North Carolina
Midday is the call — 2-3ft waves with 15mph SW winds and very poor conditions.
Midday is the call — 2-3ft waves with 15mph SW winds and very poor conditions.
Best window·Monday 3PM–6PM·3-4ft·Good
Here's how the next 5 days are shaping up at Billy Mitchell Airport, North Carolina. Each day is rated based on breaking wave height, swell period, and wind — updated hourly from the latest NOAA GFS run.
Thu, Sep 3: 2–3ft, 9s period, rated Very Poor. First light looks cleanest — 2-3ft on SE swell at 9s with 14mph SW winds. Onshore flow builds through the day to 19mph, bringing conditions down to very poor.
Fri, Sep 4: 2–3ft, 4s period, rated Very Poor. A slow one — 1-2ft waves and very poor conditions with strong WSW wind at 19mph. Winds do pick up a bit by the afternoon to 25mph.
Sat, Sep 5: 2–3+ft, 5s period, rated Fair. Patience pays off today — morning is very poor with 2-3+ft. The breeze eases and things smooth out to fair by PM.
Sun, Sep 6: 1–2ft, 5s period, rated Poor. Afternoon is the play — morning is only poor at 1-2ft. Things come together by the afternoon with 1-2ft at poor.
Mon, Sep 7: 3–4ft, 7s period, rated Good. Hold off if you can — morning starts out poor with 1-2ft waves. Swell fills in and gets up to 3-4ft by PM — good conditions.
Two days at a glance. Swipe for later hours.Five days at a glance. Drag for later hours.
Poor - Fair today — get one free email when Billy Mitchell Airport turns Good.
Check Billy Mitchell Airport from the lineup
Forecasts, surf alerts, and live conditions in the Swell Intel iPhone app.
Billy Mitchell Airport sits on the south-facing side of Hatteras Island near the Cape Hatteras region. This stretch catches S and SE swells particularly well — including hurricane swell that lights up the south-facing beaches when the rest of the OBX gets wind-blown. The uncrowded beach breaks offer mellow, forgiving waves for learning.
Wave heights shown are breaking wave heights — the actual rideable wave size at this spot.
The current wave height at Billy Mitchell Airport is 2-3ft with a 8.6s swell period. Wind is SW at 8mph. Conditions are rated Poor - Fair. The forecast updates hourly so you can plan your session around the cleanest windows.
The current breaking wave height at Billy Mitchell Airport is 2-3ft, produced by a 1.8ft SE primary swell at 9s, a 0.9ft SSW wind swell swell at 2s. Breaking wave height is the actual rideable wave size at the shore — calculated from offshore swell data using this spot's coastal bathymetry — not the raw buoy reading.
Based on the current 5-day forecast, the best window to surf Billy Mitchell Airport is Monday from 3 PM to 6 PM with 3ft waves, a 7.4s swell period, and conditions rated Good. Check the hourly forecast for updates as conditions can shift.
Billy Mitchell Airport works best with a S swell and N winds. Offshore winds groom the face of the wave, while onshore winds turn it sloppy. Cross-offshore conditions usually produce the cleanest shape.
Tide plays a big role at Billy Mitchell Airport. Mid tide works for most beach breaks, while reef and point breaks often prefer higher or lower stages. Use the tide chart above to line up your session with the swell peak.
Billy Mitchell Airport is a beach with a sand bottom, suited to beginner surfers. Billy Mitchell Airport sits on the south-facing side of Hatteras Island near the Cape Hatteras region. This stretch catches S and SE swells particularly well — including hurricane swell that lights up the south-facing beaches when the rest of the OBX gets wind-blown. The uncrowded beach breaks offer mellow, forgiving waves for learning.
The prime season at Billy Mitchell Airport is fall, when swell direction, wind patterns, and water temps line up most consistently. Outside the peak season you can still score, but you'll need to watch the forecast closely for the right windows.
Common hazards at Billy Mitchell Airport include shifting sandbars, occasional strong currents, shallow areas at low tide. Always check conditions before paddling out, respect local etiquette, and never surf alone if you're unfamiliar with the break.
Our Billy Mitchell Airport forecast uses NOAA GFS and other weather models combined with spot-specific bathymetry to calculate breaking wave heights. Short-range (1-3 day) forecasts are most reliable; extended forecasts show general trends. We also verify our offshore swell predictions against NOAA buoy measurements daily — see our accuracy page for those swell-verification metrics (buoys measure open-water swell, not breaking surf size).
