Is it worth the trip?
1Poor out of 100 for your dates
Best on Tue 3: too small (1 ft swell at 3 s), sheltered (estimated): holds up in a blow
Mon 2 · 2 out of 100
- Swell
- 1 ft3 s
- Energy
- 0kJ
- Wind
- SSE 8 kn
- Temp
- 25°C
Tue 3 · 3 out of 100
- Swell
- 1 ft3 s
- Energy
- 1kJ
- Wind
- SSW 7 kn
- Temp
- 26°C
Wed 4 · 1 out of 100
- Swell
- under 1 ft3 s
- Energy
- 0kJ
- Wind
- NNW 7 kn
- Temp
- 23°C
Thu 5 · 1 out of 100
- Swell
- under 1 ft4 s
- Energy
- 0kJ
- Wind
- ENE 6 kn
- Temp
- 23°C
Fri 6 · 1 out of 100
- Swell
- under 1 ft2 s
- Energy
- 0kJ
- Wind
- NNW 4 kn
- Temp
- 24°C
Sat 7 · 1 out of 100
- Swell
- under 1 ft3 s
- Energy
- 0kJ
- Wind
- E 9 kn
- Temp
- 23°C
Sun 8 · 1 out of 100
- Swell
- under 1 ft2 s
- Energy
- 0kJ
- Wind
- NNE 10 kn
- Temp
- 22°C
Tap a day for waves, wind and the temperature. Full forecast
Forecast: next 10 days
Full forecast- Sun 11, too small
- Mon 22, too small
- Tue 33, too small
- Wed 41, too small
- Thu 51, too small
- Fri 61, too small
- Sat 71, too small
- Sun 81, too small
- Mon 90, too small
- Tue 101, too small
The spot in five facts
- Faces NEtakes swell from the NE
- Offshore: SWwind from the land
- Beginner +who it suits
- Works 5–20 ftof swell
- Water 21 °C2 mm shorty
Full forecast
every day, every number
| Day | Score for experts | Swell | Energy | Wind | Temp |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sun 1Nov | 1, too small | 1 ft4 sunder 1 ft at break (est.) | 1kJ | wind from the north-north-east, 9 knots | 25°C |
| Mon 2Nov | 2, too small | 1 ft3 s1 ft at break (est.) | 0kJ | wind from the south-south-east, 8 knots | 25°C |
| Tue 3Nov | 3, too small | 1 ft3 s1 ft at break (est.) | 1kJ | offshorewind from the south-south-west, 7 knots, offshore | 26°C |
| Wed 4Nov | 1, too small | under 1 ft3 sunder 1 ft at break (est.) | 0kJ | wind from the north-north-west, 7 knots | 23°C |
| Thu 5Nov | 1, too small | under 1 ft4 sunder 1 ft at break (est.) | 0kJ | wind from the east-north-east, 6 knots | 23°C |
| Fri 6Nov | 1, too small | under 1 ft2 sunder 1 ft at break (est.) | 0kJ | wind from the north-north-west, 4 knots | 24°C |
| Sat 7Nov | 1, too small | under 1 ft3 sunder 1 ft at break (est.) | 0kJ | wind from the east, 9 knots | 23°C |
| Sun 8Nov | 1, too small | under 1 ft2 s1 ft at break (est.) | 0kJ | wind from the north-north-east, 10 knots | 22°C |
| Mon 9Nov | 0, too small | under 1 ft4 sunder 1 ft at break (est.) | 0kJ | wind from the north, 11 knots | 21°C |
| Tue 10Nov | 1, too small | under 1 ft2 sunder 1 ft at break (est.) | 0kJ | wind from the north-east, 7 knots | 19°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 14:35 −0.2 mHigh 23:43 +0.2 m
- Mon 2 NovLow 07:51 +0.0 mHigh 10:53 +0.1 mLow 17:59 −0.1 m
- Tue 3 NovHigh 00:28 +0.2 mLow 08:04 −0.1 mHigh 12:41 +0.1 mLow 19:41 −0.1 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
Refish Island 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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About
the place in full, sources, credits
About Refish Island
Facing, offshore wind, exposure, level and swell range are estimated.
The spot faces NE (48°), so it takes swell from the NE. The wind blows offshore from the SW (228°). It is sheltered to the open swell. It suits beginners and up. It works in 5–20 ft of swell. The sea is about 15°C in January, its coldest month (4/3 wetsuit and boots), and 30°C in July, its warmest (no wetsuit). The town to stay in is San Leon, 4.5 km away (about 10 min by car).
Water about 21°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$1,060–US$1,900 each
about US$1,060–US$1,900 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 MDW to HOU, estimated from distance and season, 1 airline on the route, with a hold bag | about US$174–US$368 |
| Taxi | airport and back, shared | about US$94–US$154 |
| 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$1,060–US$1,900 |
For 2 people sharing a room. Lessons, lift-pass deals and insurance are extra. Prices from public sources, checked in 2026.
Where to stay: San Leon
8 min by car · 13 places to stay
about US$114/nightcountry average
About San Leon 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 5h 25m
About 5h 25m door to door from Chicago
Fly MDW → HOU, direct, then 1h by road
Flights MDW → HOU on your dates · Skyscanner
An estimate, one way; the journey never changes the score.