Outer Banks North Carolina · Today

Nags Head

NWS MHX · NCZ203; official reef-face range: 3–4 ft

Updated Tue, Sep 22, 7:40 PM EDT

When to go

No clear pick yet

There is not enough current forecast information to choose a spot.

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What's missing?

No usable upcoming daylight wave or wind evidence is available. Check Tomorrow if today’s daylight has ended.

Other wind windows

Plan around the wind

The best available upcoming daylight wind sample to compare with the wave evidence. This compares wind only; wave size, tide suitability, and hazards can change your choice.

No upcoming daytime sample has current, finite wind evidence.

How these periods are chosen

The planner prefers three consecutive hourly samples covering two daylight hours, but retains shorter one- or two-sample evidence when that is all the forecast provides. Light wind means at most 6 kt. Moderate offshore means at most 12 kt from land toward the sea when shore orientation is verified. Strong wind or known gusts of 20 kt or more remain visible as cautions instead of making the entire comparison disappear. These are comparison labels, not locally tested surf-quality or safety ratings. Missing gusts remain unknown. Terrain shelter, currents, closures, and your ability are not assessed.

Forecast confidence

Returned marine grid point is 1.4 km from the mapped spot. Provider grid resolution is not established for this response.
Reference model hour: 0 hours from now; historical residuals do not measure forecast lead-time error.
No accepted local model for these inputs: missing history, unsupported direction/period/height, or failed historical validation.
A mapped coordinate does not establish nearshore grid resolution or terrain/shelter accuracy.

Wind NE 19.1 kt

Tide 1 ft falling

Wave, wind and tide details

Offshore model swellENE 1.2 ft @ 8sValid 2026-09-22 20:00 · America/New_YorkMarine grid 35.9583, -75.6250 · offshore model, not a local measurement

Offshore model sea4.2 ft @ 5.7sSignificant wave height including wind waves and swell; not breaking surfValid 2026-09-22 20:00 · America/New_York

Model windNE 19.1 ktonshoreValid 2026-09-22 20:00 · America/New_York13.7 kt onshore component

Tide1 ftfallingNOAA Oregon Inlet Marina 8652587 · 20.7 km from Nags Head · predicted height relative to MLLWRetrieved Sep 22, 7:46 PM EDT · provider issue time unavailable69% of adjacent local low–high range · descriptive, not a safety rating

NWS MHX · NCZ203

Rip Current Risk*...........High. Surf Height.................3 to 4 feet. Thunderstorm Potential**....Low. UV Index**..................High. Water Temperature...........In the upper 70s. Weather.....................Mostly cloudy. A chance of showers and a slight chance of thunderstorms. High Temperature............In the lower 80s. Winds.......................Northeast winds around 15 mph. Tides... Duck Pier................Low 1.1 feet (MLLW) 10:39 AM EDT. High 3.6 feet (MLLW) 05:11 PM EDT.

REST OF TODAYOfficial breaking-surf height for Northern Outer Banks; forecast-zone range, not a calibrated break transformationIssued Sep 22, 10:08 AM EDT

Nags Head, NC (243) buoy 44086 · 19 km from Nags Head7.2 ft @ 9sNDBC significant wave height (Hs) from a buoy in this spot’s checked seaward hemisphere; not breaking-wave face heightObserved Sep 22, 7:00 PM EDT

Surf height unavailable. Coastal and offshore waves are not breaking-wave heights.

Surf and wind

Recommended window: No recommended window

Breaking surf is not reliably resolved. Hourly offshore swell and wind inputs are listed below.

