🇺🇸 BUXTON, NORTH CAROLINA
Buxton
North Carolina's quality OBX break, home to Cape Hatteras Lighthouse
SMALL
Live Conditions
Conditions Summary
Good 7ft waves — but short 6s period indicates wind swell, expect choppy conditions — but swell direction is marginal for this spot — cross-onshore wind affecting quality — 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 64° — matches the ideal 80° window for this spot
Swell Period
9s — short-period swell. Waves will have less power than a true groundswell.
Wind
11mph cross-shore — not ideal but surfable if wind is light
Tide
Rising tide — workable window
Season
May is off-season — rare for this spot to get quality waves
Data Confidence
Fresh buoy data with calibrated coastal transformation
At the Break
6.9ft
HIGH CONFIDENCE
Fresh buoy data + calibrated transformation
Period
9s
Mid-period
Wind
11mph
S
CROSS-SHORE
Water
66°F
Spring suit
Live Buoy 44095
4.9ft
9s
39 min ago
Tide
MID-TIDE · RISING
0.71ft
Next high: in 1 hr 49 min
Swell Direction
35%
Wind Direction
45%
Primary Swell
2.7ft @ 5.0s
SSE 157°
Secondary Swell
1.8ft @ 7.5s
ENE 62°
10 Day Outlook
5.2ft
TODAY
May 24
(9s)
5.0ft
TMRW
May 25
(8s)
4.9ft
TUE
May 26
(6s)
4.4ft
WED
May 27
(8s)
3.6ft
THU
May 28
(8s)
2.8ft
FRI
May 29
(8s)
4.4ft
SAT
May 30
(7s)
7.0ft
SUN
May 31
(8s)
6.5ft
MON
Jun 1
(9s)
4.5ft
TUE
Jun 2
(9s)
Best this week: today — 5.2ft
Best next week: MON Jun 1 — 6.5ft
Incoming Swell Events
Today
moderate
Swell building to 5.2ft @ 9s
Day 8
solid
Swell building to 7.0ft @ 8s
Model Breakdown
ECMWF (45%)4.1ft
ICON (35%)3.5ft
GFS (20%)5.1ft
Model confidence45%
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: May
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 8 · May 31
7.0ft @ 8s
GOOD
Trip Cost Estimate
Flights from NYC~$250
Hotel per night~$160
Weekend est.~$730
5 day est.~$1050
Week est.~$1370