Masonboro Inlet Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Well, let’s be straight with you. The next couple of weeks are looking pretty grim for a proper paddle. There’s a lot of small, weak, and messy energy on the table, and the swell direction is all over the shop. The one spot we’ve got intel on is Masonboro Inlet, a beach/jetty setup that’s pretty exposed but only really works when the angle and wind line up. This stretch of water is running about 82°, which is right around average for this time of year, so nothing weird going on there.

Right out of the gate, Saturday the 8th is a write-off. We’ve got a cross-onshore breeze with a weak 3ft SE swell and only 8 seconds between waves. The combined energy is a paltry 95, which is about as weak as it gets. It’s gonna be lumpy and uninviting. Sunday the 9th is even smaller, dropping to 2ft, and the wind swings around to a cross-off in the morning, which cleans it up a bit, but there’s just no push. The energy is down to 44. You’d be fighting for nothing.

The start of the following week, Monday the 10th through Wednesday the 12th, is more of the same. There’s a chance of a thunderstorm on Monday, and the swell just fades away to almost nothing. The energy numbers are in the single digits and teens. By Wednesday morning the 12th, we finally see a little bump – 3ft of SSW swell with a 6-second period – and the energy ticks up to 70. It’s surfable, but it’s weak and the winds are a bit cross. It’s the first time the forecast even mentions "surfable waves," but it’s not going to get your heart racing.

Then we hit a real dead patch. From Thursday the 13th all the way through to Sunday the 16th, the swell is tiny – mostly under 1ft – and the energy is mostly in the single digits. The winds are often clean, mostly offshores, but you need waves to surf. This is a solid four-day gap with nothing on offer. It’s a proper flat spell.

Things start to change on Monday the 17th. The swell period jumps up to 14 seconds and the energy leaps to 130. It’s still small, 1ft, and the wind is a cross-on from the east, making it choppy. But you can feel something building. That long-period energy is a hint of groundswell. Tuesday the 18th sees the size jump to 4ft in the morning and 5ft in the afternoon, but the period drops right back to 6 seconds and the wind stays cross-onshore. The energy is moderate, around 200, but the short period and onshore wind will make it a mess. This is more of a windswell bump than a clean groundswell.

The best of the run, if you can call it that, looks like Wednesday morning the 19th. The wind goes glassy, and there’s 2ft of SE swell with a 13-second period. The energy is moderate at 171. It’s small, but clean. That’s a real long-period groundswell, and it’ll have some push to it. The problem is, this spot is a beach/jetty, and long-period swell can break a bit straight. It won't be a classic, but it will be the cleanest you’ll see.

Thursday the 20th and Friday the 21st keep that moderate energy alive, with mornings looking glassy and light. The swell holds around 3ft with a period of 9-10 seconds. The energy is solid, in the 130-170 range. But the wind shifts onshore by the afternoon, so you’d want to be out early.

After that, it fades again. The last few days, the 22nd and 23rd, see the swell drop back to 2ft and below, with the wind freshening and turning cross-on. The energy leaks away. By Sunday the 23rd, we’re back to weak, choppy leftovers.

So, if you’re desperate, the standout is the Wednesday the 19th morning session – it’s the cleanest with that long-period groundswell. The other possibilities are the early mornings on the 20th and 21st when it’s glassy and there’s some energy. But honestly, with this much cross-onshore wind and short-period junk, this setup might be more interesting for a kite surfer than a surfer for most of this window. It’s a long, flat, and messy couple of weeks. Hang loose.

Rusty

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