Is it worth the trip?
42Poor out of 100 for your dates
Best on Wed 4: 3 ft swell at 9 s, sheltered (estimated): holds up in a blow
Tue 3 · 54 out of 100
- Swell
- 3 ft9 s
- Energy
- 154kJ
- Wind
- ESE 1 kn
- Temp
- 27°C
Wed 4 · 66 out of 100
- Swell
- 3 ft9 s
- Energy
- 169kJ
- Wind
- ENE 3 kn
- Temp
- 27°C
Thu 5 · 52 out of 100
- Swell
- 3 ft9 s
- Energy
- 107kJ
- Wind
- E 8 kn
- Temp
- 28°C
Fri 6 · 7 out of 100
- Swell
- under 1 ft16 s
- Energy
- 9kJ
- Wind
- ENE 4 kn
- Temp
- 29°C
Sat 7 · 11 out of 100
- Swell
- 1 ft14 s
- Energy
- 18kJ
- Wind
- S 4 kn
- Temp
- 29°C
Sun 8 · 21 out of 100
- Swell
- 1 ft11 s
- Energy
- 44kJ
- Wind
- WSW 4 kn
- Temp
- 29°C
Mon 9 · 28 out of 100
- Swell
- 2 ft8 s
- Energy
- 59kJ
- Wind
- SSW 4 kn
- Temp
- 28°C
Tap a day for waves, wind and the temperature. Full forecast
Forecast: next 9 days
Full forecast- Mon 263, good
- Tue 354, fair
- Wed 466, good
- Thu 552, fair
- Fri 67, too small
- Sat 711, too small
- Sun 821, too small
- Mon 928, too small
- Tue 1026, too small
The spot in six facts
- Faces Wtakes swell from the W
- Offshore: Ewind from the land
- Intermediate +who it suits
- Works 2–8 ftof swell
- Water 29 °Cno wetsuit
- Best May, Oct–Nov3 good days in 7
Full forecast
every day, every number
The score doesn't know rips, currents, rocks or your skill.
Turtle 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mon 2Nov | 63, good | 3 ft9 s2 ft at break (est.) | 151kJ | offshorewind from the north-east, 1 knot, offshore | 27°C |
| Tue 3Nov | 54, fair | 3 ft9 s2 ft at break (est.) | 154kJ | offshorewind from the east-south-east, 1 knot, offshore | 27°C |
| Wed 4Nov | 66, good | 3 ft9 s2 ft at break (est.) | 169kJ | offshorewind from the east-north-east, 3 knots, offshore | 27°C |
| Thu 5Nov | 52, fair | 3 ft9 s2 ft at break (est.) | 107kJ | offshorewind from the east, 8 knots, offshore | 28°C |
| Fri 6Nov | 7, too small | under 1 ft16 s1 ft at break (est.) | 9kJ | offshorewind from the east-north-east, 4 knots, offshore | 29°C |
| Sat 7Nov | 11, too small | 1 ft14 s1 ft at break (est.) | 18kJ | wind from the south, 4 knots | 29°C |
| Sun 8Nov | 21, too small | 1 ft11 s1 ft at break (est.) | 44kJ | wind from the west-south-west, 4 knots | 29°C |
| Mon 9Nov | 28, too small | 2 ft8 s1 ft at break (est.) | 59kJ | wind from the south-south-west, 4 knots | 28°C |
| Tue 10Nov | 26, too small | 2 ft7 sunder 1 ft at break (est.) | 50kJ | wind from the south-west, 2 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
- Mon 2 NovLow 06:04 −0.4 mHigh 12:20 +0.3 mLow 18:12 −0.4 m
- Tue 3 NovHigh 00:56 +0.6 mLow 07:27 −0.5 mHigh 13:42 +0.4 mLow 19:34 −0.4 m
- Wed 4 NovHigh 02:05 +0.6 mLow 08:34 −0.5 mHigh 14:49 +0.5 mLow 20:43 −0.5 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 May, Oct–Nov
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
- May3of 7: a trip from Sat 1 May
- Jun2of 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
- Oct3of 7: a trip from Sat 2 Oct
- Nov3of 7: a trip from Tue 3 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
Turtle 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.
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About
the place in full, sources, credits
About Turtle Island
Facing, offshore wind, exposure, level and swell range are estimated.
The spot faces W (268°), so it takes swell from the W. The wind blows offshore from the E (88°). It is sheltered to the open swell. It suits intermediate surfers and up. It works in 2–8 ft of swell. The sea is about 27°C in March, its coldest month (no wetsuit), and 29°C in May, its warmest (no wetsuit). For intermediate surfers the best months are usually May, October and November, with about 3 good days in 7; in July and August, about 0. From the weather of past years. No town nearby. Mania, 6 km away, is the nearest town we list; we have not checked places to stay there. Nearest beds: Freetown, 95 km. Nearest airport: Lungi International Airport (FNA), 108 km.
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$951–US$1,860 each
about US$951–US$1,860 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 FNA, estimated from distance and season, changing at JFK and CMN, full-service airlines, with a hold bag | about US$543–US$1,130 |
| Hire car | 6 days, shared | about US$100–US$174 |
| Food | 7 days eating out | about US$221–US$415 |
| Board and wetsuit | 5 days, or about US$114 to fly your own | about US$87–US$141 |
| Total | about US$951–US$1,860 |
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 95 km away
No town nearby
Mania, 6 km away, is the nearest town we list; we have not checked places to stay there. Nearest beds: Freetown, 95 km. Nearest airport: Lungi International Airport (FNA), 108 km.
See places to stay near Freetown, 95 km away · Booking.comGetting there: about 25h 40m
About 25h 40m door to door from Chicago
Fly ORD → FNA, changing at John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK) and Mohammed V International Airport (CMN), then 2h 10m by road
Flights ORD → FNA on your dates · Skyscanner
An estimate, one way; the journey never changes the score.