Is it worth the trip?
57Fair out of 100 for your dates
Best on Mon 2: 3 ft swell at 7 s, sheltered (estimated): holds up in a blow
Mon 2 · 69 out of 100
- Swell
- 3 ft7 s
- Energy
- 103kJ
- Wind
- SSE 4 kn
- Temp
- 28°C
Tue 3 · 58 out of 100
- Swell
- 3 ft7 s
- Energy
- 101kJ
- Wind
- SSW 8 kn
- Temp
- 27°C
Wed 4 · 58 out of 100
- Swell
- 3 ft7 s
- Energy
- 91kJ
- Wind
- SSE 4 kn
- Temp
- 28°C
Thu 5 · 57 out of 100
- Swell
- 3 ft7 s
- Energy
- 71kJ
- Wind
- SSE 3 kn
- Temp
- 29°C
Fri 6 · 44 out of 100
- Swell
- 2 ft7 s
- Energy
- 46kJ
- Wind
- S 3 kn
- Temp
- 29°C
Sat 7 · 46 out of 100
- Swell
- 2 ft7 s
- Energy
- 49kJ
- Wind
- NW 7 kn
- Temp
- 28°C
Sun 8 · 45 out of 100
- Swell
- 2 ft7 s
- Energy
- 50kJ
- Wind
- WNW 10 kn
- Temp
- 28°C
Tap a day for waves, wind and the temperature. Full forecast
Forecast: next 10 days
Full forecast- Sun 137, too small
- Mon 269, good
- Tue 358, fair
- Wed 458, fair
- Thu 557, fair
- Fri 644, too small
- Sat 746, fair
- Sun 845, fair
- Mon 947, fair
- Tue 1043, too small
The spot in six facts
- Faces SEtakes swell from the SE
- Offshore: NWwind from the land
- Intermediate +who it suits
- Works 3–10 ftof swell
- Water 29 °Cno wetsuit
- Best Jun, Sep5 good days in 7
Full forecast
every day, every number
The score doesn't know rips, currents, rocks or your skill.
Refugees does not suit beginners. This is the forecast for intermediates, so you can see what it does.
| Day | Scorefor Intermediate | Swell | Energy | Wind | Temp |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sun 1Nov | 37, too small | 3 ft9 s4 ft at break (est.) | 106kJ | wind from the east, 3 knots | 29°C |
| Mon 2Nov | 69, good | 3 ft7 s4 ft at break (est.) | 103kJ | wind from the south-south-east, 4 knots | 28°C |
| Tue 3Nov | 58, fair | 3 ft7 s4 ft at break (est.) | 101kJ | wind from the south-south-west, 8 knots | 27°C |
| Wed 4Nov | 58, fair | 3 ft7 s4 ft at break (est.) | 91kJ | wind from the south-south-east, 4 knots | 28°C |
| Thu 5Nov | 57, fair | 3 ft7 s4 ft at break (est.) | 71kJ | wind from the south-south-east, 3 knots | 29°C |
| Fri 6Nov | 44, too small | 2 ft7 s3 ft at break (est.) | 46kJ | wind from the south, 3 knots | 29°C |
| Sat 7Nov | 46, fair | 2 ft7 s3 ft at break (est.) | 49kJ | offshorewind from the north-west, 7 knots, offshore | 28°C |
| Sun 8Nov | 45, fair | 2 ft7 s3 ft at break (est.) | 50kJ | offshorewind from the west-north-west, 10 knots, offshore | 28°C |
| Mon 9Nov | 47, fair | 2 ft7 s3 ft at break (est.) | 51kJ | offshorewind from the west-north-west, 9 knots, offshore | 28°C |
| Tue 10Nov | 43, too small | 2 ft7 s3 ft at break (est.) | 43kJ | offshorewind from the west-north-west, 9 knots, offshore | 28°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 NovHigh 05:09 +0.3 mLow 11:22 −0.1 mHigh 16:35 +0.1 mLow 23:00 −0.2 m
- Mon 2 NovHigh 06:18 +0.2 mLow 13:06 −0.1 mHigh 18:35 +0.1 m
- Tue 3 NovLow 00:40 −0.1 mHigh 08:08 +0.2 mLow 15:19 −0.1 mHigh 21:43 +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.
Best time to go
best Jun, Sep
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
- Apr3of 7: a trip from Sat 3 Apr
- May3of 7: a trip from Sat 1 May
- Jun5of 7: a trip from Sat 5 Jun
- Jul4of 7: a trip from Sat 3 Jul
- Aug4of 7: a trip from Sat 7 Aug
- Sep5of 7: a trip from Sat 4 Sept
- Oct3of 7: a trip from Sat 2 Oct
- Nov2of 7: a trip from Mon 2 Nov
- Dec2of 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
Refugees 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.
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.
About
the place in full, sources, credits
About Refugees
Facing, offshore wind, exposure, level and swell range are estimated.
The spot faces SE (117°), so it takes swell from the SE. The wind blows offshore from the NW (297°). It is sheltered to the open swell. It suits intermediate surfers and up. It works in 3–10 ft of swell. The sea is about 29°C in January, its coldest month (no wetsuit), and 30°C in March, its warmest (no wetsuit). For intermediate surfers the best months are usually June and September, with about 5 good days in 7; in January, February and March, about 1. From the weather of past years. No town nearby. Fonadhoo, 21 km away, is the nearest town we list; we have not checked places to stay there. Nearest place to stay we found: Maverick Maldives, Hithadhoo, 1 km. Nearest beds: Kudahuvadhoo, 101 km. Nearest airport: Kadhdhoo Airport (KDO), 18 km. Within 5 km we also list 2 surf spots.
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$1,290–US$2,560 each
about US$1,290–US$2,560 each · 6 nights, 2 sharing: flights, hire car, 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 MLE, estimated from distance and season, changing at IST, full-service airlines, with a hold bag | about US$904–US$1,880 |
| Hire car | 6 days, shared | about US$94–US$154 |
| Food | 7 days eating out | about US$208–US$389 |
| Board and wetsuit | 5 days, or about US$114 to fly your own | about US$87–US$141 |
| Total | about US$1,290–US$2,560 |
No town nearby, so no stay is in it. For 2 people sharing a room. Lessons, lift-pass deals and insurance are extra. Prices from public sources, checked in 2026.
Where to stay: nearest beds 101 km away
No town nearby
Fonadhoo, 21 km away, is the nearest town we list; we have not checked places to stay there. Nearest place to stay we found: Maverick Maldives, Hithadhoo, 1 km. Nearest beds: Kudahuvadhoo, 101 km. Nearest airport: Kadhdhoo Airport (KDO), 18 km.
See places to stay near Kudahuvadhoo, 101 km away · Booking.comGetting there: about 31h 15m
About 31h 15m door to door from Chicago
Fly ORD → MLE, changing at İstanbul Airport (IST), then 4h 30m by road
Flights ORD → MLE on your dates · Skyscanner
An estimate, one way; the journey never changes the score.