Wrightsville Beach Surf Outlook: March 13–20, 2026

March 13, 2026

Wrightsville Beach Surf Outlook: March 13–20, 2026

Issued 6:45 AM March 13. Note: Forecast based on early Friday morning data. While broad patterns usually hold, forecast shifts occur—verify conditions before heading out.
By Mark Willis

Fri/Sat: Small E/SE Swell; Best Winds Sat AM
Sunday: Building ESE Windswell; Messy
Early Week: Bumpy SE Windswell Monday; Cleaner Tuesday
Mid-Late Week: Small but Non-Flat ESE Swell Persists; Watching Winds

Quality Legend: 🟢 = Fun/Clean; 🟡 = Marginal to Fair at Best; 🔴 = Poor/Blown Out.
Vibe Legend: 🪵=Loggable Window; ✨=Clean Faces; 📈=Building; 🌬️=Bumpy/Windy; 🧘=Small/Relaxed; 🥶=Chilly; ⛈️=Showers/Thunderstorms.

Today through Sunday (3/13–3/15): Small E/SE Swell Fri/Sat; Messy Sunday

Overall small E trending SE swell is expected Friday and Saturday. Most spots will see 1.5–3′ (Knee to Thigh Occ. Waist High) surf today. Low tides will be in the late morning/early afternoon timeframes, so expect that to be the prime window for the higher volume boards. Winds this morning are NE around 5-10 kts that trend E and then S through the day. Winds should be light offshore to variable tomorrow morning for slightly smaller 1.5–2.5′ (Knee to Thigh High) but cleaner surf before trending onshore in the afternoon.

For Sunday, strengthening high pressure shifting NE of the area ahead of the next front will set up gradually building ESE/SE windswell. Expect 1-3′ surf early building to a bumpy 3-4′ on the face by late day. Sunday is looking bumpy with onshore winds and developing showers. Quality: 🔴.

3/13 (Friday): 1.5–3′ (Knee to Thigh Occ. Waist High) E/SE swell. High 63°F. Sunny; NE winds becoming S. Semi bumpy. Quality: 🟡.

3/14: 1.5–2.5′ (Knee to Thigh High) SE swell.. High 69°F. Sunny; light/variable to light offshore morning winds trend onshore in the afternoon (cleanest in the morning). Quality: 🟢 trending 🟡.

3/15: 1-3′ > 3-4′ (Knee to Thigh building to Waist to Chest High) messy SE windswell. High 70°F. Increasing shower chances. Quality: 🔴.

Looking Ahead: Stronger Early Week Swell; Cleaning Up Tuesday

Healthy SE windswell is expected Monday as a strong cold front draws closer. Breezy S winds will lead to bumpy, disorganized conditions, but expect size to be well into the 3-5’ zone (chest to head high peaks). Quality: 🟡 / 🔴.

Tuesday (3/17) is the standout quality window. Considerably cooler weather behind the front with NW winds is expected, along with fun-sized 2–4′ (thigh-waist-chest high) surf that will be easing through the day.

High pressure builds north and then NE of the area through Wednesday and Thursday. We should see at least a little windswell/swell persist through mid/late next week generally in the knee-waist high zone. NE winds may be an issue for some spots initially but that may improve by the end of next week. Confidence on specific details is extremely low this far out.

3/16 (Monday): 3–5′ (Waist to Head High) SE windswell. High 72°F. Breezy S winds; bumpy. Quality: 🟡 / 🔴.

3/17: 2–4′ (Thigh to Waist High w/ Up to Chest High Sets Early) cleaner surf. High 52°F 🥶. Offshore NW winds. Quality: 🟢.

3/18: 2–3′ (Knee to Waist High) smaller leftovers, developing NE winds. High 53°F 🥶. Quality: 🟡.

3/19: 2–3′ (Knee to Waist High) residual ESE swell. High 60°F. Quality: 🟡.

3/20: 2–3′ (Knee to Waist High) ESE swell, watching for lighter winds. Quality: 🟡 / 🟢.

Final Thoughts

The best day of the weekend will likely be Saturday morning, but keep expectations low as it will be small (but clean in the morning). St. Patrick’s Day Tuesday is worth watching for cleaner SE swell leftovers. Possible lingering ESE Swell mid to late next week but will need to watch winds closely.