Beach Guide

Wrightsville Beach Conditions Today

Wrightsville Beach right now: water 68°F, surf 3–4 ft, wind 14 mph from the ENE. Next low tide at 8:09 PM.

live · NOAA + Open-Meteo

yellow

3–4 ft

surf

Overcast, high near 70°. No real rain risk. All-day beach window.

forecast

Slide Through the Day

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12 PM

or watch the whole day fly by

68°

Air

68°

Feels

68°

Water

11 mph

Wind

3

UV

1%

Rain

Hour by Hour

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Rain OutlookOpen-Meteo

tap an hour
6 AM10 AM2 PM6 PM9 PM

Top rain chance is just 2% — pack the sunscreen, not the umbrella.

Tide

0.3 ft · falling ↘

Next low tide

12:24 PM 0.2 ft

T−…

1.9 ft of drop from the 7:54 AM high; the wet sand is widest from about 11:24 AM.

HIGHLOWrisingfalling
12A6A12P6P12A
High 7:54 AM
Low 12:24 PM
High 8:18 PM
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Wind

NESW

11 mph

from the NE

UV Index

3

Moderate

easy sunscreen day

Time to Burn

UV 3 · incl. sand glare
48min

for unprotected fair skin (burns easily, tans a little). SPF 30 if you are out for more than an hour.

An estimate from the standard erythemal dose model, not a medical limit. Darker skin burns more slowly than this, people vary either way, and sunscreen only helps if you use enough of it and reapply.

Rip Current Riskestimated

today
ESCAPE: SWIM PARALLEL
Low
Moderate
High

Currents strong enough to pull swimmers offshore. Stay near a lifeguard tower.

Caught in one? Don’t fight it. Swim parallel to the beach until you’re free, then angle back in.

Beach Flag

Yellow Flag

stay close to shore

estimated · trust the lifeguard

Stingers & Biters

modelled, not observed

Based on wind, water temperature and humidity. Nobody publishes a live count, so this is what conditions favour today.

Portuguese man o' warUnlikely

The wind has been blowing along or off the beach, which keeps them offshore.

No-see-umsUnlikely

13 mph breeze around sunset should keep them down.

Water by Monthtypical

avg 2021–2024
54
J
54
F
59
M
65
A
72
M
78
J
85
J
84
A
80
S
73
O
66
N
57
D

Warmest around July (85°), coolest around January (54°).

surf’s up (gently)

Tides are NOAA predictions (Wrightsville Beach station 8658163); temps, wind, UV, waves and water temp are live from Open-Meteo; rip current risk from the NWS surf-zone forecast. Flag status is estimated from wave height and wind, so always trust the lifeguard’s actual flag over this app.

Wrightsville Beach conditions today

The water at Wrightsville Beach is 68°F (20°C) today, 2°F warmer than the usual 66°F for November. For swimming it is cool but swimmable. Waves are 3–4 ft (rough). The air is 68°F, with breezy 14 mph winds from the ENE. The UV index reaches 4 (moderate).

The water holds steady around 68°F through Sun Nov 8.

Wrightsville Beach 7-day forecast

The week ahead at Wrightsville Beach, day by day: the sky, the high, the strongest wind and the biggest waves, the UV peak and the daytime chance of rain, and the water temperature. The calmest day for a swim looks like Sun Nov 8.

DaySkyHighWindWavesUVRainWater
TodayCloudy70°F14 mph3.1 ft42%68°F
Tue Nov 3Partly cloudy74°F15 mph2.7 ft52%68°F
Wed Nov 4Cloudy77°F10 mph2.8 ft51%68°F
Thu Nov 5Cloudy79°F10 mph3.1 ft510%69°F
Fri Nov 6Showers79°F8 mph3.1 ft446%69°F
Sat Nov 7Drizzle75°F9 mph2.6 ft44%69°F
Sun Nov 8Cloudy71°F13 mph2.2 ft45%69°F

Tide times at Wrightsville Beach

High and low tides for the next 7 days, from NOAA’s predictions for tide station 8658163. Heights are in feet above the average low tide. The shell window is the last hour and a quarter of the ebb and the first three-quarters of the flood around the day’s lowest daylight low, when the most sand is bare; the lowest low of the week is marked.