Hourly forecast

Hourly surf forecast for Nags Head
Time	Wind	Tide	Offshore swell
12 AM	ENE 6 ktonshore	0.5 ftrising	ENE 1.4 ft @ 6s
1 AM	ENE 6.2 ktonshore	0.5 ftrising	NE 1.4 ft @ 5s
2 AM	ENE 5.9 ktonshore	1 ftrising	NE 1.4 ft @ 5s
3 AM	ENE 6.3 ktonshore	1 ftrising	NE 1.4 ft @ 5s
4 AM	NE 7.5 ktonshore	1 ftrising	NE 1.4 ft @ 5s
5 AM	ENE 7.8 ktonshore	1 ftrising	NE 1.4 ft @ 5s
6 AM	NE 7.6 ktonshore	1 ftfalling	NE 1.4 ft @ 5s
7 AM	NE 7.4 ktonshore	1 ftfalling	NE 1.6 ft @ 5s
8 AM	NE 7.9 ktonshore	1 ftfalling	NE 1.6 ft @ 5s
9 AM	NNE 8.8 ktcross-shore	0.5 ftfalling	NE 1.8 ft @ 5s
10 AM	NE 8.2 ktonshore	0.5 ftfalling	NE 2.0 ft @ 5s
11 AM	ENE 7.3 ktonshore	0.5 ftfalling	NE 2.1 ft @ 6s
Noon	ENE 6.1 ktonshore	0.5 ftrising	NE 2.2 ft @ 6s
1 PM	NE 5.3 ktcross-shore	0.5 ftrising	NE 2.3 ft @ 6s
2 PM	NNE 9.1 ktcross-shore	0.5 ftrising	NE 2.4 ft @ 6s
3 PM	NNE 7.9 ktcross-shore	1 ftrising	NE 2.3 ft @ 6s
4 PM	NE 11 ktcross-shore	1 ftrising	NE 2.2 ft @ 6s
5 PM	NE 9.9 ktonshore	1 ftrising	NE 2.1 ft @ 7s
6 PM	NE 13.8 ktcross-shore	1 ftfalling	ENE 1.8 ft @ 7s
7 PM	NE 18 ktcross-shore	1 ftfalling	ENE 1.5 ft @ 8s
8 PM	NE 19.1 ktonshore	1 ftfalling	ENE 1.2 ft @ 8s
9 PM	NE 20.3 ktcross-shore	1 ftfalling	ENE 1.2 ft @ 8s
10 PM	NE 19.3 ktcross-shore	1 ftfalling	ENE 1.2 ft @ 9s
11 PM	NE 18.6 ktcross-shore	0.5 ftfalling	ENE 1.2 ft @ 9s

