Is it worth the trip?
29Poor out of 100 for your dates
Best on Wed 4: 8 ft swell at 8 s, sheltered (estimated): holds up in a blow
Tue 3 · 0 out of 100
- Swell
- 12 ft11 s
- Energy
- 3,520kJ
- Wind
- S 23 kn
- Temp
- 9°C
Wed 4 · 52 out of 100
- Swell
- 8 ft8 s
- Energy
- 763kJ
- Wind
- SSW 8 kn
- Temp
- 8°C
Thu 5 · 40 out of 100
- Swell
- 8 ft7 s
- Energy
- 607kJ
- Wind
- W 5 kn
- Temp
- 9°C
Fri 6 · 17 out of 100
- Swell
- 5 ft7 s
- Energy
- 261kJ
- Wind
- NE 5 kn
- Temp
- 8°C
Sat 7 · 8 out of 100
- Swell
- 5 ft7 s
- Energy
- 183kJ
- Wind
- SSW 13 kn
- Temp
- 8°C
Sun 8 · 16 out of 100
- Swell
- 10 ft8 s
- Energy
- 1,103kJ
- Wind
- WSW 11 kn
- Temp
- 4°C
Mon 9 · 31 out of 100
- Swell
- 6 ft7 s
- Energy
- 291kJ
- Wind
- N 14 kn
- Temp
- 0°C
Tap a day for waves, wind and the temperature. Full forecast
Forecast: next 10 days
Full forecast- Mon 220, poor
- Tue 30, too big
- Wed 452, fair
- Thu 540, poor
- Fri 617, too small
- Sat 78, too small
- Sun 816, poor
- Mon 931, too small
- Tue 107, too small
- Wed 1149, fair
The spot in five facts
- Faces Stakes swell from the S
- Offshore: Nwind from the land
- Intermediate +who it suits
- Works 2–10 ftof swell
- Water 7 °C5/4 or 6/5, hood, boots and gloves
Full forecast
every day, every number
| Day | Score for experts | Swell | Energy | Wind | Temp |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mon 2Nov | 20, poor | 7 ft7 s7 ft at break (est.) | 402kJ | wind from the south-south-east, 14 knots | 9°C |
| Tue 3Nov | 0, too big | 12 ft11 s11 ft at break (est.) | 3,520kJ | wind from the south, 23 knots | 9°C |
| Wed 4Nov | 52, fair | 8 ft8 s8 ft at break (est.) | 763kJ | wind from the south-south-west, 8 knots | 8°C |
| Thu 5Nov | 40, poor | 8 ft7 s8 ft at break (est.) | 607kJ | wind from the west, 5 knots | 9°C |
| Fri 6Nov | 17, too small | 5 ft7 s5 ft at break (est.) | 261kJ | wind from the north-east, 5 knots | 8°C |
| Sat 7Nov | 8, too small | 5 ft7 s3 ft at break (est.) | 183kJ | wind from the south-south-west, 13 knots | 8°C |
| Sun 8Nov | 16, poor | 10 ft8 s8 ft at break (est.) | 1,103kJ | wind from the west-south-west, 11 knots | 4°C |
| Mon 9Nov | 31, too small | 6 ft7 s4 ft at break (est.) | 291kJ | offshorewind from the north, 14 knots, offshore | 0°C |
| Tue 10Nov | 7, too small | 5 ft6 s3 ft at break (est.) | 136kJ | wind from the south-west, 10 knots | 6°C |
| Wed 11Nov | 49, fair | 6 ft7 s6 ft at break (est.) | 294kJ | wind from the south, 4 knots | 8°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 NovLow 03:54 −0.8 mHigh 10:32 +1.0 mLow 17:07 −0.8 mHigh 23:18 +0.6 m
- Tue 3 NovLow 05:24 −0.8 mHigh 12:00 +0.9 mLow 18:31 −0.8 m
- Wed 4 NovHigh 00:46 +0.7 mLow 06:49 −0.8 mHigh 13:16 +1.0 mLow 19:38 −1.0 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
- Aug1of 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 and its town
Porlackshöfn on Google Maps · Directions
Each place wears its best day on these dates, a surf spot for experts: green good, amber fair, pale red poor, as the key says.
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More surf near here
2 places
- Hafnarfjordur Beach&Reef 38.9 km away
- Grótta 47.6 km away
About
the place in full, sources, credits
About Porlackshöfn
Facing, offshore wind, exposure, level and swell range are estimated.
The spot faces S (162°), so it takes swell from the S. The wind blows offshore from the N (342°). It is sheltered to the open swell. It suits intermediate surfers and up. It works in 2–10 ft of swell. The sea is about 6°C in January, its coldest month (5/4 or 6/5, hood, boots and gloves), and 12°C in July, its warmest (4/3 or 5/4, boots and gloves). The town to stay in is Hafnarfjar Arkaupsta Ur.
Water about 7°C: 5/4 or 6/5, hood, 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$965–US$1,800 each
about US$965–US$1,800 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 KEF, estimated from distance and season, 2 airlines on the route, with a hold bag | about US$355–US$737 |
| Hire car | 6 days, shared | about US$100–US$174 |
| 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$965–US$1,800 |
For 2 people sharing a room. Lessons, lift-pass deals and insurance are extra. Prices from public sources, checked in 2026.
Where to stay: Hafnarfjar Arkaupsta Ur
Ad Links marked Ad may pay us if you book. You pay the same, and they never change a score. How we earn
about 1h 05m by car · 18 places to stay
About Hafnarfjar Arkaupsta Ur its beds, food and every spot near it
Nearest beds: Hafnarfjar Arkaupsta Ur, 37 km (about 1h 05m by car)
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 11h 40m
About 11h 40m door to door from Chicago
Fly ORD → KEF, direct, then 1h 25m by road
Flights ORD → KEF on your dates · AviasalesAdeSIM for your phone · Search on AiraloAd
An estimate, one way; the journey never changes the score.