJ | offshorewind from the north-west, 8 knots, offshore | 10°C |
| Mon 9Nov | 30, too small | 2 ft7 smushy3 ft at break (est.) | 43kJ | offshorewind from the north, 6 knots, offshore | 10°C |
| Tue 10Nov | 25, too small | 2 ft7 smushy3 ft at break (est.) | 49kJ | wind from the north-east, 3 knots | 10°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 04:10 +1.4 mLow 10:16 −1.4 mHigh 16:30 +1.7 mLow 22:56 −1.7 m
- Tue 3 NovHigh 05:14 +1.5 mLow 11:24 −1.4 mHigh 17:37 +1.6 mLow 23:58 −1.6 m
- Wed 4 NovHigh 06:15 +1.6 mLow 12:29 −1.6 mHigh 18:40 +1.6 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.
Map
the spot, its town, photos
Otter Cove on Google Maps · Directions
Each place wears its best day on these dates, a surf spot for beginners: green good, amber fair, pale red poor, as the key says.
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Photos of Otter Cove
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About
the place in full, sources, credits
About Otter Cove
Facing, offshore wind, exposure, level and swell range are estimated.
The spot faces S (159°), so it takes swell from the S. The wind blows offshore from the N (339°). It is sheltered to the open swell. It suits intermediate surfers and up. It works in 4–16 ft of swell. The sea floor shelves gently: 10 m deep about 600 m out (1 in 60). On a typical 5 ft, 11 s swell the waves here would spill softly. The sea is about 4°C in March, its coldest month (5/4 or 6/5, hood, boots and gloves), and 15°C in August, its warmest (4/3 wetsuit and boots). The town to stay in is Bar Harbor, 8.6 km away (about 15 min by car). Within 5 km we also list 2 kayak spots and 1 climbing area.
Water about 10°C: 4/3 or 5/4, boots and gloves. 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$1,130–US$2,010 each
about US$1,130–US$2,010 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 BGR, estimated from distance and season, 2 airlines on the route, with a hold bag | about US$181–US$375 |
| 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$1,130–US$2,010 |
For 2 people sharing a room. Lessons, lift-pass deals and insurance are extra. Prices from public sources, checked in 2026.
Where to stay: Bar Harbor
about 15 min by car · 77 places to stay
about US$114/nightcountry average
About Bar Harbor 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 6h 15m
About 6h 15m door to door from Chicago
Fly ORD → BGR, direct, then 1h 35m by road
Flights ORD → BGR on your dates · Skyscanner
An estimate, one way; the journey never changes the score.