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

(Note: Split quality colors 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 becoming SSW to S and increasing for the afternoon, so it will be cleanest in the AM. Winds on Saturday will trend WSW in the morning and then become variable in the afternoon. There is potential winds could shift N later in the day as the front starts sagging south, but again expect variability in the winds with showers and thunderstorms in the area. Overall, the best wind/tide combo is likely on the late morning dropping tide (low at 10:23am Fri and 11:07 Sat). Keep expectations low but there should be a small wave for the bigger boards the next couple of days.

By Sunday, the front slides south of the Cape Fear region. This allows winds to turn briefly light northerly early in the morning before shifting S/SE during the afternoon. Continued 1.5–2.5′ S/SE swell persistence (knee to thigh high) will offer soft, rideable lines for the bigger boards. High tide around sunrise will be problematic for many spots, so shoot for the dropping tide thereafter. Shower and thunderstorm coverage should diminish some Sunday as the front drops to our south

7/24 (Friday): 1–2′ + — Soft knee-to-thigh high lines. Light SW winds with clean conditions early but watch for SSW winds and bumpier PM surf. However, showers and tstms may impact winds and conditions at times. Target the late morning tide drop. Quality: 🟢 / 🟡
7/25 (Saturday): 1–2′ + — Similar knee occ. Thigh high SE swell. Overall clean surf with WSW winds but winds trend more variable in the PM. Showers/tstms again impact surf quality at times. Quality: 🟢 / 🔴
7/26 (Sunday): 1–2′ + — Light morning N/NE wind gives way to S/SE afternoon breeze. Shower/tstm chances drop but don’t entirely go away. 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 us dissipates, light morning winds will offer glassy early windows before typical afternoon SSW sea breezes add texture. Note that morning high tides will remain a factor for sunrise sessions on both days.

Longer-range guidance suggests a fresh cold front approaching the mid-Atlantic by Wednesday, tightening the pressure gradient against the Bermuda High. This setup looks to bump south windswell back up into the 2–3′ range (knee-to-waist high peaks), peaking Wednesday afternoon/evening. Morning windows will likely offer the cleanest conditions, but as the front pushes into the Carolinas by Thursday, expect increased wind variability.

7/27-28 (Monday and Tuesday): 1–2’+ — Ankle-to-knee high summer grovel, with thigh high sets for best spots. Cleanest early before SSW-S winds pick up in the afternoon. Quality: 🟢 / 🟡
7/29 (Wednesday): 2–3′ — South windswell pulse builds to knee-to-waist high. Hot with SSW breezes building afternoon chop. Quality: 🟢 / 🔴
7/30 (Thursday): 1–2′ + — Swell eases slightly into the knee-to-thigh high plus zone as the front arrives. Potential for better winds esp. AM. Quality: 🟢 / 🟡

Tropical Update

Bertha will dissipate as it moves further inland over Texas through Friday. Elsewhere across the Atlantic basin no tropical cyclone development is expected over the next 7 days.