Swell Intel

Cape Lookout Surf Forecast, North Carolina

North Carolina

Atlantic Beach1-2ftBogue Pier1-2ftCamp Lejeune1-2ft
Cape Lookout surf spot

Current Conditions

Poor
Wave Height
1-2ft
knee to waist high
Swell Period
6.8s
Wind
17mph
S / Gusts 25mph
Conditions
Poor
Active Swells
Primary
2.2ft @ 7sESE
Secondary
0.8ft @ 10sE
Wind Swell
3.0ft @ 4sS

Nearest Webcam

Daily Forecast

3 of 5 days
Tue, Mar 312-3ft
Poor - Fair

A slow one — 2-3ft waves and poor - fair conditions with gentle SW breeze.

6am9am12pm3pm
6s ESE|4mph SW
Wed, Apr 12-3ft
Poor

Slim pickings today — 1-2ft and poor with strong SSW wind at 14mph.

6am9am12pm3pm
7s ESE|11-14mph SSW
Thu, Apr 22-3ft
Poor

The sweet spot is around midday — 2-3ft waves, moderate S wind around 7mph, fair conditions. It's a bit wonky first thing but settles down.

6am9am12pm3pm
8s ESE|7-9mph S
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Sat

Forecast Charts

Cape Lookout Surf Spot Guide

Break
Beach
Bottom
Sand
Level
Intermediate
Crowd
Light
Best Swell
SE
Best Wind
NW
Season
Fall

Cape Lookout National Seashore is the ultimate East Coast adventure surf destination — 58 miles of undeveloped barrier islands accessible only by boat or ferry from Harkers Island. The cape geometry picks up a wide swell window and can produce world-class waves with virtually no crowd. Hurricane swells are prime time. Be warned: this area has the highest concentration of large sharks on the East Coast, and there are no services on the islands.

Sharks (great whites, bulls, tigers)Isolation — boat access onlyStrong rips and undertowNo medical servicesNeed cooperative boat captain

Wave heights shown are breaking wave heights — the actual rideable wave size at this spot.

Cape Lookout Surf Forecast FAQ

What is the current surf forecast for Cape Lookout?
The current wave height at Cape Lookout is 1-2ft with a 6.8s swell period. Wind is S at 17mph. Conditions are rated Poor.
How accurate is the Cape Lookout surf forecast?
Our Cape Lookout 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.
What is the breaking wave height at Cape Lookout?
The current breaking wave height at Cape Lookout is 1-2ft, produced by a 2.2ft ESE primary swell at 7s, a 0.8ft E secondary swell at 10s, a 3ft S wind swell swell at 4s. 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.
When is the best time to surf Cape Lookout?
Based on the current 5-day forecast, the best window to surf Cape Lookout is Saturday from 6 AM to 9 AM with 3ft waves, a 8.2s swell period, and conditions rated Fair. Check the hourly forecast for updates as conditions can shift.