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Fort Fisher, United States

Stay in Kure Beach: see the trip Its beds, the way there and every spot near it.

Also within 20 km of Kure Beach

Watch this spot We email you when Fort Fisher is worth the trip.

Kure Beach NC
Kure Beach, the nearest town, 3 km away. Photo: Alexisrael, CC BY-SA 3.0, Wikimedia Commons

About Fort Fisher

Facing, offshore wind, exposure, level and swell range are estimated. Facts: verified, surf details estimated.

The spot faces E (111°), so it takes swell from the E. The wind blows offshore from the W (291°). It is exposed to the open swell. It suits intermediate surfers and up. It works in 2–9 ft of swell. The sea is about 12°C in January, its coldest month (4/3 or 5/4, boots and gloves), and 28°C in July, its warmest (no wetsuit). For intermediate surfers the best month is usually September, with about 1 good days in 7. From the weather of past years. The town to stay in is Kure Beach, 2.6 km away (about 5 min by car). Within 5 km we also list 4 surf spots.

Water about 24°C: no wetsuit. Typical sea temperature for the time of year, not a forecast.

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Book the trip

From Chicago: about 5 h 05 door to door, one way. An estimate; the journey never changes the score.

  1. Fly. Chicago O'Hare International Airport (ORD) to ILM, direct.

    See flights ORD → ILM · Skyscanner from about £135 returnAd

  2. Getting there. 50 min from the airport to Fort Fisher.

    Car hire · Discover CarsAd

  3. Accommodation.

    Stay in Kure BeachAd

    Typical prices for a double room that month, not a quote.

    Room photos are examples, not these hotels (credits).

    See all places to stay on Booking.com →

    Closest towns to stay in

    Typical prices for a double room that month, not a quote. Drives are estimates.

  4. Hire and lessons.

    Surf lessons in Kure Beach · GetYourGuideAdBoard and wetsuit hire in Kure Beach · GetYourGuideAd

Everything else for the trip

Where it is

Fort Fisher on Google Maps · Directions

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Forecast

The score for intermediates, coloured as on the area pages:GoodFairPoorToo bigToo small

DayScoreSwellEnergyWindTemp
Sun 18Oct294 ft9 s226kJ18°C
Mon 19Oct375 ft8 s342kJ19°C
Tue 20Oct444 ft8 s155kJ22°C
Wed 21Oct413 ft5 s46kJ21°C
Thu 22Oct473 ft7 s87kJ19°C
Fri 23Oct152 ft8 s34kJ19°C
Sat 24Oct143 ft6 s55kJ17°C
Sun 25Oct223 ft7 s100kJ18°C
Mon 26Oct384 ft7 s183kJ20°C
Tue 27Oct07 ft9 s712kJ18°C

Day scores here are the conditions out of 80; a trip's score on the results is the same conditions out of 100. The journey never scores. The forecast reaches about 10 days. Energy is the swell's power in kJ per metre of wave, from its height and interval: it grows with the square of each, so a long-period swell hits far harder than a short one the same size. Wind is in knots: 10 kn is about 19 km/h. The arrow points where the wind blows to; offshore wind, blowing from the land out to sea, is green and says so.

Your trip, day by day

6 nights from Mon 19 Oct, leaving from Chicago, for intermediate surfers. Change dates

  1. Mon 19 Oct
    Travel out

    Direct flight ORD to ILM, then 50 min by road. About 5h 05 door to door

  2. Tue 20 Oct
    Surf Fort Fisher

    Best 08:00 to 11:00 local time: 4 ft at 8 s, wind 9 kn (17 km/h).

  3. Wed 21 Oct
    Surf Fort Fisher

    Best 14:00 to 17:00 local time: 3 ft at 5 s, wind 7 kn (13 km/h).

  4. Thu 22 Oct
    Surf Fort Fisher

    Best 08:00 to 11:00 local time: 3 ft at 7 s, wind 7 kn (12 km/h).

  5. Fri 23 Oct
    Rest day

    Too small: 2 ft at best.

  6. Sat 24 Oct
    Rest day

    Nothing worth paddling out for: the best window scores 30 of 80.

  7. Sun 25 Oct
    Travel home

    Direct flight ORD to ILM, then 50 min by road. About 5h 05 door to door

The plan picks the best of 4 spots near Kure Beach each day: Fort Fisher, Sand Stone, Shit Pipe, The Cove.

The trip from Kure Beach, with every spot near it

Rough cost

About £865–£1,560 each for 6 nights, 2 people sharing a room. A guide from typical prices, not a quote: check the real prices before you book.

WhatHow we worked it outEach
Flightsreturn ORD to ILM, estimated from distance and season, 2 airlines on the route, with a hold bag£135–£285
To the UK airportparking or the train, there and back£35–£65
Taxiairport and back, shared£50–£85
Stay6 nights, a mid-range double, shared£270–£455
Food7 days eating out£260–£480
Board and wetsuit5 days, or about £85 to fly your own£115–£190
Total£865–£1,560

Prices from public sources, checked in 2026: where they come from. Lessons, lift-pass deals and insurance are extra.

Places to eat near Kure Beach

Within 2 km of the town centre, listed by how complete the listing is (website, opening hours, cuisine) and whether two sources name it. Not a judgement of the food: we have no reviews. Listings © OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL) and Overture Maps Foundation. Credits

Book the trip

Getting thereAd

Flights · Skyscanner Car hire · Discover Cars

Where to stayAd

Places to stay · Booking.com

In the waterAd

Surf lessons · GetYourGuide Board and wetsuit hire · GetYourGuide

Links marked Ad may pay us a small commission if you book. You pay the same price, and it never changes a score.