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Which seas and ferry crossings are roughest in October

Of the 202 seas and ferry routes on this site, 66 sit at rough or roughest in October and 29 are calm. 39 are at the hardest level they reach in any month of the year. Against September, 83 step up a level and 21 step down.

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Every water ranked for October

Each level below is the one that water carries for October on its own page. It describes the typical pattern of the month, not a forecast for your sailing date. A water marked as its own worst is at the hardest level it reaches in any month of the year.

Roughest in October: 5 of 202

This water at its hardest. These are the months its reputation comes from, and the ones passengers write about afterwards.

Seas and ferry routes rated roughest in October
Sea or routeWhat drives itRest of its year
Bering SeaSea area, Alaska. Worst level of its year.Aleutian Low storms over a wide deep basinvery high
Cook StraitSea area, New Zealand. Worst level of its year.Wind against a 5-knot tidal streamhigh
Drake PassageSea area, Southern Ocean. Worst level of its year.No land to stop wind, swell or currentvery high
Lake MichiganSea area, US Midwest. Worst level of its year.Long fetch under autumn galeshigh
Wellington to PictonFerry route, Australia and New Zealand. Worst level of its year.75 exposed minutes in a wind funnelhigh

Rough in October: 61 of 202

The difficult half of this water's year. Calm days still happen, but bad ones are common enough to plan around.