12 AMUnavailable

WindENE 6 ktonshoreTide0.5 ftrisingOffshore swellENE 1.4 ft @ 6s

1 AMUnavailable

WindENE 6.2 ktonshoreTide0.5 ftrisingOffshore swellNE 1.4 ft @ 5s

2 AMUnavailable

WindENE 5.9 ktonshoreTide1 ftrisingOffshore swellNE 1.4 ft @ 5s

3 AMUnavailable

WindENE 6.3 ktonshoreTide1 ftrisingOffshore swellNE 1.4 ft @ 5s

4 AMUnavailable

WindNE 7.5 ktonshoreTide1 ftrisingOffshore swellNE 1.4 ft @ 5s

5 AMUnavailable

WindENE 7.8 ktonshoreTide1 ftrisingOffshore swellNE 1.4 ft @ 5s

6 AMUnavailable

WindNE 7.6 ktonshoreTide1 ftfallingOffshore swellNE 1.4 ft @ 5s

7 AMUnavailable

WindNE 7.4 ktonshoreTide1 ftfallingOffshore swellNE 1.6 ft @ 5s

8 AMUnavailable

WindNE 7.9 ktonshoreTide1 ftfallingOffshore swellNE 1.6 ft @ 5s

9 AMUnavailable

WindNNE 8.8 ktcross-shoreTide0.5 ftfallingOffshore swellNE 1.8 ft @ 5s

10 AMUnavailable

WindNE 8.2 ktonshoreTide0.5 ftfallingOffshore swellNE 2.0 ft @ 5s

11 AMUnavailable

WindENE 7.3 ktonshoreTide0.5 ftfallingOffshore swellNE 2.1 ft @ 6s

NoonUnavailable

WindENE 6.1 ktonshoreTide0.5 ftrisingOffshore swellNE 2.2 ft @ 6s

1 PMUnavailable

WindNE 5.3 ktcross-shoreTide0.5 ftrisingOffshore swellNE 2.3 ft @ 6s

2 PMUnavailable

WindNNE 9.1 ktcross-shoreTide0.5 ftrisingOffshore swellNE 2.4 ft @ 6s

3 PMUnavailable

WindNNE 7.9 ktcross-shoreTide1 ftrisingOffshore swellNE 2.3 ft @ 6s

4 PMUnavailable

WindNE 11 ktcross-shoreTide1 ftrisingOffshore swellNE 2.2 ft @ 6s

5 PMUnavailable

WindNE 9.9 ktonshoreTide1 ftrisingOffshore swellNE 2.1 ft @ 7s

6 PMUnavailable

WindNE 13.8 ktcross-shoreTide1 ftfallingOffshore swellENE 1.8 ft @ 7s

7 PMUnavailable

WindNE 18 ktcross-shoreTide1 ftfallingOffshore swellENE 1.5 ft @ 8s

8 PMUnavailable

WindNE 19.1 ktonshoreTide1 ftfallingOffshore swellENE 1.2 ft @ 8s

9 PMUnavailable

WindNE 20.3 ktcross-shoreTide1 ftfallingOffshore swellENE 1.2 ft @ 8s

10 PMUnavailable

WindNE 19.3 ktcross-shoreTide1 ftfallingOffshore swellENE 1.2 ft @ 9s

11 PMUnavailable

WindNE 18.6 ktcross-shoreTide0.5 ftfallingOffshore swellENE 1.2 ft @ 9s

Tide

NOAA Oregon Inlet Marina 8652587 · 20.7 km from Nags Head · MLLW

Interpolated tide height Recommended window

About this spot

Model-grid forecast requested at the mapped coordinate; reef, headland, and nearshore transformations are unresolved. Beach/jetty break.

Mapped spot coordinate: 35.97, -75.63.

Mainland · Coast not verified · Ocean-facing bearing 90° · Location provenance

Model request point: Nags Head (35.97, -75.63). Model output times describe valid conditions; the provider does not expose the model run issue time in this response.

Forecast sources

Data coverage 5/5 sources

Source availability is not forecast accuracy. Where an empirical model passes historical testing, its error and interval coverage are shown above. Source count cannot increase that confidence.

Coverage tier A · US_EAST · spot-level model point

NWS MHX · NCZ203; official reef-face range3–4 ftCurrent · Sep 22, 10:08 AM EDT

NWS MHX · NCZ203
NWS MHX · NCZ203; Official breaking-surf height for Northern Outer Banks; forecast-zone range, not a calibrated break transformationCurrentSep 22, 10:08 AM EDT
Nags Head, NC (243) buoy 44086 · 19 km from Nags Head
Nags Head, NC (243) buoy 44086 · 19 km from Nags Head; NDBC significant wave height (Hs) from a buoy in this spot’s checked seaward hemisphere; not breaking-wave face heightCurrentSep 22, 7:00 PM EDT
NOAA CO-OPS Tides and Currents API
NOAA Oregon Inlet Marina 8652587 · 20.7 km from Nags Head; predicted high/low events above MLLW, converted to feet. Timestamp is retrieval time; provider issue time is not supplied.CurrentSep 22, 7:46 PM EDT
Open-Meteo Marine API
1 of 1 configured model points availableCurrentSep 22, 7:45 PM EDT
Open-Meteo Weather API
1 of 1 configured model points availableCurrentSep 22, 7:45 PM EDT
Surf-Forecast public pages
Spot discovery and break-specific HTML fallbackNot applicableNo source time
Surfline public spot pages
Break-specific comparison, cams, and metadataNot applicableNo source time

How best guesses are made

Best guesses combine usable wave and wind evidence, with qualitative confidence and specific limitations. A missing tide or local surf-height model does not prevent useful guidance. Tide levels use the named station datum; their effect at this break remains uncertain. Wind direction is relative to the mapped beach orientation, without calibrated terrain or shelter effects. The comparison is a heuristic, not a measured quality rating.