Surf Forecasts:
Masonboro Inlet surf forecast from 26 Aug 2026:
- Most powerful swell: Saturday 29 Aug, 2AM (local time) - 3.5ft (1.0m), 5s period, S swell with 53 kJ wave energy.
Best Forecast Surf Conditions for Masonboro Inlet this week:
The most powerful waves expected at Masonboro Inlet in the next 16 days are 1.0m 5s and forecast to arrive on Saturday (Aug 29) at 2AM. Winds are predicted to be cross-shore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 0.8m 5s period and expected on Saturday (Aug 29) at 2AM.
| Wave Type | Time (EDT) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | - | - |
| Best Surf | - | - |
| Most Powerful | 2AM (Sat 29th Aug) | 3.5ft (1.0m) 5s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Masonboro Inlet over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
Alright, surfers, Rusty here. Let's get stuck into the outlook for Masonboro Inlet.
Right off the bat, I gotta be straight with you: this is a tough stretch. The next couple of weeks are looking pretty flat and uninspiring. We've got a dry spell on our hands with nothing that gets the heart pumping. The combined wave energy barely cracks 80 at one point, most of the time it's well under that. This is a silent period, plain and simple. For an area like this, a blank run of this length isn't totally out of the ordinary, but it doesn't make it any easier to swallow.
We start off with a grim Tuesday, August 25th. Tiny 1ft swell from the southeast with a period of just 10 seconds, but the wind is onshore. It's a no-go.
Wednesday the 26th through to the end of August is more of the same story. Swell heights stay pitiful, between 1ft and 3ft, and the wind is almost always onshore or cross-onshore. You'll see occasional glassy mornings, like on Sunday the 30th and Monday the 31st of August, and again on Tuesday the 1st of September, with a tiny 1ft to 2ft of swell. It's flat, but it's clean. If you're desperate for a paddle and don't mind riding whitewater on a foamie, those are your windows.
The first week of September doesn't offer any hope either. From the 1st through to the 7th, it's the same pattern. Weak, short-period swell, mostly from the SE, and wind that's either glassy in the morning before turning to junk by the afternoon. The combined energy starts to creep up, hitting 82 on the morning of Sunday the 6th of September, but the swell period is a dismal 6 seconds from the east. That's just wind chop with no push.
The only time the wind really works for us is on Tuesday the 8th of September morning, with a light cross-offshore breeze from the WSW, and then again on Wednesday the 9th of September morning with a clean offshore wind from the NW. But it's still barely 1ft to 2ft of weak, short-period swell. It's clean, but there's nothing to ride.
Honestly, there are no standouts here. There is no "best on offer." The small, glassy mornings are the only chance for a timid splash, but these aren't proper surf days. If you want waves, you'll be waiting a long time. Keep the board in the car for a miracle, but don't hold your breath.
Rusty.
Short Range ForecastModerate rain (total 14mm), heaviest on Wed night. Warm (max 30°C on Thu afternoon, min 25°C on Thu night). Wind will be generally light. | Days 5-7 Weather SummaryLight rain (total 5mm), mostly falling on Fri night. Warm (max 30°C on Sat afternoon, min 24°C on Sat morning). Wind will be generally light. | ||||||||||||||||||
Wednesday 26 | Thursday 27 | Friday 28 | Saturday 29 | Sunday 30 | Monday 31 | ||||||||||||||
