Wrightsville Beach Surf Outlook: August 28 – September 3, 2026

August 28, 2026

Wrightsville Beach Surf Outlook: August 28 – September 3, 2026

Issued 6:30 AM August 28. Note: Forecast based on early Friday morning (8/28) data. While broad patterns usually hold, forecast shifts occur—verify conditions before heading out.

Weekend: Small SE/S Mix; Morning HIgh Tides

Mon–Tue: Similar Small Summer Surf

Wed-Thu: A Little Pulse from TS Dolly

Best Windows of Forecast: Wednesday Looks Like the Day to Target Right Now. Maybe into Thursday for Leftovers.

Legend: 🟢 Clean | 🟡 Semi Bumpy | 🔴 Poor/Choppy

(Note: Split quality colors represent AM / PM sessions)

(Note: Split quality colors represent AM / PM sessions)

Friday Through Sunday (8/28–8/30): Typical Summertime Surf (Again)

It is starting to feel a bit like Groundhog Day! A small S windswell and SE swell mix will reach our beaches through the weekend, with most spots checking in around knee high and top spots only seeing slightly bigger sets. Overall, energy looks strongest today as the S windswell component is a bit more active than what is modeled for the weekend. However, keep expectations low and the board volume high.

This morning features light offshore W to NW winds that will become SSW around 6–11 mph this afternoon and add bump. The local pressure gradient will be a bit weaker through the weekend, so expect light offshore to variable winds Saturday and Sunday mornings before becoming SE to S around 5–10 mph in the afternoons.

Tide Timing: Morning high tides will be problematic for many spots through the weekend (~8:00 AM Fri, 8:35 AM Sat, 9:10 AM Sun), so you will want to pick your spots wisely. While winds will trend side-to-onshore for the afternoons this weekend, they do not look overly strong, so the dropping water into the early afternoon might offer a workable window for high-volume boards.

Monday Through Thursday (8/31–9/3): Modest Midweek TS Dolly Pulse

A similar knee to around thigh high (1–2′ +) SE/S mix is expected early next week with continued cleanest conditions in the morning hours. The morning high tides will shift later in the mornings, so the early incoming push is probably the best bet on Monday and Tuesday.

A small pulse of SE swell is expected from Tropical Storm Dolly as we move into the middle part of next week. This should get us a shade above our summertime norm, producing thigh to waist high sets (2–3′) for Wednesday and potentially into early Thursday before backing off again later in the week to 1–2–3′ (thigh to waist high easing back to knee-thigh). The morning incoming tides will once again likely be the time to target this little swell for the best winds and surface conditions.

🌀 Tropical Update

Tropical Storm Dolly is well east of the Leeward Islands and is expected to move quickly west over the next few days. The system is not expected to strengthen given unfavorable upper-level winds and dry air, and it is ultimately forecast to degenerate into a remnant low and potentially an open tropical wave as we move through the weekend. That said, its interaction with high pressure to its north should be enough to generate a small mid-period swell around the middle of next week. Elsewhere, the tropics remain quiet.