🇺🇸 BUXTON, NORTH CAROLINA
Buxton
North Carolina's quality OBX break, home to Cape Hatteras Lighthouse
SMALL
Live Conditions
Conditions Summary
Small 2.5ft surf — but short 5s period indicates wind swell, expect choppy conditions — from a workable direction — 13mph onshore wind roughing up the surface — Note: this is outside the peak season for this spot
HIGH CONFIDENCEFresh buoy data + calibrated transformation
Why it's SMALL
Swell Direction
Primary swell is 85° — matches the ideal 80° window for this spot
Swell Period
8s — short-period swell. Waves will have less power than a true groundswell.
Wind
13mph onshore — will chop up the surface and ruin wave shape
Tide
Falling tide — workable window
Season
July is shoulder season — spot can still work but swells are less consistent
Data Confidence
Fresh buoy data with calibrated coastal transformation
At the Break
2.5ft
HIGH CONFIDENCE
Fresh buoy data + calibrated transformation
Period
8s
Mid-period
Wind
13mph
S
ONSHORE
Water
77°F
Boardshorts
Live Buoy 44095
2.6ft
8s
51 min ago
Tide
MID-TIDE · FALLING
1.1ft
Next low: in 4 hr 45 min
Swell Direction
70%
Wind Direction
20%
Primary Swell
1.4ft @ 7.1s
ESE 117°
Secondary Swell
0.5ft @ 7.2s
E 99°
10 Day Outlook
3.7ft
TODAY
Jul 29
(7s)
5.6ft
TMRW
Jul 30
(6s)
3.0ft
FRI
Jul 31
(7s)
2.5ft
SAT
Aug 1
(8s)
3.3ft
SUN
Aug 2
(7s)
5.6ft
MON
Aug 3
(7s)
6.2ft
TUE
Aug 4
(7s)
4.5ft
WED
Aug 5
(7s)
2.6ft
THU
Aug 6
(7s)
2.4ft
FRI
Aug 7
(8s)
Best this week: today — 3.7ft
Best next week: WED Aug 5 — 4.5ft
Incoming Swell Events
Day 6
moderate
Swell building to 5.6ft @ 7s
Model Breakdown
ECMWF (45%)3.1ft
ICON (35%)3.3ft
GFS (20%)3.8ft
Model confidence80%
Updated every 30 mins · Open-Meteo ECMWF + ICON + GFS
About
Buxton sits near the bend of Cape Hatteras, where the Outer Banks jut furthest into the Atlantic. The area around the old lighthouse produces some of the most organized waves on the Carolina coast. Hurricane swells can make this world-class. The reef near the lighthouse holds larger swell than the open beach.
The Break
The Lighthouse (Old Lighthouse Beach) — reef-influenced break holding larger swell. Beach break nearby for smaller days.
Ideal Conditions
E/NE swell 4-12ft, offshore W/NW wind, mid to low tide
Best Months
Jan
Feb
Mar
Apr
May
Jun
Jul
Aug
Sep
Oct
Nov
Dec
Best months highlighted · Current: Jul
Trip Planner
Cape Hatteras Lighthouse Weekend
Weekend · 3 Days
Friday
Fly to Raleigh (RDU), drive to Buxton (4 hrs). Check conditions at the Lighthouse beach area.
Saturday
Dawn patrol at The Lighthouse or nearby reef. Beach break for backup.
Sunday
Morning session, explore Cape Hatteras National Seashore.
Outer Banks Buxton Deep Dive
Full Week · 7 Days
Day 1
Arrive Buxton, settle in, scout The Lighthouse and reef area.
Day 2-4
Multiple sessions at The Lighthouse. Explore nearby breaks toward Frisco.
Day 5
Final session, visit Cape Hatteras Lighthouse or explore the national seashore.
Local Knowledge
01
The Lighthouse is the flagship but has strong currents.
02
Explore the beaches south toward Frisco for uncrowded peaks.
03
Hurricane season (Aug-Oct) brings the best world-class swell.
Best Window
Day 7 · Aug 4
6.2ft @ 7s
FAIR
Trip Cost Estimate
Flights from NYC~$250
Hotel per night~$160
Weekend est.~$730
5 day est.~$1050
Week est.~$1370