Is it worth the trip?
35Poor out of 100 for your dates
Best on Sat 7: 3 ft swell at 7 s
Mon 2 · 0 out of 100
- Swell
- 6 ft7 s
- Energy
- 315kJ
- Wind
- E 17 kn
- Temp
- 28°C
Tue 3 · 12 out of 100
- Swell
- 5 ft6 s
- Energy
- 225kJ
- Wind
- ENE 6 kn
- Temp
- 27°C
Wed 4 · 39 out of 100
- Swell
- 5 ft6 s
- Energy
- 188kJ
- Wind
- NNE 6 kn
- Temp
- 28°C
Thu 5 · 41 out of 100
- Swell
- 4 ft7 s
- Energy
- 149kJ
- Wind
- N 10 kn
- Temp
- 27°C
Fri 6 · 29 out of 100
- Swell
- 4 ft6 s
- Energy
- 92kJ
- Wind
- NNW 13 kn
- Temp
- 27°C
Sat 7 · 43 out of 100
- Swell
- 3 ft7 s
- Energy
- 66kJ
- Wind
- NNW 4 kn
- Temp
- 27°C
Sun 8 · 41 out of 100
- Swell
- 3 ft7 s
- Energy
- 66kJ
- Wind
- ENE 5 kn
- Temp
- 27°C
Tap a day for waves, wind and the temperature. Full forecast
Forecast: next 10 days
Full forecast- Sun 117, poor
- Mon 20, too big
- Tue 312, poor
- Wed 439, poor
- Thu 541, poor
- Fri 629, poor
- Sat 743, too small
- Sun 841, too small
- Mon 961, good
- Tue 1023, poor
The spot in six facts
- Faces Ntakes swell from the N
- Offshore: Swind from the land
- Intermediate +who it suits
- Works 2–10 ftof swell
- Water 27 °Cno wetsuit
- Best in Sep2 good days in 7
Full forecast
every day, every number
The score doesn't know rips, currents, rocks or your skill.
| Day | Score for intermediates | Swell | Energy | Wind | Temp |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sun 1Nov | 17, poor | 5 ft7 s6 ft at break (est.) | 237kJ | wind from the east-north-east, 12 knots | 28°C |
| Mon 2Nov | 0, too big | 6 ft7 s6 ft at break (est.) | 315kJ | wind from the east, 17 knots | 28°C |
| Tue 3Nov | 12, poor | 5 ft6 s6 ft at break (est.) | 225kJ | wind from the east-north-east, 6 knots | 27°C |
| Wed 4Nov | 39, poor | 5 ft6 s6 ft at break (est.) | 188kJ | wind from the north-north-east, 6 knots | 28°C |
| Thu 5Nov | 41, poor | 4 ft7 s5 ft at break (est.) | 149kJ | wind from the north, 10 knots | 27°C |
| Fri 6Nov | 29, poor | 4 ft6 s5 ft at break (est.) | 92kJ | wind from the north-north-west, 13 knots | 27°C |
| Sat 7Nov | 43, too small | 3 ft7 s3 ft at break (est.) | 66kJ | wind from the north-north-west, 4 knots | 27°C |
| Sun 8Nov | 41, too small | 3 ft7 s3 ft at break (est.) | 66kJ | wind from the east-north-east, 5 knots | 27°C |
| Mon 9Nov | 61, good | 3 ft6 s4 ft at break (est.) | 88kJ | wind from the south-east, 2 knots | 27°C |
| Tue 10Nov | 23, poor | 3 ft7 s3 ft at break (est.) | 84kJ | wind from the west-north-west, 13 knots | 27°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 00:09 +0.3 mLow 06:06 −0.4 mHigh 12:45 +0.6 mLow 19:21 −0.3 m
- Mon 2 NovHigh 01:18 +0.3 mLow 07:18 −0.3 mHigh 13:48 +0.5 mLow 20:19 −0.3 m
- Tue 3 NovHigh 02:24 +0.4 mLow 08:30 −0.3 mHigh 14:48 +0.5 mLow 21:13 −0.3 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 in 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
- 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
- Sep2of 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 and its town
Smugglers Beach 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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More surf near here
1 place
- James Point 6.2 km away
About
the place in full, sources, credits
About Smugglers Beach
Facing, offshore wind, exposure, level and swell range are estimated.
The spot faces N (14°), so it takes swell from the N. The wind blows offshore from the S (194°). 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 24°C in February, its coldest month (no wetsuit), and 30°C in July, its warmest (no wetsuit). For intermediate surfers the best month is usually September, with about 2 good days in 7. From the weather of past years. The town to stay in is Rainbow Bay.
Water about 27°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$1,170–US$2,100 each
about US$1,170–US$2,100 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 NAS, estimated from distance and season, 2 airlines on the route, with a hold bag | about US$208–US$435 |
| Hire car | 6 days, shared | about US$167–US$275 |
| Stay | 6 nights, a mid-range double, shared | about US$328–US$549 |
| Food | 7 days eating out | about US$375–US$697 |
| Board and wetsuit | 5 days, or about US$114 to fly your own | about US$87–US$141 |
| Total | about US$1,170–US$2,100 |
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
2 min by car · 1 place to stay
about US$121/nightcountry average
About Rainbow Bay its beds, food and every spot near it
- Beds in James Cistern on Booking.com
13 min by car · 1 place to stay
Nearest town: Rainbow Bay, 1 km (about 5 min by car)
About US$121 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 9h 05m
About 9h 05m door to door from Chicago
Fly ORD → NAS, direct, then 2h 10m by road
Flights ORD → NAS on your dates · Skyscanner
An estimate, one way; the journey never changes the score.