Masonboro Island Surf Forecast
North Carolina, NC · Boat/paddle access jetty break south of Wrightsville.
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Masonboro Island Spot Guide
Best swell
Ideal size
Best wind
The wave
Local knowledge
Masonboro is Wrightsville's wilder twin — an undeveloped barrier island where the north-end bars bend swell off the jetty into hollow peaks. The paddle across the inlet is the price of admission, and on hurricane swells it buys some of the best waves in southeastern North Carolina.
Live cams
Nearby spots
- Wrightsville Beach (Crystal Pier) 2 mi · North Carolina
- Wrightsville Beach (Mercers Pier) 3 mi · North Carolina
- Carolina Beach 11 mi · North Carolina
- Kure Beach 14 mi · North Carolina
- Topsail Beach 16 mi · North Carolina
FAQ
What swell direction works best at Masonboro Island?
ESE swell hits Masonboro Island straight on. The spot picks up anything arriving from ENE (60°) through S (190°); swell from outside that window is blocked by the coastline.
What wind is best at Masonboro Island?
WNW wind blows offshore and grooms the surf. ESE wind is straight onshore and chops it up; light wind under ~5 kn is fine from any direction.
When is the best time of year to surf Masonboro Island?
Late summer through fall is prime: hurricane season (August-October) sends the year's best long-period swell, and fall-winter nor'easters keep it pumping. Summer runs smallest outside of tropical systems.
What's the best tide at Masonboro Island?
Low to mid. Tide predictions for the spot's NOAA station are in the forecast above.
Is Masonboro Island good for beginners?
Experienced surfers — the commitment of a paddle or boat ride, plus inlet current.
How warm is the water at Masonboro Island?
Roughly 47°F at its late-winter coldest to about 82°F in late summer. In practice that means a hooded 4/3 or 5/4 in winter and trunks or a rash guard in summer. The forecast above shows the current water temperature.
How far out is this forecast reliable?
The wave model has real skill to about 10 days, and we cut the chart there instead of padding it with guesses. Days 1-3 are solid, 4-7 useful, 8-10 a trend heads-up - and we publish our measured error against NOAA buoys, updated continuously.
Forecast from TrueSwell's own physics-based wave model (exposure → refraction → breaking, every swell train separately), built on public NOAA and Open-Meteo data and scored daily against NDBC buoy observations. How the model works →