Surf City Pier, United States
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About Surf City Pier
Facing, offshore wind, exposure, level and swell range are estimated. Facts: verified, surf details estimated.
The spot faces SE (142°), so it takes swell from the SE. The wind blows offshore from the NW (322°). It is exposed to the open swell. It suits intermediate surfers and up. It works in 2–9 ft of swell. The sea floor shelves very gently: 10 m deep about 1.9 km out (1 in 185). On a typical 5 ft, 11 s swell the waves here would spill softly. The sea is about 13°C in February, its coldest month (4/3 wetsuit and boots), and 28°C in July, its warmest (no wetsuit). The town to stay in is Surf City, 0.2 km away (about 5 min by car).
Water about 24°C: no wetsuit. Typical sea temperature for the time of year, not a forecast.
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From Chicago: about 5 h 10 door to door, one way. An estimate; the journey never changes the score.
Fly. Chicago O'Hare International Airport (ORD) to ILM, direct.
See flights ORD → ILM · SkyscannerAdGetting there. 1 h from the airport to Surf City Pier.
Accommodation.
Stay in Surf CityAd
Typical prices for a double room that month, not a quote.
Room photos are examples, not these hotels (credits).
See all places to stay in Surf City (ad) on Booking.com →Closest towns to stay in
Surf City 1 min by car · rooms from £100 a night · 32 places to stay · where Surf City Pier stays
Places to stay in Surf City · Booking.com Ad
Typical prices for a double room that month, not a quote. Drives are estimates.
Hire and lessons.
Surf lessons in Surf City · GetYourGuideAdBoard and wetsuit hire in Surf City · GetYourGuideAd
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Where it is
Surf City Pier on Google Maps · Directions
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Forecast
Surf City Pier 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
| Day | Scorefor Intermediate | Swell | Energy | Wind | Temp |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mon 19Oct | 63, good | 4 ft9 ssoft | 252kJ | offshorewind from the north, 13 knots, offshore | 19°C |
| Tue 20Oct | 41, fair | 3 ft8 ssoft | 101kJ | offshorewind from the north-north-west, 10 knots, offshore | 21°C |
| Wed 21Oct | 30, too small | 2 ft5 smushy | 23kJ | offshorewind from the north, 8 knots, offshore | 20°C |
| Thu 22Oct | 25, too small | 2 ft7 smushy | 35kJ | offshorewind from the north, 7 knots, offshore | 19°C |
| Fri 23Oct | 17, too small | 2 ft4 smushy | 11kJ | wind from the north-north-east, 9 knots | 19°C |
| Sat 24Oct | 17, too small | 3 ft6 smushy | 39kJ | wind from the north-north-east, 13 knots | 18°C |
| Sun 25Oct | 34, poor | 4 ft7 smushy | 127kJ | wind from the north-north-east, 15 knots | 20°C |
| Mon 26Oct | 46, fair | 4 ft6 smushy | 99kJ | wind from the north-north-east, 9 knots | 20°C |
| Tue 27Oct | 66, good | 4 ft8 ssoft | 187kJ | offshorewind from the north-north-west, 6 knots, offshore | 21°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 Tue 20 Oct, leaving from Chicago, for intermediate surfers. Change dates
- Tue 20 OctTravel out
Direct flight ORD to ILM, then 1h by road. About 5h 10 door to door
- Wed 21 OctSurf Surf City Pier
Best 14:00 to 17:00 local time: 2 ft at 5 s, offshore wind.
- Thu 22 OctRest day
Too small: 2 ft at best.
- Fri 23 OctRest day
Too small: 2 ft at best.
- Sat 24 OctRest day
Nothing worth paddling out for: the best window scores 25 of 80.
- Sun 25 OctSurf Surf City Pier
Best 11:00 to 14:00 local time: 4 ft at 7 s, wind 15 kn (28 km/h).
- Mon 26 OctTravel home
Direct flight ORD to ILM, then 1h by road. About 5h 10 door to door
Rough cost
About £880–£1,580 each for 6 nights, 2 people sharing a room. A guide from typical prices, not a quote: check the real prices before you book.
| What | How we worked it out | Each |
|---|---|---|
| Flights | return ORD to ILM, estimated from distance and season, 2 airlines on the route, with a hold bag | £135–£285 |
| To the UK airport | parking or the train, there and back | £35–£65 |
| Taxi | airport and back, shared | £65–£105 |
| Stay | 6 nights, a mid-range double, shared | £270–£455 |
| Food | 7 days eating out | £260–£480 |
| Board and wetsuit | 5 days, or about £85 to fly your own | £115–£190 |
| Total | £880–£1,580 |
Prices from public sources, checked in 2026: where they come from. Lessons, lift-pass deals and insurance are extra.
Places to eat near Surf City
- Indigo MarshAmerican · in the centre
- Highway 55 Burgers Shakes and FriesBurger · 0.1 km from the centre
- Maine Lobstah ShackSeafood · 0.1 km from the centre
- Mainsail Restaurant & BarSeafood · 0.1 km from the centre
- Buddy's Crab House & Oyster BarSeafood · 0.2 km from the centre
- Crab PotSeafood · 0.2 km from the centre
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
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Where to stayAd
Places to stay · Booking.com (ad)Links marked Ad may pay us a small commission if you book. You pay the same price, and it never changes a score.