New Hanover County
Wrightsville Beach surf report
3.3ft
Fun-sized — 3.3 ft.
Saturday, September 26 · local time at the spot
Right now
Swell
3.3 ft
13 s · E86°
Wind
This buoy carries no anemometer, so there is no wind reading here.
Water temperature
77.5°F
25.3 °C
Daylight
7:02 AM
sunrise · sunset 7:02 PM
Rip current risk
High risk
Life threatening rip currents are likely.
NWS surf forecast: 2–5 ft (today, Coastal New Hanover)
Every level, including Low, describes currents that can kill — how to spot one from the beach and what to do if you are caught.
Tide
Currently falling — next low at 1:51 PM (0.315 ft)
| Time | Tide | Height |
|---|---|---|
| 1:22 AM | low | 0.315 ft |
| 7:25 AM | high | 4.993 ft |
| 1:51 PM | low | 0.315 ft |
| 7:47 PM | high | 4.913 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sat | 3.3 ft | 12.5 s | W 276° |
| Sun | 1.9 ft | 11 s | W 272° |
| Mon | 1 ft | 9.5 s | W 272° |
| Tue | 0.8 ft | 9 s | W 280° |
| Wed | 1.1 ft | 9.4 s | WNW 292° |
| Thu | 0.9 ft | 8.5 s | W 273° |
A model computes; it does not observe. Accuracy drops with range, and nearshore transformation is where it is weakest.
What to wear
At 77.5 °F (25.3 °C), most people at Wrightsville 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 with several named peaks
- Best swell
- NE to E groundswell, S in summer
- Best wind
- Offshore W
- Tide
- Mid tide
- Level
- Beginner to intermediate
Hazards
- Rip currents
- Crowds
- Inlet current at the south end
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 8:47 AM
- NOAA WaveWatch III 41110 model cycle 20260926 6z · model · read 8:47 AM
- NDBC 41110 buoy wave height · read 8:00 AM
- NOAA CO-OPS 8658163 tide predictions · read 8:47 AM
- NWS Surf Zone Forecast ILM zone NCZ108 · read 4:09 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
- Carolina Beach 3.3 ft · 21 km
- Isle of Palms 2.3 ft · 243 km
- Folly Beach 3.9 ft · 263 km
- Daytona Beach 5.2 ft · 634 km
- Campus Point 3.3 ft · 3834 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.