Beach

both

Level 4/10

Wrightsville Beach

Wrightsville Beach, USA

👥Crowded🌀Strong rips

Wrightsville Beach is North Carolina's surfing epicenter—the most popular and accessible wave in a state blessed with quality beach breaks. The consistent sandbars create reliable peaks year-round, with hurricane season and winter low-pressure systems producing the best conditions. The Crystal Pier area focuses swell and creates organized lineups that support a thriving local scene. Wrightsville's proximity to Wilmington brings a college-town energy, and the surf community here has produced talented competitors and shapers who represent NC on the national stage.

10-Day Forecast

Today

Fair

0.6mSE

@9s

11km/h

Wed

Fair

0.8mESE

@9s

7km/h

Thu

Fair

0.7mESE

@10s

9km/h

Fri

Good

0.9mESE

@11s

12km/h

Sat

Poor

1.6mE

@7s

24km/h

Sun

Fair

1.9mESE

@9s

20km/h

Choppy

Mon

Poor

1.0mESE

@9s

18km/h

Tue

Fair

0.7mESE

@9s

9km/h

Wed

Fair

0.4mESE

@10s

13km/h

Today

Tue, Jan 20

0.6m @ 9s SE

11 km/h NW

Wed

Wed, Jan 21

0.8m @ 9s ESE

7 km/h SE

Thu

Thu, Jan 22

0.7m @ 10s ESE

9 km/h W

Fri

Fri, Jan 23

0.9m @ 11s ESE

12 km/h W

Sat

Sat, Jan 24

1.6m @ 7s E

24 km/h NNE

Sun

Sun, Jan 25

1.9m @ 9s ESE

20 km/h NNW

Choppy

Mon

Mon, Jan 26

1.0m @ 9s ESE

18 km/h NE

Tue

Tue, Jan 27

0.7m @ 9s ESE

9 km/h NW

Wed

Wed, Jan 28

0.4m @ 10s ESE

13 km/h W

Today's Conditions

Swell

0.6m

SE(124°)

Score: 8/25

Period

Short period / windswell

Score: 16/25

Wind

11km/h

NW(324°)

Score: 15/25

Weather

5°C

0.0mm66%

Windswell Component

0.1mESE@1s

Secondary Swell

0.2mENE

Forecast Confidence

100%

Sources: open-meteo-marine, open-meteo-weather

Best Session

morning

Strike Score Breakdown

Fair

Swell Direction

19/25

How well swell angle matches the spot

Swell Size

8/25

Wave height in the ideal range

Swell Period

16/25

Each spot has different period requirements. Points and reefs can handle longer periods than beaches.

Wind

15/25

Offshore/glassy conditions

Total Score58/100

Location & Conditions

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Swell

Wind

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Showing forecast for today

Spot Details

Swell Requirements

Optimal direction: ESE (120°)
Direction range: 80° - 160°
Size range: 0.6m - 2.5m
Ideal period: 12s+

Wind Requirements

Optimal direction: WNW (300°)
Offshore range: 270° - 340°
Best window: morning

Tide Requirements

Optimal tide: low to mid
Optimal range: 0.3m - 1.2m

Water temp

21°C

Wetsuit

Springsuit / 2mm

Difficulty

4/10

Crowd level

7/10

Access: Public beach access. Metered parking.

Getting There

Airport

ILM

Drive time

15 min

Nearby Buoy

Forecasts are validated against real-time buoy data.

41037 (NOAA)

Best Season

Peak: Sep, Oct, Nov, Dec, Jan, Feb, Mar

Secondary: Aug

Hurricane season and winter low pressure systems.

Data Quality

verified

Verified by Surfline spot guide