
Surf Forecasts:
Masonboro Inlet surf forecast from 2 Jul 2026:
- Most powerful swell: Tuesday 7 Jul, 8PM (local time) - 4.5ft (1.3m), 6s period, SSW swell with 126 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 1.3m 6s and forecast to arrive on Tuesday (Jul 07) at 8PM. Winds are predicted to be cross-onshore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 1.6m 6s period and expected on Wednesday (Jul 08) at 2AM.
| Wave Type | Time (EDT) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | - | - |
| Best Surf | - | - |
| Most Powerful | 8PM (Tue 7th Jul) | 4.5ft (1.3m) 6s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Masonboro Inlet over the next 16 days.
Updates in hr min s Forecast update imminent
Alright folks, Rusty here. Let's look at what's on the table for Masonboro Inlet over the next couple of weeks. I gotta be straight with you – it's a tough outlook. The finder is showing us a long stretch of barely-anything, so we're looking at a real lean run.
For the next two weeks, this is mostly a waiting game. There's a solid gap of days where the surf is just too weak and the wind is messy. From Thursday 2 July right through to Wednesday 15 July, the wave heights are tiny – we're talking 1 ft to 3 ft most days, and the wind is almost always on it or cross-onshore. The energy readings are consistently low, mostly in the teens and 20s, which tells you there's just no punch. You'll get a few days early on, like Thursday 2 July, with a bit of knee-high ESE swell at 3 ft and a 7-second period, but with a 12 mph onshore breeze it's just blown-out slop. Not worth paddling out for.
The water temp right now is sitting at a warm 82°, which is pretty much dead average for this time of year, so no surprises there.
There are a couple of mornings where things look *almost* promising, but the swell is tiny. Thursday morning 9 July has glassy conditions with a 0 mph wind, and only 1 ft of SE swell at 9 seconds – it’s clean but it’s barely a ripple. Sunday morning 12 July is glassy again, 2 ft SE swell at 8 seconds, with a light WNW breeze. That's about the pick of the bunch for the whole period, and it's still small. Monday afternoon 13 July also goes glassy with 2 ft SE swell. These are the best of a poor lot, but you'll be fighting for scraps.
The only time we see a little more size is around Tuesday 7 July, with swell building to 4 ft–4 ft from the SSW, period around 6 seconds. But the wind is howling from the SSW at 19–22 mph, creating a lumpy, cross-shore mess. That combined energy gets up to 108–126, which is into the moderate range, but the quality is just not there – it's choppy and hard to ride.
So the truth is, there are no standout days in this 16-day window. The waves are too small and too wind-affected to get excited about. Masonboro Inlet is an advanced spot that’s inconsistent anyway, and this forecast confirms it’s going to be a quiet spell. You might catch a clean little knee-high wave on one of those glassy mornings, but don't expect much. Conditions can change, but for now, it’s a holding pattern.
Rusty.
Short Range ForecastMostly dry. Warm (max 29°C on Sat afternoon, min 24°C on Thu night). Wind will be generally light. | Days 5-7 Weather SummaryHeavy rain (total 21mm), heaviest during Tue afternoon. Warm (max 31°C on Mon afternoon, min 25°C on Tue night). Mainly fresh winds. | ||||||||||||||||||||
Thu 2 | Friday 3 | Saturday 4 | Sunday 5 | Monday 6 | Tuesday 7 | Wednesday 8 | |||||||||||||||
PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | |
Swell Height Map | |||||||||||||||||||||
Wave Height (m) Direction Period (s) | ESE 7 | ESE 7 | ESE 7 | SE 8 | ESE 7 | ESE 9 | ESE 9 | ESE 8 | SE 8 | SE 8 | SE 8 | S 5 | S 5 | S 6 | S 6 | S 6 | SE 9 | SE 9 | SSW 6 | SE 9 | SE 9 |
Wave Graph | |||||||||||||||||||||
61 | 62 | 40 | 21 | 32 | 32 | 30 | 28 | 17 | 17 | 17 | 36 | 36 | 104 | 85 | 104 | 20 | 20 | 108 | 29 | 27 | |
Wind (km/h) | |||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | on | cross-on | cross-on | on | cross | cross-on | cross-on | cross | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | cross | cross-on | cross | cross | cross | cross-off | cross-off | cross | cross | glassy |
High Tide | 10:27PM1.23m | 10:38AM1.01m | 11:01PM1.21m | 11:18AM1.04m | 11:37PM1.17m | 12:04PM1.08m | 00:18AM1.13m | 12:55PM1.12m | 1:06AM1.09m | 1:52PM1.16m | 2:02AM1.05m | 2:54PM1.21m | 3:05AM1.02m | ||||||||
Low Tide | 4:20PM0.08m | 5:06AM0.09m | 5:00PM0.10m | 5:43AM0.09m | 5:42PM0.13m | 6:22AM0.08m | 6:29PM0.16m | 7:05AM0.07m | 7:23PM0.19m | 7:53AM0.05m | 8:26PM0.21m | 8:47AM0.04m | 9:34PM0.21m | 9:47AM0.02m | |||||||
— | — | 6:03 | — | — | 6:03 | — | — | 6:03 | — | — | 6:05 | — | — | 6:05 | — | — | 6:05 | — | — | 6:05 | |
8:25 | — | — | 8:25 | — | — | 8:25 | — | — | 8:25 | — | — | 8:25 | — | — | 8:25 | — | — | 8:25 | — | 8:24 | |
mm | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 2 | 1 | — | 1 | — | 6 | 7 | 4 | 5 | 16 | — |
Temp °C | 27 | 26 | 27 | 28 | 27 | 28 | 29 | 27 | 29 | 29 | 27 | 30 | 31 | 28 | 30 | 29 | 27 | 26 | 29 | 25 | 28 |
Feels °C | 28 | 27 | 29 | 29 | 28 | 30 | 30 | 28 | 31 | 29 | 28 | 30 | 30 | 29 | 28 | 27 | 26 | 28 | 29 | 28 | 32 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | ESE 7 | ESE 7 | ESE 7 | ESE 6 | ESE 7 | ESE 9 | ESE 9 | ESE 8 | SE 8 | SE 8 | SE 8 | ESE 9 | SE 9 | SE 10 | SE 10 | SE 9 | SE 9 | S 7 | SE 9 | S 6 | SE 9 |
61 | 62 | 40 | 21 | 32 | 32 | 30 | 28 | 17 | 17 | 17 | 15 | 21 | 23 | 23 | 22 | 20 | 104 | 27 | 79 | 27 | |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | SE 9 | SE 9 | SE 8 | SE 9 | — | — | — | S 7 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | SE 9 | — | SE 9 | — |
— | 22 | 13 | 14 | 13 | — | — | — | 1 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 20 | — | 29 | — | |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | — | — | ESE 10 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
— | — | — | 9 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | — | — | — | SSW 3 | — | SSW 3 | SSW 3 | S 3 | S 3 | S 4 | S 5 | S 5 | S 6 | S 6 | S 6 | SSW 6 | SSW 7 | SSW 6 | SSW 6 | S 7 |
— | — | — | — | 1 | — | 1 | 3 | 1 | 3 | 12 | 36 | 36 | 104 | 85 | 104 | 182 | 187 | 108 | 191 | 150 | |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 981 | 335 | 37 | 1232 | 37 | 480 | 725 | 740 | 1693 | 1850 | 372 | 1228 | 1228 | 557 | 288 | 539 | 472 | 2 | 373 | 2 | 2 |
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.