Highs and lows, this weekNOAA
DayTide 1Tide 2Tide 3Tide 4Shell window
TodayHigh 12:46 AM 4.1Low 7:13 AM 0.8High 1:12 PM 4.6Low 8:09 PM 0.65:58 AM–7:58 AM
Tue Nov 3High 1:49 AM 4.2Low 8:21 AM 0.7High 2:13 PM 4.5Low 9:01 PM 0.47:06 AM–9:06 AM
Wed Nov 4High 2:53 AM 4.4Low 9:20 AM 0.5High 3:15 PM 4.4Low 9:47 PM 0.38:05 AM–10:05 AM
Thu Nov 5High 3:52 AM 4.7Low 10:13 AM 0.4High 4:12 PM 4.3Low 10:32 PM 0.28:58 AM–10:58 AM
Fri Nov 6High 4:45 AM 4.9Low 11:04 AM 0.4High 5:01 PM 4.3Low 11:15 PM 0.19:49 AM–11:49 AM
Sat Nov 7High 5:31 AM 5.1Low 11:52 AM 0.3High 5:45 PM 4.3Low 11:58 PM 0.110:37 AM–12:37 PM · best
Sun Nov 8High 6:14 AM 5.2Low 12:39 PM 0.3High 6:27 PM 4.2—11:24 AM–1:24 PM

Wrightsville Beach water temperature by month

The average sea temperature at Wrightsville Beach for each month (2021–2024). The water is warmest in July (85°F) and coolest in January (54°F). It averages 74°F or warmer, comfortable for most swimmers, in June, July, August, September.

MonthWater °FWater °CFor swimming
January54°F12°CCold
February54°F12°CCold
March59°F15°CCold
April65°F18°CChilly
May72°F22°CCool
June78°F26°CComfortable
July85°F29°CWarm
August84°F29°CWarm
September80°F27°CComfortable
October73°F23°CCool
November (now)66°F19°CChilly
December57°F14°CCold

Staying safe at Wrightsville Beach

Rip currents. If a current pulls you away from shore, don’t fight it: swim parallel to the beach until you are out of it, then swim back in. If you can’t, float and wave for help.

Sun. The UV index peaks at 4 today. Wear SPF 30 and reapply every two hours and after swimming.

Dogs. Dogs are allowed right now, on a leash. Allowed until April 1.

Swim near a lifeguard when one is on duty, and follow the beach flags and posted signs. The Wrightsville Beach rules page covers dogs, alcohol, fires and more.

How to read beach conditions

Waves

Under 1 ft is calm, good for small children and floating. 1–2 ft is small, fine for most swimmers. 2–4 ft is moderate: fun for bodyboarding, harder for weak swimmers. 4–6 ft is rough, and over 6 ft is dangerous for swimming. Today at Wrightsville Beach it’s rough.

Wind

Under 8 mph is light and pleasant. 8–15 mph is breezy, good for kites and cooler on a hot day. 15–25 mph blows sand and whips up the water. Over 25 mph most people pack up. Today at Wrightsville Beach it’s breezy.

UV index

0–2 is low, 3–5 moderate, 6–7 high, 8–10 very high and 11 or more extreme. At 8 or more, fair skin can burn in under 20 minutes. The UV index is highest around midday even when it is cloudy.

Water temperature

Under 60°F is cold and most people want a wetsuit. 68–73°F is cool but swimmable. 74–79°F feels comfortable, and 80°F or more feels warm.

Wrightsville Beach conditions FAQ

What is the water temperature at Wrightsville Beach today?

68°F (20°C), 2°F warmer than the usual 66°F for November.

Is the water warm enough to swim at Wrightsville Beach today?

At 68°F the water is cool but swimmable. Waves are 3–4 ft, which is rough.

How big are the waves at Wrightsville Beach today?

3–4 ft, which is rough. The wind is 14 mph from the ENE.

What time is high tide at Wrightsville Beach today?

High tide is at 12:46 AM and 1:12 PM, and low tide is at 7:13 AM and 8:09 PM. Times are NOAA predictions.

What is the UV index at Wrightsville Beach today?

The UV index peaks at 4 (moderate). Wear SPF 30 and reapply every two hours and after swimming.

What is the beach weather at Wrightsville Beach this week?

Highs run 70–79°F over the next 7 days. No day has a strong chance of rain. The calmest day for a swim looks like Sun Nov 8.

What is the water temperature at Wrightsville Beach in November?

The water at Wrightsville Beach averages about 66°F (19°C) in November.

When is the water warmest at Wrightsville Beach?

July is the warmest month, averaging 85°F. January is the coolest, at 54°F.

What is the best time of year to swim at Wrightsville Beach?

The water averages 74°F or warmer from June, July, August and September. July is the warmest, at 85°F.

Conditions at beaches near Wrightsville Beach

The usual water temperature in November at the nearest beaches. Tap one for its live conditions.

Carolina Beach conditions13 mi66°F
Myrtle Beach conditions72 mi64°F
Isle of Palms conditions151 mi66°F
Sullivan's Island conditions154 mi66°F
Folly Beach conditions164 mi67°F
Kiawah Island conditions172 mi67°F

More for Wrightsville Beach: parking · sunset time tonight · things to do · US water temperatures today →