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Rodanthe
Surf spot · United States
Is it worth the trip?
9Poor out of 100 for your dates
Best on Wed 4: too small (3 ft swell at 6 s), 4 hours of offshore wind, sheltered (estimated): holds up in a blow
Mon 2 · 6 out of 100
- Swell
- 1 ft6 s
- Energy
- 11kJ
- Wind
- NE 12 kn
- Temp
- 19°C
Tue 3 · 9 out of 100
- Swell
- 2 ft5 s
- Energy
- 14kJ
- Wind
- NE 7 kn
- Temp
- 19°C
Wed 4 · 15 out of 100
- Swell
- 3 ft6 s
- Energy
- 42kJ
- Wind
- ENE 7 kn
- Temp
- 21°C
Thu 5 · 10 out of 100
- Swell
- 3 ft7 s
- Energy
- 92kJ
- Wind
- S 12 kn
- Temp
- 21°C
Fri 6 · 7 out of 100
- Swell
- 3 ft7 s
- Energy
- 60kJ
- Wind
- S 11 kn
- Temp
- 20°C
Sat 7 · 1 out of 100
- Swell
- under 1 ft2 s
- Energy
- 0kJ
- Wind
- N 12 kn
- Temp
- 18°C
Sun 8 · 6 out of 100
- Swell
- 2 ft8 s
- Energy
- 23kJ
- Wind
- NNE 7 kn
- Temp
- 18°C
Tap a day for waves, wind and the temperature. Full forecast
Forecast: next 10 days
Full forecast- Sun 18, too small
- Mon 26, too small
- Tue 39, too small
- Wed 415, too small
- Thu 510, too small
- Fri 67, too small
- Sat 71, too small
- Sun 86, too small
- Mon 93, too small
- Tue 101, too small
The spot in five facts
- Faces Wtakes swell from the W
- Offshore: Ewind from the land
- Beginner +who it suits
- Works 5–20 ftof swell
- Water 16 °C3/2 wetsuit
Full forecast
every day, every number
Rodanthe does not suit intermediates. This is the forecast for experts, so you can see what it does.
| Day | Scorefor Expert | Swell | Energy | Wind | Temp |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sun 1Nov | 8, too small | 2 ft7 sunder 1 ft at break (est.) | 26kJ | offshorewind from the north-east, 14 knots, offshore | 17°C |
| Mon 2Nov | 6, too small | 1 ft6 sunder 1 ft at break (est.) | 11kJ | offshorewind from the north-east, 12 knots, offshore | 19°C |
| Tue 3Nov | 9, too small | 2 ft5 sunder 1 ft at break (est.) | 14kJ | offshorewind from the north-east, 7 knots, offshore | 19°C |
| Wed 4Nov | 15, too small | 3 ft6 sunder 1 ft at break (est.) | 42kJ | offshorewind from the east-north-east, 7 knots, offshore | 21°C |
| Thu 5Nov | 10, too small | 3 ft7 sunder 1 ft at break (est.) | 92kJ | wind from the south, 12 knots | 21°C |
| Fri 6Nov | 7, too small | 3 ft7 sunder 1 ft at break (est.) | 60kJ | wind from the south, 11 knots | 20°C |
| Sat 7Nov | 1, too small | under 1 ft2 sunder 1 ft at break (est.) | 0kJ | wind from the north, 12 knots | 18°C |
| Sun 8Nov | 6, too small | 2 ft8 sunder 1 ft at break (est.) | 23kJ | wind from the north-north-east, 7 knots | 18°C |
| Mon 9Nov | 3, too small | 1 ft7 sunder 1 ft at break (est.) | 14kJ | wind from the south-east, 6 knots | 22°C |
| Tue 10Nov | 1, too small | 1 ft7 sunder 1 ft at break (est.) | 12kJ | wind from the west-south-west, 10 knots | 21°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 00:05 +0.2 mLow 05:48 −0.2 mHigh 12:35 +0.4 mLow 19:02 −0.2 m
- Mon 2 NovHigh 01:17 +0.2 mLow 07:03 −0.2 mHigh 13:41 +0.3 mLow 20:01 −0.2 m
- Tue 3 NovHigh 02:25 +0.3 mLow 08:20 −0.2 mHigh 14:45 +0.3 mLow 20:56 −0.2 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
Rodanthe on Google Maps · Directions
Each place wears its best day on these dates, a surf spot for intermediates: 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.
Photos of Rodanthe
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More surf near here
5 places
- Sea Haven 0.6 km away
- Rhodanthe Pier 1.1 km away
- S-Turns 1.6 km away
- New New Inlet 9.8 km away
- Boiler 13.9 km away
About
the place in full, sources, credits
About Rodanthe
Facing, offshore wind, exposure, level and swell range are estimated.
The spot faces W (260°), so it takes swell from the W. The wind blows offshore from the E (80°). It is sheltered to the open swell. It suits beginners and up. It works in 5–20 ft of swell. The sea is about 9°C in February, its coldest month (4/3 or 5/4, boots and gloves), and 27°C in July, its warmest (no wetsuit). The town to stay in is Rodanthe, 0 km away (about 5 min by car). Within 5 km we also list 5 surf spots.
Water about 16°C: 3/2 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$1,100–US$1,960 each
about US$1,100–US$1,960 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 MDW to ORF, estimated from distance and season, 1 airline on the route, with a hold bag | about US$154–US$322 |
| 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$1,100–US$1,960 |
For 2 people sharing a room. Lessons, lift-pass deals and insurance are extra. Prices from public sources, checked in 2026.
Where to stay: 2 towns
1 min by car · 36 places to stay
about US$114/nightcountry average
About Rodanthe its beds, food and every spot near it
- Beds in Waves on Booking.com
5 min by car · 42 places to stay
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 55m
About 6h 55m door to door from Chicago
Fly MDW → ORF, direct, then 3h 05m by road
Flights MDW → ORF on your dates · Skyscanner
An estimate, one way; the journey never changes the score.