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Oak Island, United States

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

Also within 20 km of Oak Island

Watch this spot We email you when Oak Island is worth the trip.

Oak Island Water Tower
Oak Island, the nearest town. Photo: User:Dincher, CC BY-SA 3.0, Wikimedia Commons

About Oak Island

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

The spot faces S (193°), so it takes swell from the S. The wind blows offshore from the N (13°). It is sheltered to the open swell. It suits intermediate surfers and up. It works in 3–11 ft of swell. The sea floor shelves very gently: 10 m deep about 3.6 km out (1 in 357). On a typical 5 ft, 11 s swell the waves here would spill softly. The sea is about 11°C in February, 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 months are usually February, September, October and November, with about 1 good days in 7. From the weather of past years. The town to stay in is Oak Island, 0 km away (about 5 min by car).

Water about 23°C: 2 mm shorty. Typical sea temperature for the time of year, not a forecast.

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Book the trip

From Chicago: about 5 h 20 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. 1 h 05 from the airport to Oak Island.

    Car hire · Discover CarsAd

  3. Accommodation.

    Stay in Oak IslandAd

    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 Oak Island · GetYourGuideAdBoard and wetsuit hire in Oak Island · GetYourGuideAd

Everything else for the trip

Where it is

Oak Island on Google Maps · Directions

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One finger scrolls the page; two fingers move the map. Pins are our own positions. Map OpenFreeMap, © OpenMapTiles, data © OpenStreetMap contributors.

Forecast

Oak Island does not suit beginners. This is the forecast for intermediates, so you can see what it does.

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

DayScoreInter­mediateSwellEnergyWindTemp
Sun 18Oct394 ft8 ssoft154kJ19°C
Mon 19Oct584 ft9 ssoft240kJ19°C
Tue 20Oct242 ft9 ssoft81kJ22°C
Wed 21Oct333 ft5 smushy33kJ21°C
Thu 22Oct172 ft6 smushy23kJ20°C
Fri 23Oct122 ft5 smushy10kJ19°C
Sat 24Oct242 ft6 smushy31kJ19°C
Sun 25Oct353 ft8 smushy81kJ21°C
Mon 26Oct483 ft9 ssoft161kJ22°C
Tue 27Oct486 ft9 ssoft507kJ22°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. The word under the swell is the wave's shape, our estimate from the sea floor. 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 1h 05 by road. About 5h 20 door to door

  2. Tue 20 Oct
    Rest day

    Too small: 2 ft at best.

  3. Wed 21 Oct
    Surf Oak Island

    Best 14:00 to 17:00 local time: 3 ft at 5 s, offshore wind.

  4. Thu 22 Oct
    Rest day

    Too small: 2 ft at best.

  5. Fri 23 Oct
    Rest day

    Too small: 2 ft at best.

  6. Sat 24 Oct
    Rest day

    Too small: 2 ft at best.

  7. Sun 25 Oct
    Travel home

    Direct flight ORD to ILM, then 1h 05 by road. About 5h 20 door to door

The plan picks the best of 2 spots near Oak Island each day: Long Beach Chill Spot, Oak Island.

The trip from Oak Island, with every spot near it

Rough cost

About £930–£1,665 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
Hire car6 days, shared£115–£190
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£930–£1,665

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

Places to eat near Oak Island

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.