Is it worth the trip?
34Poor out of 100 for your dates
Best on Mon 9: 8 ft swell at 7 s, 3 hours of offshore wind, sheltered (estimated): holds up in a blow
Tue 3 · 0 out of 100
- Swell
- 12 ft12 s
- Energy
- 3,652kJ
- Wind
- S 23 kn
- Temp
- 9°C
Wed 4 · 43 out of 100
- Swell
- 8 ft8 s
- Energy
- 878kJ
- Wind
- S 8 kn
- Temp
- 8°C
Thu 5 · 20 out of 100
- Swell
- 7 ft8 s
- Energy
- 589kJ
- Wind
- S 14 kn
- Temp
- 9°C
Fri 6 · 44 out of 100
- Swell
- 6 ft7 s
- Energy
- 285kJ
- Wind
- NNW 2 kn
- Temp
- 6°C
Sat 7 · 3 out of 100
- Swell
- 3 ft7 s
- Energy
- 76kJ
- Wind
- SSW 17 kn
- Temp
- 8°C
Sun 8 · 16 out of 100
- Swell
- 7 ft8 s
- Energy
- 698kJ
- Wind
- SW 19 kn
- Temp
- 6°C
Mon 9 · 60 out of 100
- Swell
- 8 ft7 s
- Energy
- 595kJ
- Wind
- NW 7 kn
- Temp
- 4°C
Tap a day for waves, wind and the temperature. Full forecast
Forecast: next 10 days
Full forecast- Tue 30, too big
- Wed 443, poor
- Thu 520, poor
- Fri 644, too small
- Sat 73, too small
- Sun 816, poor
- Mon 960, good
- Tue 1016, too small
- Wed 118, too small
- Thu 1210, too small
The spot in five facts
- Faces Stakes swell from the S
- Offshore: Nwind from the land
- Intermediate +who it suits
- Works 2–10 ftof swell
- Water 7 °C5/4 or 6/5, hood, boots and gloves
Full forecast
every day, every number
The score doesn't know rips, currents, rocks or your skill.
| Day | Score for experts | Swell | Energy | Wind | Temp |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tue 3Nov | 0, too big | 12 ft12 s12 ft at break (est.) | 3,652kJ | wind from the south, 23 knots | 9°C |
| Wed 4Nov | 43, poor | 8 ft8 s8 ft at break (est.) | 878kJ | wind from the south, 8 knots | 8°C |
| Thu 5Nov | 20, poor | 7 ft8 s6 ft at break (est.) | 589kJ | wind from the south, 14 knots | 9°C |
| Fri 6Nov | 44, too small | 6 ft7 s6 ft at break (est.) | 285kJ | offshorewind from the north-north-west, 2 knots, offshore | 6°C |
| Sat 7Nov | 3, too small | 3 ft7 s2 ft at break (est.) | 76kJ | wind from the south-south-west, 17 knots | 8°C |
| Sun 8Nov | 16, poor | 7 ft8 s7 ft at break (est.) | 698kJ | wind from the south-west, 19 knots | 6°C |
| Mon 9Nov | 60, good | 8 ft7 s5 ft at break (est.) | 595kJ | offshorewind from the north-west, 7 knots, offshore | 4°C |
| Tue 10Nov | 16, too small | 4 ft7 s2 ft at break (est.) | 119kJ | offshorewind from the north-north-east, 4 knots, offshore | -2°C |
| Wed 11Nov | 8, too small | 1 ft7 s2 ft at break (est.) | 16kJ | wind from the north-east, 3 knots | 1°C |
| Thu 12Nov | 10, too small | 3 ft8 s4 ft at break (est.) | 73kJ | wind from the west, 9 knots | 7°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
- Tue 3 NovLow 05:24 −0.8 mHigh 12:00 +0.9 mLow 18:31 −0.8 m
- Wed 4 NovHigh 00:46 +0.7 mLow 06:49 −0.8 mHigh 13:16 +1.0 mLow 19:38 −1.0 m
- Thu 5 NovHigh 01:52 +0.9 mLow 07:57 −1.0 mHigh 14:15 +1.1 mLow 20:30 −1.1 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
- Aug1of 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 Wed 4 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
Porlackshöfn 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.
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More surf near here
2 places
- Hafnarfjordur Beach&Reef 38.9 km away
- Grótta 47.6 km away
About
the place in full, sources, credits
About Porlackshöfn
Facing, offshore wind, exposure, level and swell range are estimated.
The spot faces S (162°), so it takes swell from the S. The wind blows offshore from the N (342°). It is sheltered to the open swell. It suits intermediate surfers and up. It works in 2–10 ft of swell. The sea is about 6°C in January, its coldest month (5/4 or 6/5, hood, boots and gloves), and 12°C in July, its warmest (4/3 or 5/4, boots and gloves). The town to stay in is Hafnarfjar Arkaupsta Ur.
Water about 7°C: 5/4 or 6/5, hood, boots and gloves. 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$966–US$1,800 each
about US$966–US$1,800 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 KEF, estimated from distance and season, 2 airlines on the route, with a hold bag | about US$356–US$738 |
| 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$966–US$1,800 |
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
Ad Links marked Ad may pay us if you book. You pay the same, and they never change a score. How we earn
48 min by car · 4 places to stay
About Mosfellsb R its beds, food and every spot near it
- Beds in Reykjavik on Booking.com
49 min by car · 148 places to stay
- Beds in Hafnarfjar Arkaupsta Ur on Booking.com
52 min by car · 18 places to stay
Nearest beds: Hafnarfjar Arkaupsta Ur, 37 km (52 min by car)
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 11h 40m
About 11h 40m door to door from Chicago
Fly ORD → KEF, direct, then 1h 25m by road
Flights ORD → KEF 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.