Turtle Island, Sierra Leone

No town nearby. No bookable town within 50 km: the nearest, Freetown, is 95 km away. Nearest airport: FNA (FNA), 108 km.

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

About Turtle Island

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

The spot faces W (268°), so it takes swell from the W. The wind blows offshore from the E (88°). It is sheltered to the open swell. It suits intermediate surfers and up. It works in 2–8 ft of swell. The sea is about 27°C in March, its coldest month (no wetsuit), and 29°C in May, its warmest (no wetsuit). For intermediate surfers the best months are usually May, October and November, with about 3 good days in 7; in July and August, about 0. From the weather of past years. No town nearby. No bookable town within 50 km: the nearest, Freetown, is 95 km away. Nearest airport: FNA (FNA), 108 km.

Water about 28°C: no wetsuit. Typical sea temperature for the time of year, not a forecast.

Save this trip A link to come back to, or to send to the group.

Book the trip

From Chicago: about 25 h 40 door to door, one way. An estimate; the journey never changes the score.

Fly. Chicago O'Hare International Airport (ORD) to FNA, changing at John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK) and Mohammed V International Airport (CMN).
See flights ORD → FNA · Skyscanner from about £485 returnAd
Getting there. 2 h 10 from the airport to Turtle Island.
Car hire · Discover CarsAd
Accommodation.
No town nearby
No bookable town within 50 km: the nearest, Freetown, is 95 km away. Nearest airport: FNA (FNA), 108 km.
Hire and lessons.
Surf lessons in Turtle Island · GetYourGuideAd Board and wetsuit hire in Turtle Island · GetYourGuideAd

Everything else for the trip

Where it is

Turtle Island on Google Maps · Directions

Surf spot

The map needs JavaScript. Every place on it is listed on this page, and each place's page links to Google Maps.

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

Forecast

Turtle 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

Forecast and score for intermediate surfers at Turtle Island, each day
Day	Scorefor Intermediate	Swell	Energy	Wind	Temp
Sun 18Oct	29, too small	3 ft7 s	64kJ	wind from the east-north-east, 6 knots, offshore	28°C
Mon 19Oct	34, too small	3 ft8 s	99kJ	wind from the east-south-east, 4 knots, offshore	27°C
Tue 20Oct	34, too small	3 ft12 s	198kJ	wind from the west, 6 knots	27°C
Wed 21Oct	56, good	4 ft10 s	206kJ	wind from the east-south-east, 6 knots, offshore	27°C
Thu 22Oct	46, fair	3 ft9 s	153kJ	wind from the east-north-east, 8 knots, offshore	27°C
Fri 23Oct	44, fair	3 ft8 s	113kJ	wind from the north-east, 5 knots, offshore	28°C
Sat 24Oct	26, too small	3 ft7 s	79kJ	wind from the south-south-west, 5 knots	28°C
Sun 25Oct	27, too small	2 ft7 s	57kJ	wind from the west-south-west, 2 knots	27°C
Mon 26Oct	21, too small	2 ft7 s	31kJ	wind from the west-north-west, 2 knots	28°C
Tue 27Oct	24, too small	2 ft9 s	58kJ	wind from the south, 4 knots	28°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

Mon 19 Oct
Travel out
Fly ORD to FNA, changing at JFK and CMN, then 2h 10 by road. About 25h 40 door to door
Tue 20 Oct
Surf Turtle Island
Best 14:00 to 17:00 local time: 3 ft at 12 s, wind 6 kn (10 km/h).
Wed 21 Oct
Surf Turtle Island
Best 08:00 to 11:00 local time: 4 ft at 10 s, offshore wind.
Thu 22 Oct
Surf Turtle Island
Best 08:00 to 11:00 local time: 3 ft at 9 s, offshore wind.
Fri 23 Oct
Surf Turtle Island
Best 08:00 to 11:00 local time: 3 ft at 8 s, offshore wind.
Sat 24 Oct
Rest day
Nothing worth paddling out for: the best window scores 31 of 80.
Sun 25 Oct
Travel home
Fly ORD to FNA, changing at JFK and CMN, then 2h 10 by road. About 25h 40 door to door

Rough cost

About £810–£1,575 each for 6 nights, 2 people sharing a room. A guide from typical prices, not a quote: check the real prices before you book. No town nearby, so no stay is in it.

Rough cost per person for this trip
What	How we worked it out	Each
Flights	return ORD to FNA, estimated from distance and season, changing at JFK and CMN, full-service airlines, with a hold bag	£485–£1,000
To the UK airport	parking or the train, there and back	£35–£65
Hire car	6 days, shared	£70–£115
Food	7 days eating out	£155–£290
Board and wetsuit	5 days, or about £85 to fly your own	£65–£105
Total		£810–£1,575

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

Book the trip

Getting thereAd

Flights · Skyscanner Car hire · Discover Cars

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.