🇺🇸 NAGS HEAD, NORTH CAROLINA
Nags Head
Northern Outer Banks beach break with Jennette's Pier
FLAT
Live Conditions
Conditions Summary
Small 1.5ft surf — but short 4s period indicates wind swell, expect choppy conditions — hitting at the ideal angle — cross-onshore wind affecting quality
HIGH CONFIDENCEFresh buoy data + calibrated transformation
Why it's FLAT
Swell Direction
Primary swell is 201° — wrong angle. This spot needs 80° swells to break properly.
Swell Period
3s — this is wind chop, not groundswell. Waves will be weak and disorganized.
Wind
14mph cross-shore — not ideal but surfable if wind is light
Tide
Low tide — often the best window for reef/point breaks
Season
September is peak season for this spot
Data Confidence
Fresh buoy data with calibrated coastal transformation
At the Break
1.5ft
HIGH CONFIDENCE
Fresh buoy data + calibrated transformation
Period
3s
✗ Wind swell
Wind
14mph
SW
CROSS-SHORE
Water
80°F
Boardshorts
Live Buoy 44100
2.0ft
3s
28 min ago
Tide
LOW TIDE
1.3ft
Next high: in 5 hr 23 min
Swell Direction
85%
Wind Direction
45%
Primary Swell
0.9ft @ 7.2s
E 96°
Secondary Swell
0.4ft @ 2.9s
SSE 151°
10 Day Outlook
4.0ft
TODAY
Sep 10
(10s)
3.3ft
TMRW
Sep 11
(9s)
2.4ft
SAT
Sep 12
(9s)
2.4ft
SUN
Sep 13
(9s)
3.0ft
MON
Sep 14
(9s)
3.7ft
TUE
Sep 15
(7s)
3.7ft
WED
Sep 16
(7s)
3.0ft
THU
Sep 17
(8s)
5.8ft
FRI
Sep 18
(8s)
6.4ft
SAT
Sep 19
(7s)
Best this week: WED Sep 16 — 3.7ft
Best next week: SAT Sep 19 — 6.4ft
Incoming Swell Events
Day 9
moderate
Swell building to 5.8ft @ 8s
Model Breakdown
ECMWF (45%)1.1ft
ICON (35%)1.6ft
GFS (20%)3.1ft
Model confidence45%
Updated every 30 mins · Open-Meteo ECMWF + ICON + GFS
About
Nags Head is the northern end of the main OBX surf zone, with Jennette's Pier serving as the central landmark. Long exposed beach break with sandbars that reshape through hurricane season. More accessible than Buxton, with a larger tourist infrastructure and more variety in accommodation.
The Break
Jennette's Pier is the main focal point; sandbars up and down the beach produce peaks.
Ideal Conditions
E/NE swell 3-10ft, offshore W/NW wind, mid tide
Best Months
Jan
Feb
Mar
Apr
May
Jun
Jul
Aug
Sep
Oct
Nov
Dec
Best months highlighted · Current: Sep
Trip Planner
Nags Head Beach Break Weekend
Weekend · 3 Days
Friday
Fly to Norfolk (ORF), drive to Nags Head (2 hrs). Check Jennette's Pier area.
Saturday
Dawn patrol session. Explore sandbars up and down the beach.
Sunday
Morning session, pack up.
Nags Head Beach Break Week
Full Week · 7 Days
Day 1
Arrive Nags Head, settle near Jennette's Pier, scout the beach.
Day 2-4
Multiple sessions at different sandbar peaks along the beach.
Day 5
Final session, explore the pier area or head south toward Buxton.
Local Knowledge
01
Jennette's Pier has surf webcams and is the center of the local surf scene.
02
More accessible and developed than southern OBX.
03
Sandbars reshape constantly with swell windows.
Best Window
Day 10 · Sep 19
6.4ft @ 7s
GOOD
Trip Cost Estimate
Flights from NYC~$240
Hotel per night~$170
Weekend est.~$750
5 day est.~$1090
Week est.~$1430