Seas and ferry routes rated rough in October
Sea or routeWhat drives itRest of its year
Aberdeen to LerwickFerry route, UK and Ireland216 miles up the open northern North Seahigh
Backstairs PassageSea area, South Australia. Worst level of its year.Narrow tidal channel, Southern Ocean windhigh
Barents SeaSea area, Arctic NorwayOpen Arctic water, winter polar lowshigh
Bass StraitSea area, Southern AustraliaOcean swell shortening over a 60 m shelfhigh
Bay of BiscaySea area, North-east AtlanticAtlantic swell over a shoaling shelfhigh
Bluff to Oban (Stewart Island)Ferry route, Australia and New ZealandRoaring Forties swell over a shallow seawayvery high
Cabot StraitSea area, Atlantic CanadaAtlantic storm track across an open gulf mouthhigh
Caribbean SeaSea area, Caribbean. Worst level of its year.Trade winds, winter surges and hurricane seasonmoderate
Copenhagen to OsloFerry route, Northern Europe. Worst level of its year.Sheltered start, open Skagerrak in the nightmoderate
East China SeaSea area, Southern Japan. Worst level of its year.Typhoons and fronts over a shallow seahigh
Foveaux StraitSea area, Southern New ZealandRoaring Forties swell over a shallow seawayvery high
Geelong to Devonport (Spirit of Tasmania)Ferry route, Australia and New ZealandOcean swell shortening over a 60 m shelfhigh
German BightSea area, North Sea coast of GermanyShallow open bight with tidal channelshigh
Gills Bay to St Margaret's HopeFerry route, UK and IrelandStraight across the world's fastest tidal streamsvery high
Great Australian BightSea area, Southern AustraliaSouthern Ocean swell with unlimited fetchhigh
Gulf of AlaskaSea area, North PacificAleutian Low storms, no island shelterhigh
Gulf of FinlandSea area, Finland and Estonia. Worst level of its year.Narrow gulf, wind along its axismoderate
Gulf of MexicoSea area, North America. Worst level of its year.Winter northers behind cold frontsmoderate
Gulf of St. LawrenceSea area, Eastern CanadaOpen gulf, autumn wind waves, winter icehigh
Harwich to Hook of HollandFerry route, UK and IrelandThe shallowest water on the North Sea ferry maphigh
Hauraki GulfSea area, New Zealand. Worst level of its year.Protected gulf, exposed to north windsmoderate
Hecate StraitSea area, British ColumbiaShallow strait, steep wind waves, southeast galesvery high
Hirtshals to KristiansandFerry route, Northern Europe. Worst level of its year.North Sea swell funnelled into the Skagerrakmoderate
Hirtshals to LarvikFerry route, Northern Europe. Worst level of its year.The longer diagonal across the open Skagerrakmoderate
Hirtshals to TorshavnFerry route, Northern EuropeA day and a half into the open North Atlantichigh
Hull to RotterdamFerry route, UK and IrelandOvernight across the shallow southern basinhigh
KattegatSea area, Denmark and Sweden. Worst level of its year.Shallow sea with tiny tidesmoderate
Lake ErieSea area, Great Lakes (Ohio and Ontario). Worst level of its year.Shallow lake, seas build fasthigh
Lake HuronSea area, Great Lakes (Ontario and Michigan). Worst level of its year.Open fetch, winds from any quarterhigh
Lake SuperiorSea area, Great Lakes (Michigan, Minnesota, Wisconsin and Ontario)Huge fetch over deep waterhigh
Maizuru to OtaruFerry route, AsiaA day at sea along the winter monsoon's fetchhigh
Moreton BaySea area, Brisbane, Australia. Worst level of its year.Shallow bay behind sand islands, wind chopmoderate
Newcastle to AmsterdamFerry route, UK and IrelandA full night across the open middlehigh
Niigata to OtaruFerry route, AsiaThe shorter Hokkaido run, same winter seahigh
Niigata to Ryotsu (Sado Island)Ferry route, AsiaA short hop open to the winter seahigh
North SeaSea area, North-west EuropeShallow basin, short steep wind chophigh
North Sydney to ArgentiaFerry route, North AmericaThe long way to Newfoundland, more Atlantic in ithigh
North Sydney to Port aux BasquesFerry route, North AmericaThe Atlantic storm track's ferry crossinghigh
Oslo to KielFerry route, Northern Europe. Worst level of its year.Big ships, one open strait in the middlemoderate
Pentland FirthSea area, Northern ScotlandTidal races, not wind-driven wavesvery high
Penzance to St Mary's (Isles of Scilly)Ferry route, UK and Ireland. Worst level of its year.Open Atlantic swell met by a flat-bottomed hullhigh
Plymouth to SantanderFerry route, UK and IrelandThe short cut that still crosses all of Biscayhigh
Portsmouth to BilbaoFerry route, UK and IrelandA long offshore middle over open Biscayhigh
Portsmouth to SantanderFerry route, UK and IrelandAtlantic swell over a shoaling shelfhigh
Resurrection BaySea area, Southcentral Alaska. Worst level of its year.Sheltered fjord, open Gulf of Alaska swell beyondmoderate
Rosslare to CherbourgFerry route, UK and Ireland. Worst level of its year.Open Celtic Sea with full Atlantic fetchhigh
Scrabster to StromnessFerry route, UK and IrelandTidal races, not wind-driven wavesvery high
Sea of JapanSea area, East AsiaWinter monsoon over a long open fetchhigh
Sea of the HebridesSea area, West coast of ScotlandPartly sheltered sea with Atlantic storms in winterhigh
Seto Inland SeaSea area, Western Japan. Worst level of its year.Sheltered inland sea, strong tidal straitsmoderate
SkagerrakSea area, Scandinavia. Worst level of its year.North Sea swell funneled into a narrowing straitmoderate
Strait of MagellanSea area, Southern Chile. Worst level of its year.Narrows, strong tide and windhigh
Taiwan StraitSea area, TaiwanNortheast monsoon over a shallow straithigh
Tasman SeaSea area, South-west Pacific2,000 km of unbroken westerly fetchhigh
The MinchSea area, North-west Scotland. Worst level of its year.Atlantic swell down an open northern doormoderate
Torshavn to SeydisfjordurFerry route, Northern EuropeHigh-latitude open ocean, the Iceland leghigh
Uig to Lochmaddy (North Uist)Ferry route, UK and Ireland. Worst level of its year.The Uist leg of the Little Minch trianglemoderate
Uig to Tarbert (Harris)Ferry route, UK and Ireland. Worst level of its year.The Little Minch's open crossing to Harrismoderate
Ullapool to StornowayFerry route, UK and Ireland. Worst level of its year.Atlantic swell down an open northern doormoderate
VestfjordenSea area, Northern NorwayOpen bight of sea with strong tidal eddieshigh
Wadden SeaSea area, Netherlands, Germany and Denmark. Worst level of its year.Sheltered tidal flats, wind-driven chopmoderate

Mixed in October: 107 of 202

It depends on the week. Settled weather gives an easy passage here, an approaching front gives an uncomfortable one.

