North Carolina
Here's how the next 5 days are shaping up at C Street, North Carolina. Each day is rated based on breaking wave height, swell period, and wind — updated hourly from the latest NOAA GFS run.
Sun, May 10: 1–2ft, 6s period, rated Poor. Pretty quiet out there — 1-2ft and mostly poor with strong SSE wind at 13mph.
Mon, May 11: 1–2ft, 12s period, rated Poor. A slow one — 1-2ft waves and poor conditions with 8mph SW winds.
Tue, May 12: 3–4ft, 7s period, rated Poor - Fair. Pretty quiet out there — 3-4ft and mostly poor - fair with moderate NNE wind around 11mph.
Wed, May 13: 1–2ft, 7s period, rated Poor. First light looks cleanest — 2-3ft on E swell at 7s with light winds out of the ESE. The SSE wind kicks in by afternoon — 13mph and poor by then.
Thu, May 14: 1–2ft, 7s period, rated Poor. Dawn patrol is the move — 2-3ft on S swell at 5s with gentle WNW breeze. It gets a bit messier later in the day.
7s period — conditions are improving beyond your forecast
Free, simple, and takes 30 seconds.
C Street at Wrightsville Beach is southeastern North Carolina's surf hub — and one of the most crowded lineups on the East Coast. The beach break produces legitimately hollow, powerful waves that tube on solid S and SE swells, surprising visitors who expect mellow East Coast mush. Fall brings the best combo of swell and offshore winds, though UNCW students flood the lineup during the school year.
Wave heights shown are breaking wave heights — the actual rideable wave size at this spot.
The current wave height at C Street is 1-2ft with a 5.95s swell period. Wind is SSE at 12mph and conditions are rated Poor. The forecast updates hourly so you can plan your session around the cleanest windows.
The current breaking wave height at C Street is 1-2ft, produced by a 0.6ft SE primary swell at 13s, a 2.5ft SSE wind swell swell at 6s. 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 C Street is Wednesday from 6 AM to 9 AM with 3ft waves, a 6.85s swell period, and conditions rated Fair. Check the hourly forecast for updates as conditions can shift.
C Street works best with a SE swell and W 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 C Street. 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.
C Street is a beach with a sand bottom, suited to intermediate surfers. C Street at Wrightsville Beach is southeastern North Carolina's surf hub — and one of the most crowded lineups on the East Coast. The beach break produces legitimately hollow, powerful waves that tube on solid S and SE swells, surprising visitors who expect mellow East Coast mush. Fall brings the best combo of swell and offshore winds, though UNCW students flood the lineup during the school year.
The prime season at C Street 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 C Street include extreme crowds, localism, strong currents on south swells, jellyfish, stingrays. Always check conditions before paddling out, respect local etiquette, and never surf alone if you're unfamiliar with the break.
Our C Street 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. See the forecast accuracy card above for per-spot and regional performance metrics.
