Is it worth the trip?
30Poor out of 100 for your dates
Best on Fri 6: 4 ft swell at 7 s, sheltered (estimated): holds up in a blow
Tue 3 · 0 out of 100
- Swell
- 9 ft10 s
- Energy
- 1,663kJ
- Wind
- S 23 kn
- Temp
- 9°C
Wed 4 · 0 out of 100
- Swell
- 9 ft8 s
- Energy
- 1,051kJ
- Wind
- SW 8 kn
- Temp
- 8°C
Thu 5 · 0 out of 100
- Swell
- 6 ft9 s
- Energy
- 486kJ
- Wind
- S 16 kn
- Temp
- 9°C
Fri 6 · 56 out of 100
- Swell
- 4 ft7 s
- Energy
- 180kJ
- Wind
- E 1 kn
- Temp
- 8°C
Sat 7 · 24 out of 100
- Swell
- 4 ft8 s
- Energy
- 140kJ
- Wind
- SW 11 kn
- Temp
- 8°C
Sun 8 · 25 out of 100
- Swell
- 4 ft9 s
- Energy
- 204kJ
- Wind
- WSW 17 kn
- Temp
- 6°C
Mon 9 · 49 out of 100
- Swell
- 4 ft7 s
- Energy
- 156kJ
- Wind
- NNE 4 kn
- Temp
- 1°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 40, too big
- Thu 50, too big
- Fri 656, fair
- Sat 724, poor
- Sun 825, poor
- Mon 949, fair
- Tue 1016, too small
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
Porlackshöfn 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 | 0, too big | 7 ft7 s7 ft at break (est.) | 424kJ | wind from the south-south-east, 14 knots | 9°C |
| Tue 3Nov | 0, too big | 9 ft10 s9 ft at break (est.) | 1,663kJ | wind from the south, 23 knots | 9°C |
| Wed 4Nov | 0, too big | 9 ft8 s9 ft at break (est.) | 1,051kJ | wind from the south-west, 8 knots | 8°C |
| Thu 5Nov | 0, too big | 6 ft9 s5 ft at break (est.) | 486kJ | wind from the south, 16 knots | 9°C |
| Fri 6Nov | 56, fair | 4 ft7 s4 ft at break (est.) | 180kJ | wind from the east, 1 knot | 8°C |
| Sat 7Nov | 24, poor | 4 ft8 s2 ft at break (est.) | 140kJ | wind from the south-west, 11 knots | 8°C |
| Sun 8Nov | 25, poor | 4 ft9 s2 ft at break (est.) | 204kJ | wind from the west-south-west, 17 knots | 6°C |
| Mon 9Nov | 49, fair | 4 ft7 s2 ft at break (est.) | 156kJ | offshorewind from the north-north-east, 4 knots, offshore | 1°C |
| Tue 10Nov | 16, too small | 2 ft6 s2 ft at break (est.) | 17kJ | wind from the north-east, 10 knots | -1°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 beginners: 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.
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
65 min 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 · Skyscanner
An estimate, one way; the journey never changes the score.