Is it worth the trip?
46Fair out of 100 for your dates
Best on Sun 8: 3 ft swell at 7 s
Tue 3 · 9 out of 100
- Swell
- 6 ft6 s
- Energy
- 214kJ
- Wind
- ENE 9 kn
- Temp
- 27°C
Wed 4 · 23 out of 100
- Swell
- 5 ft6 s
- Energy
- 182kJ
- Wind
- NE 11 kn
- Temp
- 28°C
Thu 5 · 43 out of 100
- Swell
- 4 ft6 s
- Energy
- 110kJ
- Wind
- N 9 kn
- Temp
- 27°C
Fri 6 · 22 out of 100
- Swell
- 5 ft7 s
- Energy
- 182kJ
- Wind
- N 12 kn
- Temp
- 27°C
Sat 7 · 37 out of 100
- Swell
- 4 ft7 s
- Energy
- 117kJ
- Wind
- N 11 kn
- Temp
- 27°C
Sun 8 · 71 out of 100
- Swell
- 3 ft7 s
- Energy
- 108kJ
- Wind
- N 2 kn
- Temp
- 27°C
Mon 9 · 64 out of 100
- Swell
- 3 ft8 s
- Energy
- 106kJ
- Wind
- ESE 2 kn
- Temp
- 27°C
Tap a day for waves, wind and the temperature. Full forecast
Forecast: next 10 days
Full forecast- Mon 20, too big
- Tue 39, poor
- Wed 423, poor
- Thu 543, poor
- Fri 622, poor
- Sat 737, poor
- Sun 871, good
- Mon 964, good
- Tue 1012, poor
- Wed 1118, 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.
Smugglers Beach 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 | 0, too big | 6 ft7 s7 ft at break (est.) | 316kJ | wind from the east, 19 knots | 28°C |
| Tue 3Nov | 9, poor | 6 ft6 s6 ft at break (est.) | 214kJ | wind from the east-north-east, 9 knots | 27°C |
| Wed 4Nov | 23, poor | 5 ft6 s6 ft at break (est.) | 182kJ | wind from the north-east, 11 knots | 28°C |
| Thu 5Nov | 43, poor | 4 ft6 s5 ft at break (est.) | 110kJ | wind from the north, 9 knots | 27°C |
| Fri 6Nov | 22, poor | 5 ft7 s6 ft at break (est.) | 182kJ | wind from the north, 12 knots | 27°C |
| Sat 7Nov | 37, poor | 4 ft7 s5 ft at break (est.) | 117kJ | wind from the north, 11 knots | 27°C |
| Sun 8Nov | 71, good | 3 ft7 s4 ft at break (est.) | 108kJ | wind from the north, 2 knots | 27°C |
| Mon 9Nov | 64, good | 3 ft8 s4 ft at break (est.) | 106kJ | wind from the east-south-east, 2 knots | 27°C |
| Tue 10Nov | 12, poor | 3 ft6 s4 ft at break (est.) | 65kJ | wind from the north-north-east, 16 knots | 26°C |
| Wed 11Nov | 18, poor | 3 ft6 s4 ft at break (est.) | 52kJ | wind from the north-east, 13 knots | 25°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 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
- Wed 4 NovHigh 03:26 +0.4 mLow 09:38 −0.3 mHigh 15:46 +0.4 mLow 22:03 −0.4 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 Tue 3 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 beginners: 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 2 November 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$436 |
| Hire car | 6 days, shared | about US$168–US$275 |
| Stay | 6 nights, a mid-range double, shared | about US$329–US$550 |
| Food | 7 days eating out | about US$376–US$698 |
| 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
Ad Links marked Ad may pay us if you book. You pay the same, and they never change a score. How we earn
about 5 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
about 15 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 2 November 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 · 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.