Strike Mission
Beach
both
Level 4/10

Cape Hatteras

Outer Banks, USA (NC)
🌀Strong rips🏝️Remote

Cape Hatteras is the East Coast's swell magnet—a remote barrier island jutting into the Atlantic that catches more swells than any other US East Coast location. The lighthouse backdrop provides iconic imagery, while Cape Point and various beach breaks along the National Seashore offer variety depending on conditions. Hurricane season brings the goods, winter nor'easters fill in the gaps, and the relative remoteness keeps crowds manageable. For East Coast surfers seeking consistent waves without the California crowds, Hatteras rewards the drive.

10-Day Forecast
Today
21
17
Poor
0.7m
@7s
10km/h
Mon
22
5
Poor
0.5m
@10s
22km/h
Tue
23
0
Poor
1.0m
@9s
28km/h
Wed
24
0
Poor
0.9m
@7s
24km/h
Thu
25
0
Poor
0.5m
@7s
7km/h
Fri
26
0
Poor
0.6m
@8s
24km/h
Sat
27
0
Poor
1.1m
@8s
21km/h
Sun
28
12
Poor
0.8m
@7s
19km/h
Mon
29
9
Poor
0.8m
@11s
27km/h
Tue
30
2
Poor
0.5m
@11s
30km/h
View 2-year historical scores →

Today's Conditions

Find Flights
Swell
0.7m
SSE(155°)
Score: 9/25
Period
7s
Short period / windswell
Score: 4/25
Wind
10km/h
SW(227°)
Score: 17/25
Weather
28°C
0.0mm14%
Windswell Component
0.1mSW@1s
0
Forecast Confidence
100%
Sources: open-meteo-marine, open-meteo-weather
Best Session
morning
AM: 5 km/h WSW|PM: 14 km/h WSW
5 km/h vs 14 km/h afternoon

Location & Conditions

Loading map...
0°45°90°135°180°225°270°315°NESW
Swell
Wind
View in OpenStreetMap
Showing forecast for today

Tide Times

12:36 am
High tide - 0.07m
6:54 am
Low tide - -0.87m
1:22 pm
High tide - 0.03m
7:22 pm
Low tide - -0.75m
Times shown in spot-local time.

Strike Score Breakdown

17
Poor
Components
Swell Direction4/25
Swell Size9/25
Swell Period4/25
Wind17/25
Raw Score34/100
Adjustments
Wind History-4
🌊 Tide-6
📉 Undersized Swell-7
Adjusted Score17/100
Confidence
Multiplier×1.00
Final Score17
🌊 Too low for this tide window👥 Summer Break
For real surf travel

Get the full Cape Hatteras trip window

Pro unlocks the 10-day forecast window, unlimited alerts, and custom spot tracking that help turn a good-looking surf report into a better travel decision.

See Pro PricingStart Free

10-day window

See the trip window before flights get expensive.

Unlimited alerts

Let the app watch your score threshold for you.

Custom spots

Track the breaks that actually matter to your travel plans.

Spot Details

Swell Requirements

Optimal direction
E (90°)
Direction range
45° - 150°
Size range
0.6m - 3m
Ideal size
2.3m
Height multiplier
0.97×
Ideal period
12s+

Wind Requirements

Optimal direction
W (270°)
Offshore range
225° - 315°

Tide Requirements

Optimal tide
all
Optimal range
0.3m - 1.2m

Water temp

20°C

Wetsuit

3/2mm fullsuit

Difficulty

4/10

Crowd level

3/10

👥 Summer Break (Jun 15 – Aug 25) — expect extra crowds

Access: Cape Hatteras National Seashore. Many peaks.

Best Season

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

Secondary: Aug, Apr

Hurricane season and nor'easters. Best East Coast consistency.

Getting There

Airport
ORF
Drive time
120 min
Data quality
verified

Nearby Spots

Cape Hatteras Lighthouse

Buxton, USA
2.0km
Beach
Lvl 5/10

🦓 The lighthouse • Prime swell window • East Coast's best position

S-Turns

Rodanthe, USA
41km
Beach
Lvl 5/10

🛣️ Highway 12 curves • Remote OBX power • Hurricane season glory

Jennettes Pier

Nags Head, USA
75km
Beach
Lvl 4/10

📹 OBX landmark • Live webcam central • Consistent sandbars

Croatan Beach

Virginia Beach, USA
180km
Beach
Lvl 5/10

🏠 VB local's choice • Less crowded • Better sandbars

Virginia Beach First Street

Virginia Beach, USA
184km
Beach
Lvl 4/10

🏅 ECSC since 1963 • Longest-running contest • Mid-Atlantic hub

Strike Log

Community Discussion