La Tortue
Surf spot · Saint Barthélemy
Is it worth the trip?
13Poor out of 100 for your dates
Best on Mon 9: 3 ft swell at 8 s, 3 hours of offshore wind
Tue 3 · 9 out of 100
- Swell
- 3 ft5 smushy
- Energy
- 47kJ
- Wind
- ESE 13 kn
- Temp
- 29°C
Wed 4 · 8 out of 100
- Swell
- 2 ft7 smushy
- Energy
- 41kJ
- Wind
- ESE 7 kn
- Temp
- 29°C
Thu 5 · 15 out of 100
- Swell
- 2 ft7 smushy
- Energy
- 47kJ
- Wind
- SSW 7 kn
- Temp
- 29°C
Fri 6 · 12 out of 100
- Swell
- 2 ft8 smushy
- Energy
- 37kJ
- Wind
- WSW 15 kn
- Temp
- 28°C
Sat 7 · 13 out of 100
- Swell
- 2 ft7 smushy
- Energy
- 33kJ
- Wind
- SW 12 kn
- Temp
- 28°C
Sun 8 · 12 out of 100
- Swell
- 2 ft8 smushy
- Energy
- 29kJ
- Wind
- W 8 kn
- Temp
- 28°C
Mon 9 · 18 out of 100
- Swell
- 3 ft8 ssoft
- Energy
- 78kJ
- Wind
- W 2 kn
- Temp
- 28°C
Tap a day for waves, wind and the temperature. Full forecast
Forecast: next 10 days
Full forecast- Mon 24, too small
- Tue 39, too small
- Wed 48, too small
- Thu 515, too small
- Fri 612, too small
- Sat 713, too small
- Sun 812, too small
- Mon 918, too small
- Tue 1023, too small
- Wed 1115, too small
The spot in six facts
- Faces Etakes swell from the E
- Offshore: Wwind from the land
- Intermediate +who it suits
- Works 2–8 ftof swell
- Water 29 °Cno wetsuit
- Best in Oct1 good days in 7
Full forecast
every day, every number
| Day | Score for experts | Swell | Energy | Wind | Temp |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mon 2Nov | 4, too small | 3 ft5 smushy4 ft at break (est.) | 57kJ | wind from the east-south-east, 17 knots | 30°C |
| Tue 3Nov | 9, too small | 3 ft5 smushy4 ft at break (est.) | 47kJ | wind from the east-south-east, 13 knots | 29°C |
| Wed 4Nov | 8, too small | 2 ft7 smushy3 ft at break (est.) | 41kJ | wind from the east-south-east, 7 knots | 29°C |
| Thu 5Nov | 15, too small | 2 ft7 smushy3 ft at break (est.) | 47kJ | offshorewind from the south-south-west, 7 knots, offshore | 29°C |
| Fri 6Nov | 12, too small | 2 ft8 smushy3 ft at break (est.) | 37kJ | offshorewind from the west-south-west, 15 knots, offshore | 28°C |
| Sat 7Nov | 13, too small | 2 ft7 smushy3 ft at break (est.) | 33kJ | offshorewind from the south-west, 12 knots, offshore | 28°C |
| Sun 8Nov | 12, too small | 2 ft8 smushy2 ft at break (est.) | 29kJ | offshorewind from the west, 8 knots, offshore | 28°C |
| Mon 9Nov | 18, too small | 3 ft8 ssoft4 ft at break (est.) | 78kJ | offshorewind from the west, 2 knots, offshore | 28°C |
| Tue 10Nov | 23, too small | 3 ft8 smushy4 ft at break (est.) | 87kJ | wind from the north-east, 1 knot | 28°C |
| Wed 11Nov | 15, too small | 3 ft8 smushy4 ft at break (est.) | 82kJ | wind from the east, 7 knots | 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
- Mon 2 NovLow 06:34 −0.1 mHigh 14:58 +0.2 mLow 22:18 +0.0 m
- Tue 3 NovHigh 01:21 +0.0 mLow 07:50 −0.1 mHigh 15:28 +0.1 mLow 22:07 +0.0 m
- Wed 4 NovHigh 03:18 +0.1 mLow 09:13 −0.0 mHigh 15:48 +0.1 mLow 22:18 −0.0 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 Oct
Good days in a typical week, each month, for intermediate surfers, from 2016 on (history scored the same way).
- Jan0of 7: a trip from Sat 2 Jan
- Feb0of 7: a trip from Sat 6 Feb
- Mar0of 7: a trip from Sat 6 Mar
- Apr0of 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
- Sep0of 7: a trip from Sat 4 Sept
- Oct1of 7: a trip from Sat 2 Oct
- Nov0of 7: a trip from Tue 3 Nov
- Dec0of 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
La Tortue on Google Maps · Directions
Each place wears its best day on these dates, a surf spot for experts: 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.
More surf near here
5 places
- point milou 1.3 km away
- Lorient 1.8 km away
- Toiny 2.8 km away
- Kawa 3.1 km away
- The Ledge 3.2 km away
About
the place in full, sources, credits
About La Tortue
Facing, offshore wind, exposure, level and swell range are estimated.
The spot faces E (72°), so it takes swell from the E. The wind blows offshore from the W (252°). It is exposed to the open swell. It suits intermediate surfers and up. It works in 2–8 ft of swell. The sea floor shelves very gently: 10 m deep about 1.5 km out (1 in 152). On a typical 5 ft, 11 s swell the waves here would spill softly. The sea is about 26°C in March, its coldest month (no wetsuit), and 29°C in July, its warmest (no wetsuit). For intermediate surfers the best month is usually October, with about 1 good days in 7. From the weather of past years. The town to stay in is Gustavia, 6.2 km away (about 15 min by car). Within 5 km we also list 9 surf spots and 1 wind sports spot.
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$899–US$1,660 each
about US$899–US$1,660 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 2 November 2026.
How we worked it out
| What | How we worked it out | Each |
|---|---|---|
| Flights | return ORD to SXM, estimated from distance and season, 2 airlines on the route, with a hold bag | about US$289–US$604 |
| Hire car | 6 days, shared | about US$101–US$174 |
| Stay | 6 nights, a mid-range double, shared | about US$201–US$329 |
| Food | 7 days eating out | about US$221–US$416 |
| Board and wetsuit | 5 days, or about US$114 to fly your own | about US$87–US$141 |
| Total | about US$899–US$1,660 |
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
Ad Links marked Ad may pay us if you book. You pay the same, and they never change a score. How we earn
about 10 min by car · 28 places to stay
About Anse des Cayes its beds, food and every spot near it
- Beds in Gustavia on Booking.com
about 15 min by car · 20 places to stay
Drives are estimates. Prices are about, in US Dollar (USD): our pound figures at the European Central Bank's rate of 2 November 2026.
Getting there: about 9h 40m
About 9h 40m door to door from Chicago
Fly ORD → SXM, direct, then 55 min by road
Flights ORD → SXM on your dates · AviasalesAdeSIM for your phone · Search on AiraloAd
An estimate, one way; the journey never changes the score.
In the water
Saved: this link opens the same trip
The link holds the trip itself: nothing about you is kept. Check the forecast again before you book.