Surf spot

Sunset Beach

Forecast conditions and map view for Sunset Beach in USA, South East, Southern North Carolina. Open the interactive surf map to inspect wind, waves, and nearby spots.

Country: USA, South East, Southern North Carolina
Coordinates: 33.8673, -78.5067

Metric
Metric	06:00	09:00	12:00	15:00	18:00	21:00	00:00	03:00	06:00	09:00	12:00	15:00	18:00	21:00	00:00	03:00	06:00	09:00	12:00	15:00	18:00	21:00	00:00	03:00	06:00	09:00	12:00	15:00	18:00	21:00	00:00	03:00	06:00	09:00	12:00	15:00	18:00	21:00	00:00	03:00	06:00	09:00	12:00	15:00	18:00	21:00	00:00	03:00	06:00	09:00	12:00	15:00	18:00	21:00	00:00	03:00
Wave height (m)	0.5	0.6	0.5	0.4	0.4	0.3	0.4	0.6	0.5	0.5	0.6	0.5	0.5	0.4	0.4	0.4	0.4	0.4	0.4	0.4	0.3	0.3	0.4	0.4	0.4	0.3	0.4	0.5	0.7	0.6	0.6	0.6	0.8	0.7	0.6	0.6	0.7	0.6	0.6	0.5	0.7	0.6	0.6	0.5	0.5	0.5	0.4	0.4	0.4	0.3	0.3	0.3	0.2	0.1	0.2	0.2
Wave direction	S	S	S	S	S	SSE	SSE	S	S	S	S	SSE	SSE	SSE	SE	SSE	S	S	S	S	SE	SE	SE	SSE	SE	SE	E	E	E	E	E	E	E	E	E	E	E	E	ESE	ESE	ESE	ESE	ESE	ESE	ESE	ESE	ESE	ESE	ESE	ESE	ESE	ESE	ESE	ESE	ESE	ESE
Wave period (s)	3.4	3.4	3.3	3.3	3.3	4	3.7	3.5	3.4	3.5	3.5	3.5	3.6	3.7	6.7	5.2	4.8	3	4.6	3.4	6.5	6.4	5.8	5.2	5.7	5.7	3.6	4	4.3	5	5	5.1	4.4	4.6	4.8	4.9	4.5	5.3	5.1	4.8	3.8	4	4.2	4.2	4.2	4.1	4	3.9	4	3.9	3.9	4	6	6	6	5.9
Wave energy (kJ)	6	8	5	4	3	3	4	8	5	7	7	7	6	5	13	9	7	3	7	3	10	9	10	8	8	7	3	9	16	16	19	17	22	18	18	20	18	22	19	10	13	12	12	10	8	7	5	4	4	3	3	2	2	1	2	2
Wind speed (km/h)	7.4	8.2	5.8	7.9	9.6	8	11.7	13	9.4	9.4	8.8	11.3	12.9	14	11.2	11.6	8.1	8.1	5.4	6.5	8.1	9.5	14.7	23.2	17.6	14.6	14.5	17.1	10.5	11.2	13.1	13	9.7	10.6	11.8	13	10.2	7.9	12.8	12	11.5	12	14.9	16	14.1	15.8	10.8	8.9	7	6.6	6.4	7.2	13	12.5	9.4	8.9
Wind direction	SWCross-on	SWCross-on	WCross	SSWOnshore	SWCross-on	SSWOnshore	SSWOnshore	SWCross-on	SWCross-on	SWCross-on	WSWCross-on	WSWCross-on	SSWOnshore	SOnshore	SOnshore	SSWOnshore	WSWCross-on	WSWCross-on	WCross	NWCross-off	NNWCross-off	NWCross-off	ECross	ENECross-off	ENECross-off	NECross-off	NECross-off	NECross-off	NECross-off	ECross	ECross	ENECross	NECross-off	NNEOffshore	NNEOffshore	NECross-off	ECross	ESECross-on	ECross	NECross-off	NNECross-off	NNEOffshore	NNEOffshore	NECross-off	ECross	SECross-on	ESECross-on	ESECross-on	NECross-off	ECross	NECross-off	ESECross-on	SSEOnshore	SSEOnshore	SSECross-on	SECross-on

Sunset Beach in southern North Carolina is a quiet, scenic surf spot on the state’s southern coast, near the South Carolina border. It’s part of the Southeast U.S. Atlantic coastline and is known for its relaxed beach-town feel, broad sandy shoreline, and generally mellow wave conditions.

Surf character

Wave type: Mostly beachbreak, with shifting sandbars
Best for: Beginners to intermediate surfers, longboarders, and anyone looking for a less crowded session
Wave quality: Can be fun when a swell lines up, but is often smaller and softer than more exposed East Coast spots
Consistency: More seasonal than always-on; surf is usually better when Atlantic swell systems bring energy from the southeast, east, or northeast

Conditions and tides

Tide sensitivity: Can vary a lot depending on sandbar setup, but many beachbreaks around here work best around mid to incoming tide
Wind: Offshore or light winds are ideal; strong onshore winds can quickly make it messy
Storm influence: Tropical systems and coastal lows can produce the best surf, especially in late summer and fall

Atmosphere

Crowds: Typically lighter than many well-known Carolina surf breaks
Vibe: Laid-back, local, and family-friendly
Scenery: Wide beaches, dunes, and a classic barrier-island setting

Things to keep in mind

Sandbars can shift frequently, so surf conditions may change from one season to the next
Like many East Coast beachbreaks, it can be fast and hollow on a good day, but often more forgiving and playful
Watch for changing currents, especially near inlets and during larger swell events