Smith Island
Surf spot · United States
Is it worth the trip?
4Poor out of 100 for your dates
2 days tie for best
Tue 3 · 3 out of 100
- Swell
- under 1 ft12 s
- Energy
- 6kJ
- Wind
- ESE 0 kn
- Temp
- 10°C
Wed 4 · 1 out of 100
- Swell
- under 1 ft9 s
- Energy
- 1kJ
- Wind
- ESE 10 kn
- Temp
- 11°C
Thu 5 · 3 out of 100
- Swell
- under 1 ft14 s
- Energy
- 7kJ
- Wind
- E 10 kn
- Temp
- 12°C
Fri 6 · 2 out of 100
- Swell
- 1 ft13 s
- Energy
- 21kJ
- Wind
- SSE 16 kn
- Temp
- 11°C
Sat 7 · 5 out of 100
- Swell
- 1 ft12 s
- Energy
- 18kJ
- Wind
- ENE 8 kn
- Temp
- 13°C
Sun 8 · 2 out of 100
- Swell
- 1 ft12 s
- Energy
- 7kJ
- Wind
- WNW 3 kn
- Temp
- 11°C
Mon 9 · 5 out of 100
- Swell
- 1 ft11 s
- Energy
- 12kJ
- Wind
- E 8 kn
- Temp
- 12°C
Tap a day for waves, wind and the temperature. Full forecast
Forecast: next 10 days
Full forecast- Mon 24, too small
- Tue 33, too small
- Wed 41, too small
- Thu 53, too small
- Fri 62, too small
- Sat 75, too small
- Sun 82, too small
- Mon 95, too small
- Tue 102, too small
- Wed 111, too small
The spot in five facts
- Faces Wtakes swell from the W
- Offshore: Ewind from the land
- Beginner +who it suits
- Works 5–20 ftof swell
- Water 9 °C4/3 or 5/4, boots and gloves
Full forecast
every day, every number
Smith Island does not suit intermediates. This is the forecast for experts, so you can see what it does.
| Day | Scorefor Expert | Swell | Energy | Wind | Temp |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mon 2Nov | 4, too small | under 1 ft14 s1 ft at break (est.) | 8kJ | offshorewind from the east, 7 knots, offshore | 9°C |
| Tue 3Nov | 3, too small | under 1 ft12 s1 ft at break (est.) | 6kJ | offshorewind from the east-south-east, 0 knots, offshore | 10°C |
| Wed 4Nov | 1, too small | under 1 ft9 s1 ft at break (est.) | 1kJ | offshorewind from the east-south-east, 10 knots, offshore | 11°C |
| Thu 5Nov | 3, too small | under 1 ft14 s1 ft at break (est.) | 7kJ | offshorewind from the east, 10 knots, offshore | 12°C |
| Fri 6Nov | 2, too small | 1 ft13 s2 ft at break (est.) | 21kJ | wind from the south-south-east, 16 knots | 11°C |
| Sat 7Nov | 5, too small | 1 ft12 s2 ft at break (est.) | 18kJ | offshorewind from the east-north-east, 8 knots, offshore | 13°C |
| Sun 8Nov | 2, too small | 1 ft12 s1 ft at break (est.) | 7kJ | wind from the west-north-west, 3 knots | 11°C |
| Mon 9Nov | 5, too small | 1 ft11 s2 ft at break (est.) | 12kJ | offshorewind from the east, 8 knots, offshore | 12°C |
| Tue 10Nov | 2, too small | 1 ft13 s2 ft at break (est.) | 13kJ | wind from the south-east, 27 knots | 12°C |
| Wed 11Nov | 1, too small | under 1 ft10 s1 ft at break (est.) | 4kJ | wind from the south-east, 25 knots | 10°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 00:43 −1.4 mHigh 07:29 +0.6 mLow 13:34 −0.2 mHigh 18:27 +0.7 m
- Tue 3 NovLow 01:53 −1.2 mHigh 08:25 +0.8 mLow 14:49 −0.5 mHigh 20:02 +0.6 m
- Wed 4 NovLow 02:54 −1.1 mHigh 09:09 +0.9 mLow 15:49 −0.9 mHigh 21:26 +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.
Map
the spot and its town
Smith Island 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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About
the place in full, sources, credits
About Smith Island
Facing, offshore wind, exposure, level and swell range are estimated.
The spot faces W (266°), so it takes swell from the W. The wind blows offshore from the E (86°). It is sheltered to the open swell. It suits beginners and up. It works in 5–20 ft of swell. The sea is about 8°C in January, its coldest month (5/4 or 6/5, hood, boots and gloves), and 12°C in August, its warmest (4/3 or 5/4, boots and gloves). No town nearby. Ault Field, 13 km away, is the nearest town we list; we have not checked places to stay there. Nearest beds: Oak Harbor, 15 km (about 30 min by car). Nearest airport: Friday Harbor Airport (FRD), 26 km.
Water about 9°C: 4/3 or 5/4, 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$892–US$1,650 each
about US$892–US$1,650 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 2 November 2026.
How we worked it out
| What | How we worked it out | Each |
|---|---|---|
| Flights | return MDW to SEA, estimated from distance and season, 1 airline on the route, with a hold bag | about US$248–US$517 |
| Hire car | 6 days, shared | about US$154–US$255 |
| Food | 7 days eating out | about US$342–US$637 |
| Board and wetsuit | 5 days, or about US$114 to fly your own | about US$148–US$242 |
| Total | about US$892–US$1,650 |
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 15 km away
Ad Links marked Ad may pay us if you book. You pay the same, and they never change a score. How we earn
No town nearby
Ault Field, 13 km away, is the nearest town we list; we have not checked places to stay there. Nearest beds: Oak Harbor, 15 km (about 30 min by car). Nearest airport: Friday Harbor Airport (FRD), 26 km.
See places to stay near Oak Harbor, 15 km away · Booking.comGetting there: about 8h 10m
About 8h 10m door to door from Chicago
Fly MDW → SEA, direct, then 2h 10m by road
Flights MDW → SEA on your dates · AviasalesAd
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.