Surf Forecasts:
Columbia St surf forecast from 14 Sep 2026:
- Most powerful swell: Tuesday 15 Sep, 5AM (local time) - 4.5ft (1.3m), 6s period, E swell with 130 kJ wave energy.
Best Forecast Surf Conditions for Columbia St this week:
The most powerful waves expected at Columbia St in the next 16 days are 1.3m 6s and forecast to arrive on Tuesday (Sep 15) at 5AM. Winds are predicted to be cross-shore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 0.5m 4s period and expected on Monday (Sep 21) at 8AM.
| Wave Type | Time (EDT) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | - | - |
| Best Surf | - | - |
| Most Powerful | 5AM (Tue 15th Sep) | 4.5ft (1.3m) 6s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Columbia St over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
Alright folks, Rusty here. Gotta be straight with you – if you’re sitting there with your board and hoping for a solid session at Columbia St, you’re gonna be waiting a while. Looking at the whole 16-day window, there’s nothing good on offer for the first eleven days. The pattern is flat, weak, and messy. Starting on Monday the 14th all the way through the 24th, we’ve got tiny swell, mostly onshore or cross-shore wind, and consistent “poor surf conditions.” The wave heights stay under 3 ft, the energy is pitiful (the highest combined energy reading in that stretch is just 155), and the period is short and junky. There’s no standouts here. A blank run like this is pretty normal for the area.
Then, finally, around Friday the 25th, something changes. A pulse of swell rolls in – we go from almost nothing to a clean 6 ft east-northeasterly (ENE) up at 8 seconds. The combined energy jumps hard to 358, and early Friday morning the conditions are clean. For the first time, the score is more than zero, but it's still only "expect good surf conditions" not a classic. Saturday the 26th looks like the best in the whole run. Saturday morning at Columbia St (New York) we get a solid 7 ft east swell, period 9 seconds, combined energy of 694 – that’s strong energy – and a light cross-off breeze. The water temp is a warm 82°F, which is about 1°F above normal, so real nice for this time of year.
The swell size on Saturday is over 5 ft, so it could be a bit much for beginners, but you gotta weigh that against the clean conditions. For what’s on offer, Saturday morning is the standout. The swell direction is a touch east of optimum (which is northeast) but with that cross-off wind, it should line up okay. Crowds? Columbia St is often packed, so expect company. After that, Sunday the 27th and Monday the 28th drop off with cross-shore wind and rain making it messy, combined with moderate wave energy that drops from 816 down to 488. Tuesday the 29th has some clean, ordinary waist-high leftovers but nothing to get excited about. Realistically, aim for Saturday the 26th – that’s your one good chance.
Rusty.
Short Range ForecastMostly dry. Warm (max 33°C on Mon afternoon, min 21°C on Tue morning). Wind will be generally light. | Days 4-6 Weather SummarySome drizzle, heaviest during Sat night. Warm (max 28°C on Fri afternoon, min 20°C on Thu morning). Wind will be generally light. | ||||||||||||||||||||
Monday 14 | Tuesday 15 | Wednesday 16 | Thursday 17 | Friday 18 | Saturday 19 | Sunday 20 | |||||||||||||||
AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | |
Swell Height Map |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | ||||||||||||||
Wave Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SE 9 | SE 9 | E 6 | E 6 | E 6 | E 6 | ENE 6 | E 6 | E 6 | E 7 | E 8 | E 7 | E 7 | E 7 | ESE 7 | SE 9 | SE 8 | SE 8 | SE 8 | SE 8 | SE 9 |
Wave Graph  | |||||||||||||||||||||
 kJ | 47 | 49 | 122 | 83 | 78 | 64 | 52 | 74 | 53 | 94 | 84 | 54 | 27 | 26 | 15 | 12 | 11 | 17 | 24 | 17 | 27 |
Wind (km/h) | |||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | off | on | cross | cross | cross-on | cross | cross | cross-on | cross | cross | cross-on | glassy | glassy | on | cross | glassy | cross-on | cross | cross | cross-on | cross |
High Tide | 10:17AM1.55m | 10:33PM1.30m | 11:07AM1.50m | 11:21PM1.21m | 11:56AM1.44m | 00:08AM1.13m | 12:45PM1.37m | 00:54AM1.06m | 1:33PM1.32m | 1:42AM1.01m | 2:24PM1.29m | 2:34AM1.00m | 3:19PM1.28m | 3:34AM1.02m | |||||||