Seas and ferry routes rated mixed in October
Sea or routeWhat drives itRest of its year
Adriatic SeaSea area, Central MediterraneanKatabatic bora gusts off the Dinaric Alpsmoderate
Aegean SeaSea area, Eastern MediterraneanSummer meltemi funnelled down the Aegeanmoderate
Algeciras to CeutaFerry route, Southern EuropeThe sheltered-side shortcutmoderate
Algeciras to Tanger MedFerry route, Southern EuropeThe strait's big-ship crossingmoderate
Ancona to IgoumenitsaFerry route, Southern EuropeRunning the whole Adriatic, north to southmoderate
Ancona to SplitFerry route, Southern EuropeOvernight across the open central Adriaticmoderate
Andaman SeaSea area, Thailand and the Andaman IslandsMonsoon winds over deep open watermoderate
Balearic SeaSea area, SpainShort fetch, northerly storms and frontsmoderate
Bali (Padangbai) to Gili TrawanganFerry route, AsiaDeep strait currents under small fast boatshigh
Baltic SeaSea area, Northern EuropeShort steep chop, no ocean swellmoderate
Bar Harbor to Yarmouth (The CAT)Ferry route, North AmericaOpen Gulf of Maine at catamaran speedmoderate
Barcelona to Palma de MallorcaFerry route, Southern EuropeTramontana and mistral chop on an open crossingmoderate
Bari to DubrovnikFerry route, Southern EuropeThe deep southern Adriatic basinmoderate
Bay of FundySea area, New Brunswick and Nova ScotiaRecord tides, swell against the ebb at Digby Gutmoderate
Bay of NaplesSea area, Southern ItalyWest-facing bay, autumn and winter stormsmoderate
Block Island SoundSea area, Rhode Island, Connecticut and New YorkOpen to the Atlantic, southerly fetchmoderate
Bristol ChannelSea area, South-west England and WalesAtlantic swell and a 13 m tidal rangehigh
Buenos Aires to Colonia del SacramentoFerry route, Caribbean and Latin America. Worst level of its year.A shallow brown-water estuary with one bad windlow
Busan to Hakata (Fukuoka)Ferry route, AsiaThe overnight strait, after the fast craft eramoderate
Busan to OsakaFerry route, AsiaOne open strait, then Japan's inland seamoderate
Busan to ShimonosekiFerry route, AsiaThe historic overnight run across the straitmoderate
Cairnryan to BelfastFerry route, UK and IrelandAtlantic weather funnelled through the North Channelmoderate
Cape May to LewesFerry route, North America. Worst level of its year.Where Atlantic swell meets the estuarymoderate
Celtic SeaSea area, Between Ireland, Cornwall and BrittanyOpen Atlantic swell over a shelf seahigh
Chumphon to Koh TaoFerry route, AsiaGulf chop on the opposite monsoon calendarmoderate
Civitavecchia to OlbiaFerry route, Southern EuropeOpen Tyrrhenian in the mistral's throwmoderate
Coral SeaSea area, South-west PacificTrade-wind chop behind a reef screenmoderate
Delaware BaySea area, New Jersey and DelawareOpen bay, long fetch and strong currentsmoderate
Denia to IbizaFerry route, Southern EuropeFast catamarans on an open Balearic hopmoderate
Dover to CalaisFerry route, UK and IrelandShallow strait, wind against tidemoderate
Dover to DunkirkFerry route, UK and IrelandShallow strait, wind against tidemoderate
English ChannelSea area, North-west EuropeShallow strait, wind against tidemoderate
Fishguard to RosslareFerry route, UK and IrelandStrong tides meeting open Celtic Sea swellmoderate
Fort Lauderdale to BiminiFerry route, North AmericaWind against the Gulf Stream's currentmoderate
Fort Myers Beach to Key West (Key West Express)Ferry route, North AmericaA long open-Gulf run at speedmoderate
