Surf Forecasts:
Columbia St surf forecast from 20 Jul 2026:
- Most powerful swell: Tuesday 21 Jul, 2PM (local time) - 4.5ft (1.4m), 6s period, SSW swell with 145 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 1.4m 6s and forecast to arrive on Tuesday (Jul 21) at 2PM. Winds are predicted to be cross-shore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 1.7m 7s period and expected on Wednesday (Jul 22) at 5AM.
| Wave Type | Time (EDT) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | - | - |
| Best Surf | - | - |
| Most Powerful | 2PM (Tue 21st Jul) | 4.5ft (1.4m) 6s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Columbia St over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
Alright, this is Rusty checkin’ in from the beach. Let’s look at what’s coming up for Columbia St. I gotta be straight with you—it’s a rough stretch ahead. The first two weeks of this forecast are pretty much a write-off unless you’re just desperate for a paddle. The wind is all over the place, and when it’s not howling, the swell is tiny or junk. The real energy doesn’t start showing up until the very end.
Right now, from Monday the 20th right through the morning of Tuesday the 4th of August, it’s a long, grim wait. There’s a lot of days with no real surf to speak of. Winds are cross, cross-on, or onshore, and the swell is weak and short-period. The water temp is about average for the time of year, nothing weird there.
The only time this place comes alive is on the final morning of the forecast, Tuesday the 4th of August. That morning, the wind goes glassy—totally still. That’s a major positive. The swell is 3ft from the south, with a weak 6-second period, but the combined energy is moderate—around 119. It’s not a monster, but for a spot that’s been dead for weeks, it’s the one standout. The break is a sandbar, consistent, and works best with a NE swell, so this south swell isn’t perfect, but the glassy conditions will make it rideable. It’s a beginner-friendly spot, so the size won’t be too much for anyone. But crowds are often here, so expect some company.
Honestly, keep your expectations low. This is the only real window in a 15-day stretch of nothing. Paddle out on that Tuesday morning if you can, because that’s as good as it gets.
Rusty.
Short Range ForecastModerate rain (total 11mm), heaviest on Sun night. Warm (max 32°C on Wed afternoon, min 27°C on Sun night). Mainly fresh winds. | Days 5-7 Weather SummaryHeavy rain (total 33mm), heaviest during Thu morning. Warm (max 29°C on Wed night, min 21°C on Sat morning). Wind will be generally light. | ||||||||||||||||||
Monday 20 | Tuesday 21 | Wednesday 22 | Thursday 23 | Friday 24 | Saturday 25 | ||||||||||||||
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) | SSW 6 | SSW 6 | SSW 5 | S 5 | S 6 | S 6 | S 6 | SE 9 | SE 8 | SE 8 | SE 8 | SE 8 | SSW 6 | SSW 6 | SSW 6 | SE 8 | SE 8 | ESE 7 | ESE 7 |
Wave Graph  | |||||||||||||||||||
 kJ | 113 | 60 | 56 | 78 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 20 | 23 | 23 | 21 | 16 | 68 | 84 | 126 | 60 | 46 | 48 | 47 |
Wind (km/h) | |||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | cross-off | cross | cross-on | cross | cross | cross-on | cross | cross | cross | cross | off | cross-off | cross-off | cross | cross-on | cross-off | cross-off | cross | cross-off |
High Tide | 00:26AM1.26m | 1:03PM1.35m | 1:14AM1.16m | 1:55PM1.32m | 2:02AM1.06m | 2:49PM1.29m | 2:54AM0.98m | 3:48PM1.27m | 3:53AM0.93m | 4:46PM1.28m | 4:55AM0.92m | 5:38PM1.31m | |||||||
Low Tide | 6:49AM0.05m | 7:27PM0.20m | 7:47AM0.10m | 8:34PM0.25m | 8:42AM0.13m | 9:33PM0.28m | 9:33AM0.16m | 10:25PM0.29m | 10:19AM0.16m | 11:13PM0.29m | 11:02AM0.17m | 11:58PM0.27m | |||||||
 | |  |  | | |  | | |  | | | |  | | |  | |  | |
 | — | 6:13 | — | — | 6:13 | — | — | 6:13 | — | — | 6:15 | — | — | 6:16 | — | — | 6:16 | — | — |
 | 8:21 | — | 8:21 | — | — | 8:20 | — | — | 8:20 | — | — | 8:19 | — | — | 8:17 | — | — | 8:17 | — |
mm | 2 | 1 | — | 3 | 2 | — | — | 3 | — | 10 | 11 | 11 | 1 | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Temp °C | 29 | 31 | 31 | 29 | 30 | 31 | 29 | 31 | 32 | 29 | 28 | 28 | 24 | 25 | 27 | 27 | 24 | 23 | 24 |
Feels °C | 29 | 32 | 30 | 30 | 30 | 29 | 29 | 30 | 30 | 28 | 31 | 31 | 24 | 24 | 25 | 26 | 23 | 22 | 25 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SE 8 | S 6 | SE 8 | — | — | — | — | SE 9 | SE 8 | SE 8 | SE 8 | SE 8 | S 6 | S 6 | S 6 | SE 8 | SE 8 | ESE 7 | ESE 7 |
| kJ | 2 | 40 | 2 | — | — | — | — | 20 | 23 | 23 | 21 | 16 | 32 | 41 | 44 | 60 | 46 | 48 | 47 |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | SE 8 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | SE 8 | SE 8 | SE 8 | SSW 6 | SSW 5 | SSW 5 | SSW 5 |
| kJ | — | 2 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 20 | 49 | 60 | 10 | 5 | 5 | 3 |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | SE 5 | SE 5 | — | — | — | — | E 6 |
| kJ | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 7 | 1 | — | — | — | — | 1 |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SSW 6 | SSW 6 | SSW 5 | S 5 | S 6 | S 6 | S 6 | S 7 | SSW 6 | S 7 | S 7 | S 6 | SSW 6 | SSW 6 | SSW 6 | NNE 2 | NE 3 | ENE 3 | — |
| kJ | 113 | 60 | 56 | 78 | 126 | 171 | 209 | 150 | 182 | 200 | 168 | 106 | 68 | 84 | 126 | 1 | 1 | 5 | — |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 236 | 245 | 263 | 540 | 1223 | 1223 | 374 | 553 | 331 | 98 | 1 | 43 | 125 | 475 | 839 | 1 | 33 | 33 | 33 |
Best forecast wave conditions in North Carolina | |||||||||||||||||||
Best forecast wave conditions in United States | |||||||||||||||||||
Header Global | |||||||||||||||||||
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The surf report / weather widget below is available to embed on third party websites free of charge and provides a summary of our Columbia St surf forecast. Simply grab the html code snippet that we provide and paste it into your own site. You can choose your preferred language and metric/imperial units for the surf forecast feed to suit users of your site. Click here to get the code.
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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