Wrightsville Beach Surf Outlook: July 24

July 24, 2026

Wrightsville Beach Surf Outlook: July 24 – 31, 2026

Issued 11:30 PM July 23. Note: Forecast based on late Thursday evening (7/23) data. While broad patterns usually hold, forecast shifts occur. Verify conditions before heading out.

Fri–Sun: Small S/SE swell. Stormy Fri/Sat, partial clearing Sun. Target AM tide drop.

Mon–Tue: Small 1–2′ lines. Light AM winds, but early high tide a factor.

Midweek: Building S windswell peaks Wed before easing late week.

Best Windows of Forecast: Mid/Late Morning Tide Drop Through Weekend; Watching Mid Week

Legend: 🟢 Clean | 🟡 Semi Bumpy | 🔴 Choppy

(Split quality circles represent AM / PM sessions)

Friday Through Sunday (7/24–7/26): Frontal Moisture & Small S/SE Grovel

A slow moving cold front stalled over coastal North Carolina will keep weather conditions unsettled through Friday and Saturday with widespread showers and embedded thunderstorms. Surf remains small, mostly in the 1–2’+ (knee to thigh high) range in S/SE swell.

Winds on Friday will be light SW in the morning before becoming SSW to south during the afternoon, making the morning the cleanest window. Saturday features WSW winds in the morning before becoming variable during the afternoon. There is potential for winds to shift north later in the day as the front begins sagging south, but expect changing conditions with showers and thunderstorms. The best combination of wind and tide should be the late morning dropping tide with low tide at 10:23 AM Friday and 11:07 AM Saturday. Keep expectations low, but there should be a small wave for the bigger boards.

By Sunday the front slides south of the Cape Fear region. Winds briefly turn light northerly early before shifting S/SE during the afternoon. Continued 1.5–2.5′ S/SE swell will provide soft, rideable lines in the knee to thigh high range. High tide around sunrise will be less favorable, so target the dropping tide afterward. Shower and thunderstorm coverage should decrease as the front moves south.

7/24 (Friday): 1–2’+ Soft knee to thigh high lines. Light SW winds provide clean conditions early before SSW winds add afternoon texture. Showers and thunderstorms may impact conditions at times. Target the late morning tide drop.
Quality: 🟢 / 🟡
7/25 (Saturday): 1–2’+ Similar knee to occasional thigh high SE swell. Overall clean surf with WSW winds before variable afternoon winds. Showers and thunderstorms may impact surf quality at times.
Quality: 🟢 / 🟡
7/26 (Sunday): 1–2’+ Light N/NE winds early become S/SE during the afternoon. Shower chances decrease but do not disappear completely.
Quality: 🟢 / 🟡

Looking Ahead: Overall Small Summertime Surf; Watching Midweek

No major swell sources are on the horizon for early next week. Monday and Tuesday will feature small 1–2′ SE/ESE swell with temperatures warming into Tuesday. As the old boundary south of the area dissipates, light morning winds will offer glassy conditions before typical afternoon SSW sea breezes add texture. Morning high tides will continue to affect sunrise sessions.

Long range guidance suggests a fresh cold front approaching the Mid Atlantic by Wednesday, tightening the pressure gradient against the Bermuda High. This setup could increase south windswell into the 2–3′ range with knee to waist high peaks, peaking Wednesday afternoon and evening. Morning sessions should offer the cleanest conditions before increasing afternoon chop. Winds become more variable Thursday as the front approaches.

7/27–28 (Monday and Tuesday): 1–2’+ Ankle to knee high summer grovel with occasional thigh high sets at better spots. Cleanest early before afternoon SSW winds.
Quality: 🟢 / 🟡
7/29 (Wednesday): 2–3′ South windswell builds into the knee to waist high range. Hot conditions with increasing SSW winds during the afternoon.
Quality: 🟢 / 🟡
7/30 (Thursday): 1–2’+ Swell eases slightly into the knee to thigh high range as the front approaches. Potential for improved winds, especially during the morning.
Quality: 🟢 / 🟡

Tropical Update

Bertha will dissipate as it moves farther inland over Texas through Friday. Elsewhere across the Atlantic basin, no tropical cyclone development is expected over the next seven days.