Shackleford Banks Surf Forecast and Surf Reports

(North Carolina, USA)

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- 16 Day Forecast
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Shackleford Banks Surf Guide

Shackleford Banks in North Carolina is an exposed beach break that is usually a safe bet Offshore winds are from the north northeast. Tends to receive a mix of groundswells and windswells and the best swell direction is from the south. The beach breaks offer lefts and rights. Unlikely to be too crowded, even when the surf is up.

Shackleford Banks Spot Info

Type:	Rating:	Reliability:	Todays Sea Temp*:
Beach	2	very consistent	18.2°C*ocean temperature recorded from satellite

Surfing Shackleford Banks:

The best conditions reported for surf at Shackleford Banks occur when a South swell combines with an offshore wind direction from the North-northeast.

Hourly Forecast

16 Day Forecast

What's the best time of year to surf Shackleford Banks (for consistent clean waves)?

augustBest Season: autumn

The best time of year for surfing Shackleford Banks with consistent clean waves (rideable swell with light / offshore winds) is during Autumn and most often the month of August. Clean surfable waves are typically found 19% of the time in August while 51% of the time it tends to be blown out. For the remaining 30% of the time it is considered too small by most surfers but may still be OK for beginners and groms at times.

clean

19%

Surfable waves that hold up well for longer rides in prevailing cross-offshore, offshore or light wind conditions.

blown out

51%

Surfable sized waves that are of poorer quality due to prevailing onshore, cross-onshore or windy conditions (may be preferable for kitesurfing).

too small

30%

Waves usually considered too small for good surf. Some wave-magnet breaks may still work though if conditions are right (on occasion).

Explore Shackleford Banks Location Map

Interactive Shackleford Banks surf break location map. View information about nearby surf breaks, their wave consistency and rating compared to other spots in the region. Current swell conditions from local buoys are shown along with live wind speed and direction from nearby weather stations. Click icons on the map for more detail. The closest passenger airport to Shackleford Banks is Cherry Point Mcas Airport (NKT) in USA, 37 km (23 miles) away (directly). The second nearest airport to Shackleford Banks is Craven Co Rgnl (New Bern) Airport (EWN), also in USA, 61 km (38 miles) away.

Map Icons:
Break
Live Wave Height (m)
Live Wind Speed (km/h)
Surf Rating (10 Max)
Ocean Swells (m)
Wind Speed (km/h)

Please note that some surf spot locations are approximate to protect their exact location while others are not shown at close zoom level.

Shackleford Banks Surf Forecasts:

Hourly Forecast

16 Day Forecast

Todays Surf Summary
Wednesday, 6 May 2026, 11:12 Local Time

m, °C	Wednesday 06
ft, °F	11AM	2PM	5PM	8PM
Wave (m)	S	S	S	S
Period (s)	5	5	5	6
Wind (km/h)
Wind State	on	on	on	on

Tides at Shackleford Banks

Current tide and informaton

For Channel Marker Light #59, North Carolina, 5 km from Shackleford Banks.

Next High Water: 12:33pm | 0.54m

Next Low Water: 06:27pm | 0.12m

NEXT	IS AT (local time)	remaining
high tide
low tide

Shackleford Banks Sea Temperature

Sunny with pleasantly warm air temperatures (feeling like 22.0 °C once we account for wind), yet at 18.2 °C the sea remains several degrees colder than the air at Shackleford Banks. The majority of surfers will need a spring wetsuit though a summer suit or even a shorty may suffice for a short session.

Today, many surfers would wear a spring wetsuit.

Current Temp*: 18.2°C*ocean temperature recorded from satellite