Topsail Island Surf Forecast and Surf Reports

(North Carolina, USA)

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Spot Information

Topsail Island Surf Guide

Topsail Island in North Carolina is an exposed beach/Jetty break that has fairly consistent surf and can work at any time of the year. Offshore winds blow from the northwest. Groundswells and windswells are equally likely and the ideal swell angle is from the southeast. The beach breaks offer lefts and rights. The quality of the surf isn't affected by the tide. Even when there are waves, it's not likley to be crowded. Watch out for dangerous rips.

Topsail Island Spot Info

Type:	Rating:	Reliability:	Todays Sea Temp*:
Beach/jetty	4	fairly consistent	19.2°C*ocean temperature recorded from satellite

Surfing Topsail Island:

The best conditions reported for surf at Topsail Island occur when a Southeast swell combines with an offshore wind direction from the Northwest.

Hourly Forecast

16 Day Forecast

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

novemberBest Season: winter

The best time of year for surfing Topsail Island with consistent clean waves (rideable swell with light / offshore winds) is during Winter and most often the month of November. Clean surfable waves are typically found 30% of the time in November while 39% of the time it tends to be blown out. For the remaining 31% of the time it is considered too small by most surfers but may still be OK for beginners and groms at times.

clean

30%

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

blown out

39%

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

too small

31%

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

Explore Topsail Island Location Map

Interactive Topsail Island 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 Topsail Island is New River Mcas (Jacksonville) Airport (NCA) in USA, 28 km (17 miles) away (directly). The second nearest airport to Topsail Island is Wilmington International Airport (ILM), also in USA, 43 km (27 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.

Topsail Island Surf Forecasts:

Hourly Forecast

16 Day Forecast

Todays Surf Summary
Tuesday, 5 May 2026, 01:02 Local Time

m, °C	Mon	Tuesday 05
ft, °F	11PM	2AM	5AM	8AM
Wave (m)	ESE	ESE	S	S
Period (s)	8	8	4	4
Wind (km/h)
Wind State	cross	cross	cross	cross

What does Topsail Island look like?

Latest photos from Topsail Island. Upload your own or view all photos on the gallery page.

Credit: Amir Credit: Jason C. Davis Credit: Steve Young Credit: Steve Young Credit: Steve Young

Tides at Topsail Island

Current tide and informaton

For Ocean City Beach (fishing pier), North Carolina, 1 km from Topsail Island.

Next High Water: 10:26am | 0.96m

Next Low Water: 04:42am | 0.14m

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

Topsail Island Sea Temperature

Sunny with pleasantly warm air temperatures (feeling like 21.0 °C once we account for wind), yet at 19.2 °C the sea remains several degrees colder than the air at Topsail Island. 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*: 19.2°C*ocean temperature recorded from satellite

View Sea Temp Map

Swell History at Topsail Island

Surf stats for Topsail Island, see the swell variation by month or season on the history page here.

Average Swell

View Swell Statistics

Wind History at Topsail Island

Wind stats for Topsail Island, see the variation in direction and stength by month or season on the history page here.

Average Wind

View Wind Statistics

Topsail Island Reviews:

Interactive Porthcawl Point location map. View nearby buoy information, live wind conditions and surrounding roads, paths and locations to help find new breaks. Click the buoys or wind icon to view more information.

Ratings

Based on 22 votes.

Overall:4.0
Quality on a good day:3.7
Consistency of Surf:3.1
Difficulty Level:3.0
Wind and Kite Surfing:4.1
Crowds:4.0
...

See all 18 ratings

Review

Impartial reviews submitted by Surf-Forecast users.

Katrice from United States

“I just moved out here, and I have to say, this is a gorgeous beach. If you stay north, the sand fleas aren't too bad. And most of the time, they still aren't horrible. I love this beach. Don't bring an umbrella, it's too windy and you're going to fight with it, the umbrella will win, and you will soon take it down. Just remember, have fun, bring sunscreen for the kiddo's and stuff to drink and you'll have a great time.”

Other Nearby Breaks Closest To:

Discover surf breaks near Topsail Island. Click below to view there surf guides.