Galway BaySea area, West of IrelandAtlantic swell entering through the Aran soundsmoderate
Gulf of CaliforniaSea area, MexicoLong, deep gulf, brief chubasco stormsmoderate
Gulf of LionSea area, Western MediterraneanMistral funnelled down the Rhรดne valleyhigh
Gulf of MaineSea area, Maine and Nova ScotiaOpen Atlantic gulf, winter gales on a long fetchhigh
Gulf of PenasSea area, Chilean PatagoniaOpen Pacific, westerly stormsvery high
Gulf of Saint-MaloSea area, Between Brittany, Normandy and the Channel IslandsHuge tides and island reefs in the western Channelmoderate
Gulf of SalernoSea area, Amalfi Coast, ItalyWide open Tyrrhenian mouth, winter stormsmoderate
Helsinki to TallinnFerry route, Northern Europe. Worst level of its year.A short hop on outsized shipslow
Heysham to DouglasFerry route, UK and IrelandThe year-round workhorse across open watermoderate
Holyhead to DublinFerry route, UK and IrelandWind against strong tidal streamsmoderate
Hong Kong to MacauFerry route, AsiaAn estuary that opens to the South China Seamoderate
Hyannis to NantucketFerry route, North AmericaShallow sound chop under fast catamaransmoderate
Inside PassageSea area, North Pacific. Worst level of its year.Island shelter, except at its open crossingsmoderate
Ionian SeaSea area, Western Greece and southern ItalyWinter southerlies over deep open watermoderate
Irish SeaSea area, British IslesWind against strong tidal streamsmoderate
Jeju StraitSea area, South KoreaWinter wind over a strait between two seashigh
Korea StraitSea area, East AsiaMonsoon chop over a shallow shelfmoderate
Ligurian SeaSea area, North-west Italy and CorsicaMistral and Gulf of Genoa lows over deep watermoderate
Liverpool to BelfastFerry route, UK and IrelandThe long diagonal of the Irish Seamoderate
Liverpool to DouglasFerry route, UK and IrelandOpen Irish Sea, two very different hullsmoderate
Long Beach to Catalina IslandFerry route, North AmericaPacific ground swell under fast hullsmoderate
Long Island SoundSea area, New York and ConnecticutSheltered sound, long east-west fetchmoderate
Malta ChannelSea area, Central MediterraneanOpen channel exposed to north-westerly galesmoderate
Marseille to AjaccioFerry route, Southern EuropeMistral funnelled down the Rhone valleyhigh
Mediterranean SeaSea area, MediterraneanMistral in the west, meltemi in the Aegeanmoderate
Mona PassageSea area, CaribbeanTidal current forced over shallow banksmoderate
Monterey BaySea area, Central CaliforniaWinter storms and swell in an open bightmoderate
Mykonos to SantoriniFerry route, Southern EuropeBeam-on to the meltemi in small fast crafthigh
Nantucket SoundSea area, Cape Cod, Massachusetts. Worst level of its year.Winter gales over shoal-filled watermoderate
Naples to CapriFerry route, Southern Europe. Worst level of its year.Small fast hulls on an open bay approachmoderate
Naples to PalermoFerry route, Southern EuropeA full-length open Tyrrhenian nightmoderate
Newhaven to DieppeFerry route, UK and IrelandOpen mid-Channel, longer in the swellmoderate
Nice to BastiaFerry route, Southern EuropeOpen Ligurian Sea on fast hullsmoderate
Norwegian SeaSea area, Northern EuropeOcean swell at unsheltered capeshigh
Pearl River EstuarySea area, Southern ChinaShallow estuary, monsoon wind and typhoonsmoderate
Pembroke to RosslareFerry route, UK and IrelandThe longer diagonal across St George's Channelmoderate
Phuket to Koh Phi PhiFerry route, AsiaA 45 km open Andaman crossing with two seasonsmoderate
