New Hanover County
Carolina Beach surf report
1.3ft
Small — 1.3 ft.
Thursday, August 13 · local time at the spot
Right now
Swell
1.3 ft
13 s · SE131°
Wind
This buoy carries no anemometer, so there is no wind reading here.
Water temperature
81°F
27.2 °C
Daylight
6:31 AM
sunrise · sunset 8:00 PM
Tide
Currently rising — next high at 8:36 AM (4.65 ft)
| Time | Tide | Height |
|---|---|---|
| 2:32 AM | low | -0.244 ft |
| 8:36 AM | high | 4.65 ft |
| 2:32 PM | low | -0.499 ft |
| 9:05 PM | high | 5.649 ft |
Tide values are predictions. Wind, pressure and surge move the real water level, sometimes by a lot — see the disclaimer.
Forecast
Model output, not a measurement — NOAA WaveWatch III
| Day | Height | Period | Direction |
|---|---|---|---|
| Wed | 0.9 ft | 7.9 s | NW 311° |
| Thu | 0.9 ft | 7.8 s | NW 310° |
| Fri | 0.8 ft | 7.4 s | NW 307° |
| Sat | 1.5 ft | 4.9 s | N 2° |
| Sun | 1.6 ft | 5.6 s | W 277° |
| Mon | 1.4 ft | 7.5 s | NW 315° |
A model computes; it does not observe. Accuracy drops with range, and nearshore transformation is where it is weakest.
What to wear
At 81 °F (27.2 °C), most people at Carolina Beach are comfortable in a boardshorts or a swimsuit.
No suit needed
for 75 °F and warmer
Warm enough to surf with nothing on. A long session in the sun still costs you more heat than it feels like.
The temperature is measured. The suit recommendation is not — it follows the manufacturers' convention, which varies by a degree or two between brands, and it knows nothing about wind, session length or how you personally run. The full chart and what it leaves out.
Surf cam
No cam here yet. We operate no cameras of our own and embed only where the operator allows it — the rule is on the copyright page. Cam operators who would like a link are welcome to write.
The break
- Type
- Beach break either side of the pier
- Best swell
- NE to E groundswell, S in summer
- Best wind
- Offshore W
- Tide
- Mid tide
- Level
- Beginner to intermediate
Hazards
- Rip currents
- Crowds
- Cape Fear River outflow to the south
Local knowledge, not a measurement. Conditions decide the day — check the National Weather Service for warnings and the lifeguards for whether to go in.
Every source behind this page
- Solunar computed · read 5:16 AM
- NOAA WaveWatch III 41110 model cycle 20260813 0z · model · read 5:16 AM
- NDBC 41110 buoy wave height · read 4:30 AM
- NOAA CO-OPS 8658559 tide predictions · read 5:16 AM
All of it is public NOAA and National Weather Service data, free for anyone to use. What we add is the pairing of this spot with these stations — see the terms.
Nearby spots
- Wrightsville Beach 1.3 ft · 21 km
- Isle of Palms 1.6 ft · 224 km
- Folly Beach 3 ft · 244 km
- Higgins Beach 1.3 ft · 1246 km
- Encinitas 2.6 ft · 3631 km
Surf and beach conditions change faster than this page does, and nobody watches it in real time. When the water looks different from the numbers, trust the water and the lifeguards.