Wrightsville Beach Surf Outlook: March 27–April 3, 2026

March 27, 2026

Wrightsville Beach Surf Outlook: March 27–April 3, 2026
Issued 6:45 AM March 27. Note: Forecast based on early Friday morning data. While broad patterns usually hold, forecast shifts occur—verify conditions before heading out.

Today/Fri: Small SE/S Mix
Weekend: Cooler but Developing Windswell
Early Week: Cleaner ESE Swell; Especially Mornings
Mid/Late Week: Lingering, Warm/Small but Rideable ESE Swell

Quality Legend: 🟢 = Fun/Clean; 🟡 = Marginal to Fair at Best; 🔴 = Poor/Blown Out.
Vibe Legend: 🪵=Loggable Window; ✨=Clean Faces; 😎=Warm/Summer-like; 📈=Building; 🌊=Standard Surf; 🌬️=Bumpy/Windy; 🧘=Small/Relaxed; ❓=Low Confidence.

Today through Sunday (3/27–3/29): Small SE/S mix Fri; Cooler but More Weekend Windswell
A small mix of ESE swell and S windswell will produce mostly 1.5–2.5’ (knee to thigh high) surf ahead of a cold front today (Friday), with standout spots only seeing slightly bigger sets. Breezy SW winds will lead to sideshore texture to semi-clean faces. High: 82°F.

A fairly strong cold front pushes offshore tonight. This leads to cooler 2–3’ ENE windswell on Saturday, with sideshore to semi-clean faces from strong NNE winds. I think we’ll see slightly bigger sets late Saturday and especially on Sunday as the direction rotates more ENE to E, with up to stomach-chest high sets (2–4′) expected. Conditions will be bumpy with E winds Sunday, although they will relax some late in the day.

3/27 (Friday): 1.5–2.5′ (Knee to Thigh High) SE/S mix. High 77°F. Warm with breezy SW winds, with sideshore texture at times. Quality: 🟡 / 🔴.

3/28: 2–3′ (Knee to Waist High) building ENE windswell, plus peaks late. High 59°F. Strong NNE winds and semi-clean faces. Quality: 🟡.

3/29: 2–4′ (Thigh-Waist with occ. Stomach to Chest High Peaks) ENE/E windswell. High 65°F. Bumpy with E winds, but some improvement late as winds back off. Quality: 🟡.

Looking Ahead: Warmer, Lingering ESE Swell
High pressure slides offshore early next week, paving the way for lingering 2–3′ (knee-waist high) ESE swell along with better winds, especially in the AM hours before SSW/S winds become problematic in the afternoons. Note: Watch for the high tides around sunrise, so consider the mid-to-late morning dropping tide before the afternoon sideshore winds get on it.

A very warm season/summer-like weather pattern consisting of offshore high pressure is expected mid-to-late next week. This should keep small but rideable ESE swell in the water Wednesday through Friday. Overall look for 1–2–3′ (knee-thigh-waist high) surf to persist. Winds/conditions will likely be best in the early morning hours before SSW/S winds impact conditions during the afternoons and early evening hours. There are some models suggesting another front may lead to shifty winds around Thu/Fri, but confidence is low on the details this far out.

Note: A few waist plus peaks are not out of the question at better sand bars early to mid week with this little ESE swell.

3/30 (Monday): 2–3′ ESE swell. High 70°F. Best winds in AM. Quality: 🟢.

3/31: 2–3′ ESE swell. High 74°F. Clean morning window. Quality: 🟢 / 🟡.

4/01 to 4/03 (Wed–Fri): 1–2–3′ small but rideable ESE swell, waist-high sets for better spots. Highs 75–77°F. AM clean / PM bumpy, but lower confidence in the winds for Thu/Fri. Quality: 🟢 / 🟡.

Final Thoughts
Cooler but more windswell expected this weekend, with winds improving some late Sunday. Cleaner ESE swell for early to mid next week in the knee-thigh-waist high zone. Best winds/conditions in the mornings. A few waist high plus sets are not out of the question for better spots early through mid next week.

Updated WB water temp forecast. After a slight dip this weekend, more warming is expected next week.