Piraeus to Heraklion (Crete)Ferry route, Southern EuropeThe full meltemi fetch, slept through on big shipsmoderate
Piraeus to MykonosFerry route, Southern EuropeOpen central Aegean in the meltemi's lanemoderate
Piraeus to SantoriniFerry route, Southern EuropeThe long run down the meltemi's fetchmoderate
Playa del Carmen to CozumelFerry route, Caribbean and Latin AmericaWind against the Yucatan currentmoderate
Plymouth to RoscoffFerry route, UK and IrelandThe Channel's open Atlantic doorwaymoderate
Point Judith to Block IslandFerry route, North AmericaA short hop open to Atlantic swellmoderate
Poole to CherbourgFerry route, UK and IrelandOpen mid-Channel on the beammoderate
Port Angeles to Victoria (MV Coho)Ferry route, North AmericaStraight across the Pacific's doorwaymoderate
Portsmouth to CaenFerry route, UK and IrelandLong open leg across the central Channelmoderate
Portsmouth to St MaloFerry route, UK and IrelandThe longest Channel crossing, slept throughmoderate
Prince William SoundSea area, South-central AlaskaSheltered fjords, Gulf swell at the entrancemoderate
Rottnest ChannelSea area, Western AustraliaOpen-shelf swell, summer sea breezemoderate
Saint John to Digby (Fundy Rose)Ferry route, North America. Worst level of its year.The world's biggest tides, mostly behavingmoderate
Salish SeaSea area, North Pacific. Worst level of its year.Mountain-sheltered basins, one strait open to the Pacificmoderate
San Juan to Santo DomingoFerry route, Caribbean and Latin AmericaThe Caribbean's trickiest passage, overnightmoderate
Saronic GulfSea area, Athens, GreeceSummer meltemi, partly sheltered by Atticamoderate
Sea of ร…landSea area, Sweden and the ร…land IslandsDeep basin joined to the open Balticmoderate
Seattle to Victoria (Victoria Clipper)Ferry route, North AmericaTwo sheltered hours, one open straitmoderate
Split to HvarFerry route, Southern EuropeIsland-sheltered channel, bora-day exceptionmoderate
St George's ChannelSea area, Wales and IrelandChannel linking the Celtic Sea and the Irish Seahigh
Stockholm to HelsinkiFerry route, Northern EuropeArchipelago shelter, one open Baltic gapmoderate
Stockholm to TallinnFerry route, Northern EuropeThe open Baltic Proper in the middle of the nightmoderate
Strait of BonifacioSea area, Corsica and SardiniaMistral squeezed through an 11 km gaphigh
Strait of GibraltarSea area, Spain and MoroccoWind funneled between two mountain rangesmoderate
Strait of MalaccaSea area, Malaysia and IndonesiaSheltered strait with Sumatra squallsmoderate
Strait of MessinaSea area, Sicily and CalabriaOpposed tides drive strong currents through a 3 km gapmoderate
Straits of MackinacSea area, Northern MichiganIrregular currents and autumn gales between two lakesmoderate
Table BaySea area, South AfricaOpen to the north-west, winter storm wavesmoderate
Tarifa to TangierFerry route, Southern EuropeWind funnelled between two continentsmoderate
Toulon to BastiaFerry route, Southern EuropeMistral seas from the gulf's eastern edgehigh
Tsugaru StraitSea area, JapanWinter monsoon seas into a 20 km gaphigh
Tyrrhenian SeaSea area, Western Italy, Sardinia and SicilyWinter mistral and libeccio over deep watermoderate
Valletta to Pozzallo (Malta to Sicily)Ferry route, Southern EuropeAn open channel crossed at 38 knotsmoderate
Vieques SoundSea area, Puerto RicoSteady trade winds over a long fetch, shoals in the westmoderate
Vineyard SoundSea area, Cape Cod, Massachusetts. Worst level of its year.Wind against tidal current at West Chopmoderate

