.jpg){kind=link}
Shell Island
Surf spot · United States
Is it worth the trip?
48Fair out of 100 for your dates
Best on Fri 6: 3 ft swell at 7 s
Mon 2 · 28 out of 100
- Swell
- 3 ft5 s
- Energy
- 40kJ
- Wind
- NNE 10 kn
- Temp
- 22°C
Tue 3 · 33 out of 100
- Swell
- 3 ft5 s
- Energy
- 37kJ
- Wind
- NE 9 kn
- Temp
- 23°C
Wed 4 · 45 out of 100
- Swell
- 3 ft6 s
- Energy
- 67kJ
- Wind
- ENE 7 kn
- Temp
- 24°C
Thu 5 · 62 out of 100
- Swell
- 4 ft7 s
- Energy
- 155kJ
- Wind
- SSW 1 kn
- Temp
- 26°C
Fri 6 · 66 out of 100
- Swell
- 3 ft7 s
- Energy
- 110kJ
- Wind
- WSW 4 kn
- Temp
- 23°C
Sat 7 · 41 out of 100
- Swell
- 2 ft7 s
- Energy
- 51kJ
- Wind
- NNW 7 kn
- Temp
- 21°C
Sun 8 · 28 out of 100
- Swell
- 2 ft7 s
- Energy
- 28kJ
- Wind
- NNE 4 kn
- Temp
- 21°C
Tap a day for waves, wind and the temperature. Full forecast
Forecast: next 10 days
Full forecast- Sun 132, poor
- Mon 228, too small
- Tue 333, too small
- Wed 445, fair
- Thu 562, good
- Fri 666, good
- Sat 741, too small
- Sun 828, too small
- Mon 915, too small
- Tue 1013, too small
The spot in five facts
- Faces SEtakes swell from the SE
- Offshore: NWwind from the land
- Intermediate +who it suits
- Works 2–10 ftof swell
- Water 19 °C2 mm shorty
Full forecast
every day, every number
The score doesn't know rips, currents, rocks or your skill.
Shell Island 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 | 32, poor | 3 ft5 s4 ft at break (est.) | 55kJ | wind from the north-north-east, 10 knots | 21°C |
| Mon 2Nov | 28, too small | 3 ft5 s3 ft at break (est.) | 40kJ | wind from the north-north-east, 10 knots | 22°C |
| Tue 3Nov | 33, too small | 3 ft5 s3 ft at break (est.) | 37kJ | wind from the north-east, 9 knots | 23°C |
| Wed 4Nov | 45, fair | 3 ft6 s4 ft at break (est.) | 67kJ | wind from the east-north-east, 7 knots | 24°C |
| Thu 5Nov | 62, good | 4 ft7 s6 ft at break (est.) | 155kJ | wind from the south-south-west, 1 knot | 26°C |
| Fri 6Nov | 66, good | 3 ft7 s5 ft at break (est.) | 110kJ | wind from the west-south-west, 4 knots | 23°C |
| Sat 7Nov | 41, too small | 2 ft7 s3 ft at break (est.) | 51kJ | offshorewind from the north-north-west, 7 knots, offshore | 21°C |
| Sun 8Nov | 28, too small | 2 ft7 s3 ft at break (est.) | 28kJ | wind from the north-north-east, 4 knots | 21°C |
| Mon 9Nov | 15, too small | 1 ft7 s2 ft at break (est.) | 17kJ | wind from the east-north-east, 5 knots | 20°C |
| Tue 10Nov | 13, too small | 1 ft8 s2 ft at break (est.) | 14kJ | wind from the west-south-west, 9 knots | 20°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 05:47 −0.6 mHigh 12:11 +0.8 mLow 18:49 −0.6 m
- Mon 2 NovHigh 00:45 +0.5 mLow 07:00 −0.6 mHigh 13:17 +0.8 mLow 19:51 −0.6 m
- Tue 3 NovHigh 01:54 +0.6 mLow 08:10 −0.6 mHigh 14:21 +0.7 mLow 20:48 −0.6 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
- Aug0of 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 Mon 2 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, its town, photos
Shell Island 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.
Photos of Shell Island
More surf near here
5 places
- Mercer Pier 1.1 km away
- Columbia St. 1.8 km away
- Crystal Pier 4 km away
- Masonborough Island 5.1 km away
- South End 5.1 km away
About
the place in full, sources, credits
About Shell Island
Facing, offshore wind, exposure, level and swell range are estimated.
The spot faces SE (123°), so it takes swell from the SE. The wind blows offshore from the NW (303°). It is exposed to the open swell. It suits intermediate surfers and up. It works in 2–10 ft of swell. The sea is about 12°C in February, its coldest month (4/3 or 5/4, boots and gloves), and 28°C in July, its warmest (no wetsuit). The town to stay in is Wrightsville Beach, 2.1 km away (about 5 min by car). Within 5 km we also list 3 surf spots.
Water about 19°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$978–US$1,760 each
about US$978–US$1,760 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 ORD to ILM, estimated from distance and season, 2 airlines on the route, with a hold bag | about US$161–US$335 |
| Taxi | airport and back, shared | about US$27–US$47 |
| 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$978–US$1,760 |
For 2 people sharing a room. Lessons, lift-pass deals and insurance are extra. Prices from public sources, checked in 2026.
Where to stay: 3 towns
4 min by car · 15 places to stay
about US$114/nightcountry average
About Wrightsville Beach its beds, food and every spot near it
- Beds in Carolina Beach on Booking.com
41 min by car · 62 places to stay
- Beds in Kure Beach on Booking.com
49 min by car · 31 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 4h 45m
About 4h 45m door to door from Chicago
Fly ORD → ILM, direct, then 35 min by road
Flights ORD → ILM on your dates · Skyscanner
An estimate, one way; the journey never changes the score.