Wrightsville Beach Surf Outlook: July 10

July 10, 2026

Wrightsville Beach Surf Outlook: July 10 – 16, 2026

Issued 6:30 AM July 10. Note: Forecast based on early Friday morning data. While broad patterns usually hold, forecast shifts occur—verify conditions before heading out.

Weekend: Small S/SE Swell; Best in Mornings. Front brings Storms/Lighter Winds Sun.

Mon-Wed: A Bit More ENE Windswell; Heat Relief

Looking Ahead: Gradual Return to Summer-Like Conditions

Best Windows of Forecast: Mornings Through Weekend; Watching Tue/Wed

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

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

Friday Through Sunday (7/10–7/12): Hot, Small S Windswell Fri/Sat; Front Brings Storms Sun

Continuing hot weather and ebbing/flowing S windswell will impact the greater Cape Fear Region through Friday and Saturday. Look for mostly knee-thigh high surf both days (plus sets possible esp. today). Mornings feature the best conditions under light west-southwest winds during favorable late-morning low tides (Low tide is at ~10:00 AM Friday, 10:50 AM Saturday)—ideal for higher-volume boards. Expect brutally hot weather, with highs near 95°–98° and heat index values well over 100. (check NWS heat statements). Afternoons will turn bumpier as SSW winds ramp up, though Saturday may hold a bit cleaner for longer with W winds continuing until midday before eventually trending SSW. Storm chances jump to 60% Saturday afternoon.

A rare mid-July cold front drops south Sunday, offering welcome heat relief (high near 87°) but triggering an 80% chance of showers and thunderstorms for the PM. Winds go light northwest early, trending light to moderate onshore east by afternoon. Surf holds around knee to thigh high; conditions won’t be as blown out as recent afternoons, but expect variable conditions around showers/storms.

7/10 (Friday): 1–2′ + — Knee to thigh high. Occ. plus sets esp. late. Cleanest early. Scorching afternoon heat (109° index). Bumpy in PM as SSW winds ramp up. Mid/Late morning low tide. Quality: 🟢 / 🟡.
7/11 (Saturday): 1–2′ + — Knee-thigh, clean with W winds in AM. SSW winds likely in the PM but may start a little later than they have. Late morning low tide. Extreme heat continues before storms develop after 2 PM. Quality: 🟢 / 🟡.
7/12 (Sunday): 1–2′ — Light NW winds shift East late. PM storms cause variability. Quality: 🟢 / 🟡.

Looking Ahead: Rare July Front Leads to ENE Windswell Early Week; Easing Midweek; Return to Summer Late Week

High pressure building from the north wedges the front just to our south early next week, dropping temperatures to the mid-80s but introducing higher forecast uncertainty. We transition to morning high tides early to mid-week, so plan your sessions accordingly. Monday starts small at 1–2′ but builds to a bumpy 2–3’+ late day as NE to ENE winds ramp up under a 70% shower/storm threat. Lingering 2–3’ semi-bumpy ENE windswell holds into Tuesday with slightly weaker onshore winds. Note we’ll be watching weak low pressure potentially forming along the front just offshore which may impact the surf forecast some. Mid-summer fronts are always a bit challenging to forecast.

The surf slowly fades through Wednesday and Thursday into the knee-to-thigh high range, but a small rideable line remains alongside gradually improving, lighter AM winds. Long-range charts hint at a return to a standard summer offshore high setup by next weekend, favoring clean, small SE swell early before afternoon south winds develop.

7/13 (Monday): 1–2′ > 2–3’+ (Building to Knee-Waist+) — Small early, building to 2–3’+ late. NE becoming ENE winds ramp up, bringing welcome temperature relief but leaving conditions sideshore trending bumpy. Quality: 🟡 / 🔴.
7/14 (Tuesday): 2–3′ — Persistent, bumpy to semi-bumpy ENE windswell lines. Onshore wind backs down slightly compared to Monday. High near 86°. Quality: 🟡.
7/15 (Wednesday): 1.5–2.5′ (~thigh high) — Lingering windswell gradually eases. Watch for morning high tides. Cleanest early. Quality: 🟢 / 🟡.
7/16 (Thursday): 1–2’+ — Wave heights fade back to baseline summer grovel. Cleanest during the early morning window, but morning high tides remain a factor. Quality: 🟢 / 🟡.

Tropical Update

The tropics are quiet at this time.

This chart is for Monday morning (July 13). A front will push south of the area and lead to relief in the extreme heat along with a bit more ENE windswell. We’ll need to watch this and low pressure developing along the front, which may impact the surf forecast.