Calm in October: 29 of 202

The settled end of this water's year, when most passages pass without much motion worth noticing.

Seas and ferry routes rated calm in October
Sea or routeWhat drives itRest of its year
Alboran SeaSea area, Spain and MoroccoOpen water, roughest from winter to springmoderate
Auckland to Waiheke IslandFerry route, Australia and New ZealandAn island-sheltered gulf commutelow
Bay of IslandsSea area, Northland, New ZealandOpen Pacific at Cape Brett, islands insidemoderate
Cebu StraitSea area, PhilippinesIsland channel, rougher in monsoons and typhoonsmoderate
Ceiba to Vieques and CulebraFerry route, Caribbean and Latin AmericaTrade-wind chop across an island soundmoderate
Dar es Salaam to ZanzibarFerry route, AfricaIndian Ocean swell across an open channelmoderate
Flores SeaSea area, Eastern IndonesiaFast currents in the island channelsmoderate
Gulf of ThailandSea area, South-east AsiaShallow gulf, monsoon wind chopmoderate
Ha Long BaySea area, Northern VietnamIsland-shielded bay, storm-season closuresmoderate
Mozambique ChannelSea area, South-west Indian OceanCyclone corridor feeding the Agulhas Currenthigh
Pillsbury SoundSea area, US Virgin IslandsTrade-wind chop in a small soundmoderate
Puttgarden to RodbyFerry route, Northern EuropeA 45 minute belt hop with land in sightlow
San Francisco BaySea area, Northern CaliforniaFunneled summer sea breeze and tidal swirlsmoderate
San Pedro ChannelSea area, Southern CaliforniaOpen Pacific channel, spring peakmoderate
Santa Barbara ChannelSea area, Southern CaliforniaAfternoon northwest wind along the islands' north shoreshigh
Seattle to Bainbridge IslandFerry route, North AmericaThe sheltered sound's flagship commutelow
Singapore StraitSea area, South-east AsiaSheltered strait, monsoon wind chopmoderate
Sir Francis Drake ChannelSea area, British Virgin IslandsSteady trade winds between islandsmoderate
South China SeaSea area, Southeast AsiaNortheast monsoon wind over a deep, open seahigh
St Lucia ChannelSea area, Eastern Caribbean (Martinique and Saint Lucia)Trade-wind sea in a gap between islandsmoderate
St Lucia to Martinique (Castries to Fort-de-France)Ferry route, Caribbean and Latin AmericaTrade swell funnelling between the islandsmoderate
Sydney HarbourSea area, New South Wales, AustraliaHarbour with an open ocean entrancemoderate
Trinidad to Tobago (Port of Spain to Scarborough)Ferry route, Caribbean and Latin AmericaCalm gulf, open Atlantic middlehigh
Turku to StockholmFerry route, Northern EuropeOne of Europe's calmest long ferry rideslow
Vancouver (Tsawwassen) to Victoria (Swartz Bay)Ferry route, North AmericaOpen strait first, island maze afterlow
Verde Island PassageSea area, PhilippinesTwo monsoons and a typhoon seasonmoderate
Whitsunday PassageSea area, Queensland, AustraliaWind across the gap to the islandsmoderate
Woods Hole to Martha's VineyardFerry route, North AmericaThe shorter, more sheltered island runlow
Zanzibar ChannelSea area, East AfricaOpen Indian Ocean channel, monsoon windsmoderate

How October compares with the months either side

Coming out of September, 83 of these waters move up a level and 21 move down. The rest hold where they were. Roughness does not switch on in one month: most of these waters shift a step at a time, which is why the shoulder months either side of a bad season are often the useful booking window.

The two hemispheres also run opposite. A month at the calm end of the year in the North Atlantic is the hard end of it in the Southern Ocean, so a single month page holds both a list of waters to avoid and a list to book.

Sailing somewhere on this list in October?

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Levels on this page are the typical seasonal patterns published on each sea and route page, drawn from marine and operator information as of September 2026. They are not forecasts. Route and operator names are trademarks of their respective owners; Dizzout is not affiliated with or endorsed by them. This page is informational and not medical advice.