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 | SE 9 | SE 9 | SE 9 | ESE 9 | S 5 | SSW 5 | S 5 | S 5 | ESE 8 | ESE 8 | ESE 8 | SE 8 | SE 8 | SE 8 | SE 7 | ESE 7 | ESE 7 |
Wave Graph  | |||||||||||||||||||
 kJ | 22 | 22 | 21 | 21 | 20 | 30 | 31 | 37 | 33 | 53 | 26 | 26 | 25 | 31 | 30 | 28 | 25 | 20 | 19 |
Wind (km/h) | |||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | cross-on | cross-on | on | cross-on | cross | cross-on | cross | cross | cross-on | cross | glassy | cross-on | cross-off | glassy | on | cross | cross | cross-on | cross |
High Tide | 7:12AM1.10m | 7:45PM1.32m | 7:53AM1.15m | 8:22PM1.33m | 8:33AM1.21m | 8:58PM1.32m | 9:11AM1.26m | 9:33PM1.30m | 9:51AM1.30m | 10:09PM1.26m | 10:33AM1.33m | 10:48PM1.21m | |||||||
Low Tide | 1:34AM0.17m | 1:36PM0.11m | 2:14AM0.12m | 2:18PM0.08m | 2:52AM0.09m | 2:59PM0.07m | 3:29AM0.06m | 3:41PM0.07m | 4:05AM0.05m | 4:23PM0.09m | 4:43AM0.04m | 5:07PM0.13m | |||||||
 |  | |  |  |  |  | |  | | | |  | | | | | | | |
 | — | 6:39 | — | — | 6:39 | — | — | 6:41 | — | — | 6:41 | — | — | 6:41 | — | — | 6:43 | — | — |
 | 7:45 | — | 7:45 | — | — | 7:44 | — | — | 7:43 | — | — | 7:40 | — | — | 7:39 | — | — | 7:38 | — |
mm | — | — | — | 6 | 2 | — | 5 | 1 | — | 5 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Temp °C | 28 | 28 | 29 | 28 | 28 | 30 | 28 | 29 | 29 | 28 | 28 | 30 | 28 | 28 | 29 | 28 | 29 | 29 | 28 |
Feels °C | 30 | 28 | 30 | 31 | 30 | 30 | 29 | 30 | 30 | 30 | 31 | 33 | 30 | 31 | 30 | 30 | 32 | 30 | 30 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SE 9 | SE 9 | SE 9 | ESE 4 | S 5 | ESE 9 | ESE 9 | S 5 | ESE 8 | S 5 | S 5 | S 5 | ESE 8 | SE 8 | SE 8 | SE 8 | SE 7 | ESE 7 | ESE 7 |
| kJ | 22 | 22 | 21 | 7 | 12 | 30 | 31 | 25 | 28 | 33 | 16 | 11 | 25 | 31 | 30 | 28 | 25 | 20 | 19 |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SSE 5 | S 4 | E 16 | SE 9 | SE 9 | E 4 | E 12 | ESE 8 | E 11 | ESE 8 | ESE 8 | ESE 8 | SE 5 | SSW 4 | — | — | — | — | SE 16 |
| kJ | 4 | 1 | 5 | 21 | 20 | 1 | 3 | 28 | 2 | 27 | 26 | 26 | 1 | 2 | — | — | — | — | 10 |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | E 7 | — | E 16 | E 8 | E 4 | E 13 | — | E 12 | — | — | E 10 | E 10 | E 10 | E 9 | — | — | — | — | — |
| kJ | 1 | — | 5 | 5 | 3 | 3 | — | 3 | — | — | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | — | — | — | — | — |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | SE 3 | SE 4 | — | — | S 5 | S 5 | SSW 5 | S 5 | S 5 | — | — | S 4 | — | SSW 4 | S 3 | SSW 3 | SSW 3 | S 3 |
| kJ | — | 3 | 14 | — | — | 12 | 27 | 37 | 33 | 53 | — | — | 6 | — | 3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 6 |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 592 | 592 | 1232 | 592 | 244 | 1225 | 305 | 2 | 519 | 20 | 5 | 776 | 267 | 115 | 229 | 267 | 557 | 876 | 531 |
Best forecast wave conditions in North Carolina | |||||||||||||||||||
Best forecast wave conditions in United States | |||||||||||||||||||
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Information about the Masonboro Inlet Surf forecast
The above surf forecast table for Masonboro Inlet provides essential information for determining whether the surfing conditions will be good over the next 16 days. A general guide to surfing at Masonboro Inlet can be found by selecting the local surf guide option on the grey menu. Our Masonboro Inlet 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 (Masonboro Inlet) 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 Masonboro Inlet 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.
Masonboro Inlet is 13 km (8 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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