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Outer Banks surf beneath the striped Cape Hatteras Lighthouse
Conditions forecast

Outer Banks, Nags Head

United States · Part of North Carolina

Updated recently

As of 23:00 GMT-4 on 11 October 2026, Outer Banks, Nags Head scores 25/100 (Poor) for surf on PeakWave.

Wind
Surf · Today’s score · Poor
25/100

Wave energy: limiting. Tide: ideal.

No sea temperature here today, so the cold-water check is left out.

Swell
1.1 m
11 s · E
Wind
52 km/h
Onshore
Tide
Falling
Modelled timing
Water
Unavailable

Don't bother today: 25.

Experienced surfers only.

Better nearby

Nothing else in North Carolina beats Outer Banks, Nags Head by a clear margin today.

See every North Carolina surf spot today
⚠ Strong wind: Strong wind: limiting. Shown separately from the conditions score.
    Main limiter
    Wave energy
    Strongest positive
    Tide

    PeakWave scores are planning signals, not safety clearance. Check local authorities, official bulletins and on-site conditions before you go. Read our editorial policy.

    What matters for this session

    Read the swell size, period and direction together with the wind at the beach. The tide chart below adds timing context for this break.

    Today's forecast

    Local time 11:27pm

    No sustained good daylight window remains today.

    12am
    🌧️
    Dark
    1am
    🌧️
    Dark
    2am
    🌧️
    Dark
    3am
    🌧️
    Dark
    4am
    🌧️
    Dark
    5am
    🌧️
    Dark
    6am
    ☁️
    Dark
    7am
    ☁️
    Dark
    8am
    ☁️
    29
    Poor
    1.2m · 7s
    ↑ 16 km/h
    Water unavailable
    9am
    🌧️
    26
    Poor
    1.1m · 7s
    ↑ 12 km/h
    Water unavailable
    10am
    🌧️
    22
    Poor
    1.1m · 7s
    ↑ 19 km/h
    Water unavailable
    11am
    ☁️
    24
    Poor
    1.0m · 7s
    ↑ 15 km/h
    Water unavailable
    12pm
    ☁️
    19
    Flat
    1.0m · 7s
    ↑ 25 km/h
    Water unavailable
    1pm
    🌧️
    19
    Flat
    1.0m · 7s
    ↑ 21 km/h
    Water unavailable
    2pm
    ☁️
    17
    Flat
    0.9m · 7s
    ↑ 22 km/h
    Water unavailable
    3pm
    ☁️
    10
    Flat
    0.9m · 7s
    ↑ 34 km/h
    Water unavailable
    4pm
    ☁️
    11
    Flat
    0.8m · 7s
    ↑ 30 km/h
    Water unavailable
    5pm
    ☁️
    10
    Flat
    0.8m · 7s
    ↑ 30 km/h
    Water unavailable
    6pm
    ☁️
    9
    Flat
    0.7m · 7s
    ↑ 33 km/h
    Water unavailable
    7pm
    ☁️
    Dark
    8pm
    ☁️
    Dark
    9pm
    ☁️
    Dark
    10pm
    🌤️
    Dark
    11pm
    ☁️
    Dark

    Tide

    Modelled tide

    Heights relative to mean sea level

    5am8pm
    High 08:36+0.5 m
    Low 14:57-0.4 m
    8:00amsunrise7:00pmsunset

    Next 7 days

    Forecast via Open-Meteo
    Today
    11 Oct
    🌧️
    25/100
    1.2 m swell · 7 s
    Wind 52 km/h
    quiet
    Sunday
    Caution
    Best conditions
    Tomorrow
    12 Oct
    ☁️
    5/100
    0.5 m swell · 6 s
    Wind 42 km/h
    empty
    Midweek
    Caution
    Tue
    13 Oct
    ☁️
    11/100
    0.4 m swell · 4 s
    Wind 17 km/h
    empty
    Midweek
    Wed
    14 Oct
    ☀️
    4/100
    0.3 m swell · 5 s
    Wind 14 km/h
    empty
    Midweek
    Thu
    15 Oct
    ☀️
    13/100
    0.5 m swell · 4 s
    Wind 14 km/h
    empty
    Midweek
    Fri
    16 Oct
    🌧️
    10/100
    0.5 m swell · 4 s
    Wind 20 km/h
    empty
    Friday
    Sat
    17 Oct
    🌧️
    21/100
    0.7 m swell · 7 s
    Wind 32 km/h
    quiet
    Saturday
    Caution

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    Frequently asked questions

    How often is this page updated?

    Each location is refreshed every three hours. The hourly view, 7-day forecast, luck factor and packing notes come from the same stored update.

    What is the luck factor?

    We compare the 7-day forecast with the version-matched historical observations available for the same time of year at Outer Banks. The delta shows whether conditions look better, worse or about the same as a typical mid-October.

    How is 'best session' picked?

    We score each day of the 7-day forecast using the same algorithm as the leaderboard, and highlight the highest scorer.

    Where does the data come from?

    Open-Meteo's Marine API (swell height, period, water temperature) and Weather API (wind and conditions).

    Does the score capture local knowledge?

    Partly. The model uses stored spot geometry, swell ranges and tide preferences where configured. It cannot see changing banks, crowds, access, closures or everything visible on a local cam, so treat it as a starting point.

    When is the best time for Surf at Outer Banks?

    The best week for surf at Outer Banks is the week of 30 November (score 3/5) with low crowds.