Wrightsville Beach Surf Outlook: March 20–27, 2026

March 20, 2026

Wrightsville Beach Surf Outlook: March 20–27, 2026

Issued 6:45 AM March 20. 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: Slowly Fading ESE Swell; Mid Morning High Tides
Sun/Mon: Smaller mix of ESE swell and S windswell
Tue/Wed: New ENE Windswell; Improving Winds into Wed
Late Week: Keeping an Eye on Late Week Fronts (Highly Uncertain)

Quality Legend: 🟢 = Fun/Clean; 🟡 = Marginal to Fair at Best; 🔴 = Poor/Blown Out.
Vibe Legend: 🪵=Loggable Window; ✨=Clean Faces; 😎=Warm/Pre-frontal; 📈=Building; 🌬️=Bumpy/Windy; 🧹=Cleaning Up; 🧘=Small/Relaxed; ?=Uncertain.

Today through Sunday (3/20–3/22): Slowly Fading ESE Swell; Morning High Tides

Buoy 41110 continues to show persistent ESE swell around 3ft at 9-11s. This should produce 2–3’+ (thigh-stomach high) surf today. Winds are light NNW early so conditions are fairly clean, but look for S winds to develop this afternoon which will add some bump to the surf.

ESE swell will slowly fade through the weekend; expect 2–3′ (knee-waist high) waves Saturday with fairly clean conditions from WSW winds (again, watch for PM S winds to add texture, however). The swell drops a little further into Sunday (1–2’+) with moderate SW becoming SSW winds.

Note: Mid-morning high tides the next few days (approx. 9:35 AM Sat / 10:25 AM Sun), so choose spots wisely.

3/20 (Friday): 2–3’+ (Thigh to Stomach High) ESE swell. High 64°F. Light NNW early becoming S PM, with increasing bump.. Quality: 🟢 / 🟡.

3/21: 2–3′ (Knee to Waist High) fading ESE. High 73°F. WSW becoming S PM, with increasing bump. Quality: 🟢 / 🟡.

3/22: 1–2’+ (Knee to Thigh High) small leftovers. High 76°F. SW becoming SSW winds. Quality: 🟡.

Looking Ahead: Warm/Small Monday; Bumpy Mid-Week With A Little More Surf

Small ESE swell and S windswell mix is expected Monday ahead of the next front, mostly around knee-thigh high but slightly higher peaks possible. Highs will reach the upper 70s. Breezy SW winds will likely trend NE by dark with the next front.

The cold front swings offshore by Monday evening, with chillier weather and 2-3-4’ ENE windswell for Tuesday. Expect moderate NE winds and bumpy surf for Tuesday (Quality: 🔴/ 🟡) except for protected spots.

This fades slowly through Wednesday and Thursday as the swell direction rotates more ESE. There should be a little wave around and winds are expected to improve somewhat as high pressure weakens just off the Outer Banks on Wednesday (Quality: 🟢 / 🟡).

There is potential for another frontal system to impact the area towards the back half of next week, but there are differences amongst the major models and confidence is low on related surf impacts. We’re keeping things conservative for now (1.5–2.5′) as a result, but it is worth watching as there is potential that’s too low. Winds will likely be a bit shifty late in the week but details remain uncertain (Quality/Vibe: ?).

3/23 (Monday): 1–2’+ (Knee to Thigh High) SE mix. High 79°F. SW trending NE late. Quality: 🟡 / 🔴.

3/24: 2–4′ (Thigh to Stomach+ High) ENE windswell. High 60°F. Moderate NE winds. Quality: 🔴/ 🟡.

3/25: 2–3′ (Knee to Waist High) easing swell but possible better winds. High 67°F. Quality: 🟢 / 🟡.

3/26: 1.5–2.5′ – highly uncertain forecast.. High 69°F. Quality: ?

3/27: 1.5–2.5′ – highly uncertain forecast. Quality: ?

Final Thoughts

There should be some small to occasional fun sized waves around today and Saturday. Keep an eye on late Tuesday and especially Wednesday as the next ENE/E windswell starts cleaning up.