North Carolina
Slim pickings today — 1-2ft and very poor with 14mph out of the SSW.
Slim pickings today — 1-2ft and very poor with 14mph out of the SSW.
Best window·Tuesday 6AM–9AM·2-3ft·Fair
Here's how the next 5 days are shaping up at Ocracoke, 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: 1–2ft, 9s period, rated Very Poor. Dawn patrol is the move — 1-2ft on SE swell at 9s with strong SSW wind at 14mph. Onshore flow builds through the day to 18mph, bringing conditions down to very poor.
Fri, Sep 4: 2–3ft, 4s period, rated Very Poor. Pretty quiet out there — 1-2ft and mostly very poor with 16mph WSW winds. Expect the wind to bump up to around 24mph by PM.
Sat, Sep 5: 1–2ft, 5s period, rated Poor. Patience pays off today — morning is very poor with 1-2ft. Winds back off through the day and conditions clean up to poor by PM.
Sun, Sep 6: 1–2ft, 5s period, rated Poor. First light looks cleanest — 1-2ft on S swell at 5s with gentle NE breeze. Wind fills in through the day, pushing up to 17mph from the NE and dropping conditions to very poor.
Mon, Sep 7: 3–4ft, 7s period, rated Poor. Not the most exciting day — 2-3ft and poor conditions with 22mph out of the ENE.
Two days at a glance. Swipe for later hours.Five days at a glance. Drag for later hours.
Very Poor today — get one free email when Ocracoke turns Good.
Check Ocracoke from the lineup
Forecasts, surf alerts, and live conditions in the Swell Intel iPhone app.
Ocracoke is the wild card of North Carolina surfing — a remote barrier island accessible only by ferry with miles of empty beach breaks. The waves here are notoriously fast and racy, catching many surfers off guard. What works in Corolla won't work here and vice versa. Rare summer south swells can produce legendary sessions with no one around. The charming village and total lack of development make the ferry trip worthwhile.
Wave heights shown are breaking wave heights — the actual rideable wave size at this spot.
The current wave height at Ocracoke is 1-2ft with a 8.6s swell period. Wind is SSW at 14mph. Conditions are rated Very Poor. The forecast updates hourly so you can plan your session around the cleanest windows.
The current breaking wave height at Ocracoke is 1-2ft, 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 Ocracoke is Tuesday from 6 AM to 9 AM with 2ft waves, a 10.3s swell period, and conditions rated Fair. Check the hourly forecast for updates as conditions can shift.
Ocracoke works best with a SE swell and NW 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 Ocracoke. 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.
Ocracoke is a beach with a sand bottom, suited to intermediate surfers. Ocracoke is the wild card of North Carolina surfing — a remote barrier island accessible only by ferry with miles of empty beach breaks. The waves here are notoriously fast and racy, catching many surfers off guard. What works in Corolla won't work here and vice versa. Rare summer south swells can produce legendary sessions with no one around. The charming village and total lack of development make the ferry trip worthwhile.
The prime season at Ocracoke 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 Ocracoke include strong currents, limited services, ferry-dependent access. Always check conditions before paddling out, respect local etiquette, and never surf alone if you're unfamiliar with the break.
Our Ocracoke 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).