Low Tide | 4:29PM0.16m | 4:37AM0.16m | 5:14PM0.27m | 5:16AM0.25m | 6:04PM0.37m | 6:00AM0.34m | 7:07PM0.45m | 6:58AM0.41m | 8:16PM0.49m | 8:09AM0.44m | 9:14PM0.48m | 9:09AM0.43m | 10:00PM0.44m | ||||||||
 | |  | | |  | | | | | | | | | | | |  |  | | | |
 | 6:52 | — | — | 6:54 | — | — | 6:54 | — | — | 6:54 | — | — | 6:56 | — | — | 6:56 | — | — | 6:56 | — | — |
 | — | 7:19 | — | — | 7:17 | — | — | 7:15 | — | — | 7:15 | — | — | 7:14 | — | — | 7:12 | — | — | 7:10 | — |
mm | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 1 | — | — | — |
Temp °C | 30 | 33 | 27 | 23 | 26 | 25 | 24 | 26 | 25 | 24 | 26 | 26 | 27 | 28 | 27 | 27 | 28 | 27 | 27 | 29 | 27 |
Feels °C | 31 | 35 | 27 | 20 | 22 | 22 | 23 | 23 | 23 | 24 | 26 | 29 | 31 | 30 | 30 | 31 | 29 | 29 | 30 | 30 | 28 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SE 9 | SE 9 | — | — | — | SE 14 | ESE 8 | SE 14 | ESE 9 | E 6 | E 8 | E 7 | E 7 | E 7 | ESE 7 | SE 9 | SE 8 | SE 8 | SE 8 | SE 8 | SE 9 |
| kJ | 47 | 49 | — | — | — | 8 | 24 | 7 | 15 | 54 | 84 | 54 | 27 | 26 | 15 | 12 | 11 | 17 | 24 | 17 | 27 |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SSW 4 | SSW 4 | — | — | — | — | SE 14 | — | SE 14 | SE 13 | SE 12 | SE 13 | SE 9 | ESE 8 | SE 8 | E 7 | E 6 | SSE 6 | S 4 | ESE 10 | SE 11 |
| kJ | 7 | 2 | — | — | — | — | 7 | — | 7 | 7 | 6 | 6 | 3 | 7 | 11 | 8 | 3 | 3 | 5 | 10 | 5 |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | SE 9 | SE 12 | ESE 12 | SE 12 | SE 12 | SE 12 | SE 11 | — | — | SE 11 |
| kJ | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 3 | 6 | 14 | 6 | 6 | 5 | 5 | — | — | 5 |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | — | E 6 | E 6 | E 6 | E 6 | ENE 6 | E 6 | E 6 | E 7 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | SSW 3 | SSW 4 | S 4 | S 4 |
| kJ | — | — | 122 | 83 | 78 | 64 | 52 | 74 | 53 | 94 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 2 | 8 | 10 | 7 |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 33 | 855 | 1184 | 158 | 158 | 59 | 648 | 1223 | 43 | 33 | 974 | 1 | 1 | 930 | 259 | 1225 | 1691 | 1689 | 284 | 468 | 1075 |
Best forecast wave conditions in North Carolina | |||||||||||||||||||||
Best forecast wave conditions in United States | |||||||||||||||||||||
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Information about the Columbia St Surf forecast
The above surf forecast table for Columbia St provides essential information for determining whether the surfing conditions will be good over the next 16 days. A general guide to surfing at Columbia St can be found by selecting the local surf guide option on the grey menu. Our Columbia St surf forecast is unique since it includes wave energy (power) that defines the real feel of the surf rather than just the height or the period. If you surf the same spot (Columbia St) regularly then make a mental note of the wave energy from the surf forecast table each time you go. Very soon you may start to choose your surf days based on the wave energy alone combined with our forecast of favourable offshore wind conditions. Our star ratings will help here and of course you will also find the usual wave height and period predictions on our surf forecasts as well as a full break down of the swell components under our advanced users option (to reveal that, click the little Einstein character under the tide times).
Further information to help with frequently asked questions about our surf forecast for Columbia St may be found under the help tab on the top menu and also by moving your mouse over the question marks on the surf forecast table itself. Please always bear in mind that the forecast is for near-shore open water and local factors at each surf break influence the actual breaking wave height, such as the beach / reef profile, water depths offshore and shelter.
Columbia St is 12 km (7 miles) from the city of Wilmington. If you plan a vacation in North Carolina, look for hotels and other accommodation in Wilmington. Wilmington has rooms for a wide range of budgets as well as car hire and transport links.
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