The week ahead

When should you go?

Eight days for Swansboro. Each day scored on the water, not on the sky — afternoon storms get their own line, because here they nearly always turn up.

SouthportWilmingtonWrightsville BeachSurf CitySwansboroBeaufort
Pick of the week

Friday is workable — 11 kt NNE. Best window 8am–6pm.

See it hour by hourPlan the runFull briefing

Today

Oct 16

Not a day to be out in. Wait it out.

Stay in
Wind
12kt
SSW
Seas
2.8ft
Short and steep
Best window
gone
too little daylight left
12a6anoon6p12a
4-second period — wind chop. 2.8 ft at this spacing rides like 6.1 ft.
Hour by hourPlan a run

Tomorrow

Oct 17Weekend

Rough through the daylight. Bigger hulls only.

Rough
Wind
9–16kt
N
Seas
3.4ft
Short and steep
Best window
none
no calm run in daylight
12a6anoon6p12a
4-second period — wind chop. 3.4 ft at this spacing rides like 7.5 ft.
Hour by hourPlan a run

Sunday

Oct 18Weekend

Not a day to be out in. Wait it out.

Stay in
Wind
19kt
NNE
Seas
4.3ft
Short and steep
Best window
none
no calm run in daylight
12a6anoon6p12a
5-second period — wind chop. 4.3 ft at this spacing rides like 9.5 ft.
Hour by hourPlan a run

Monday

Oct 19

Not a day to be out in. Wait it out.

Stay in
Wind
17kt
N
Seas
3.4ft
Mixed
Best window
none
no calm run in daylight
12a6anoon6p12a
7-second period — neither chop nor clean swell.
Hour by hourPlan a run

Tuesday

Oct 20

Only really workable 11am–6pm. Rough either side of it.

Rough
Wind
11kt
NNW
Seas
1.8ft
Short and steep
Best window
11am–6pm
8 hrs · workable
12a6anoon6p12a
5-second period — wind chop. 1.8 ft at this spacing rides like 2.9 ft.
Hour by hourPlan a run

Wednesday

Oct 21

Rough through the daylight. Bigger hulls only.

Rough
Wind
12kt
N
Seas
2.1ft
Short and steep
Best window
none
no calm run in daylight
12a6anoon6p12a
4-second period — wind chop. 2.1 ft at this spacing rides like 4.6 ft.
Hour by hourPlan a run

Thursday

Oct 22

Not a day to be out in. Wait it out.

Stay in
Wind
12kt
N
Seas
2.4ft
Short and steep
Best window
none
no calm run in daylight
12a6anoon6p12a
4-second period — wind chop. 2.4 ft at this spacing rides like 5.0 ft.
Hour by hourPlan a run

Friday

Oct 23

Comfortable 8am–6pm, and easy either side of it.

Workable
Wind
11kt
NNE
Seas
—ft
no wave model here
Best window
8am–6pm
11 hrs · workable
12a6anoon6p12a
Hour by hourPlan a run

Saturday

Oct 24Weekend

The models do not reach this far out for this spot.

No forecast yet

Nothing has been filled in for this day. The wind model runs about eight days out and the wave model about seven — beyond that we would be guessing, so we don’t.

Wind, gusts and thunder — NWS gridpoint forecast. Seas and period — Open-Meteo marine model. Tide — NOAA CO-OPS Swansboro (8656613). Daylight computed for Swansboro.

A forecast eight days out is a shape, not a promise. The first three days are worth planning around; past that, watch the trend and check again. Sea state is a model, not a measurement — the wave model does not resolve the sounds or the ICW, so inshore days often show no seas at all. That is missing data, not flat water.