Beach forecast for Oak Island
Today, Thursday, October 29, 2026 · local time (EDT) · North Carolina, United States Today, Thu, Oct 29 · EDT- Swimming
- Calm · 3.6 ft
- Water
- 69 °F · cool
- Max UV
- 5 · SPF 30
- Low tide
- 5:22 am and 6:22 pm
Rip current risk today: low · tomorrow: low (NWS)
Rip currents can still form near jetties, piers and reefs: swim near a lifeguard.
Today, Thursday, October 29, it's a good beach day in Oak Island (7/10). The best hours are from 12:00 pm to 5:00 pm: sunshine, pleasant temperatures and a calm sea, though with moderate offshore wind. The best day this week is Friday, October 30, at 8/10.
Beach forecast for the next 7 days
| Day | Rating | Best hours | Swimming | Water | UV |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Today | 7Good beach day | 12:00–5:00 pm | Calm · 3.6 ft | 69 °F | 5 |
| Fri 30 | 8Good beach day | 1:00–6:00 pm | Calm · 2.7 ft | 69 °F | 5 |
| Sat 31 | 2Not a beach day | No good window | Calm · 3.3 ft | 69 °F | 4 |
| Sun 1 | 2Not a beach day | No good window | Calm · 3.5 ft | 69 °F | 4 |
| Mon 2 | 1Not a beach day | No good window | Use care · 3.9 ft | 69 °F | — |
| Tue 3 | 4Poor beach day | 9:00 am–12:00 pm | Use care · 4.2 ft | 70 °F | — |
| Wed 4 | 7Good beach day | 9:00 am–12:00 pm3:00–5:00 pm | Calm · 3.7 ft | 71 °F | — |
Each rating comes from sun, temperature, rain, wind, waves, UV, water temperature and, where there is one, the tide.
Today in detail
6 good hours- Mostly sunny
- Feels like 77 °F: pleasant
- Calm for swimming: 3.6 ft waves
- UV 5 (moderate): SPF 30 sunscreen
- Water at 69 °F (cool)
- Moderate offshore wind (12 mph): it blows floats and inflatables out to sea
Today, hour by hour
- Swimming Calm · 3.6 ft
3.6 ft waves: calm for swimming. Always follow the lifeguard's flags.
- Water 69 °F
Cool: refreshing on a hot day.
- Sun & sunscreen UV 5 · SPF 30
Max UV 5 (moderate): SPF 30 sunscreen, reapplied every 2 hours.
- Wind 12 mph
Moderate offshore wind (12 mph). Skip the inflatables: offshore wind carries them out to sea.
- Tide & sand 5:22 am
Low tide at 5:22 am and 6:22 pm: that's when there's the most sand. High tide at 11:35 am and 11:51 pm.
The best window, 12:00 pm to 5:00 pm, brings sunshine, pleasant temperatures and a calm sea, though with moderate offshore wind.
We don't have data on jellyfish, sargassum or beach closures: ask the lifeguard or check with the local beach authority.
Today, hour by hour
| Time | Rating | Sky | Feels like | Wind | Waves | UV |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 8:00 am | 2 | Clear sky | 60 °F | 12 mph | 3.9 ft | 0 |
| 9:00 am | 1 | Clear sky | 63 °F | 12 mph | 3.8 ft | 1 |
| 10:00 am | 5 | Clear sky | 68 °F | 12 mph | 3.7 ft | 2 |
| 11:00 am | 6 | Clear sky | 73 °F | 11 mph | 3.7 ft | 3 |
| 12:00 pm | 7 | Clear sky | 75 °F | 12 mph | 3.6 ft | 5 |
| 1:00 pm | 6 | Mainly clear | 77 °F | 11 mph | 3.5 ft | 5 |
| 2:00 pm | 6 | Mainly clear | 75 °F | 12 mph | 3.5 ft | 4 |
| 3:00 pm | 7 | Mainly clear | 77 °F | 12 mph | 3.4 ft | 3 |
| 4:00 pm | 7 | Mainly clear | 76 °F | 11 mph | 3.4 ft | 1 |
| 5:00 pm | 7 | Clear sky | 75 °F | 9 mph | 3.3 ft | 0 |
Beach hours only: from one hour after sunrise to half an hour before sunset.
Beaches near Oak Island
Map: OpenFreeMap · © OpenMapTiles · © OpenStreetMap contributors
- Long Beach 0.4 mi · SE
- Parking
- Oak Island Cabana 2.6 mi · E
- Parking
Water quality: check the official beach advisories for North Carolina (N.C. Recreational Water Quality Program).
Named beaches within 6.2 mi, nearest first. Amenities from OpenStreetMap: some may be missing or out of date. View on OpenStreetMap · Add or fix on OpenStreetMap
Beaches and amenities: © OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL).
Webcams near Oak Island
Webcams provided by windy.com — add a webcam
How we rate a beach day
We rate every beach hour from 0 to 10 with simple, fixed rules:
- Adds: sunshine (up to 3 points, fewer with more clouds), warmth (up to 4, from the feels-like temperature; ideal between 81 °F and 91 °F), a calm sea (1), water at 70 °F or warmer (1; from 64 °F, half) and low or mid tide (1: more sand). Anything without data is left out and the rest is scaled to 10.
- Takes away: cold (feels-like below 64 °F, 1 to 4 points), rain (half a point if likely, up to 6 if it rains; thunderstorms, 8), wind from force 4, about 12 mph (1 to 6 points; half a point more if offshore, which blows inflatables out to sea, or onshore, which churns the water), waves (1 to swim with care, 4 if dangerous, 1 more for high rip current risk), very high UV (half a point; extreme, 1), water below 59 °F (1) and spring high tides (1: little sand left).
- Swimming: calm, use care (waves from 2.6 ft, or long swell) or dangerous (from 6.6 ft, or 4.9 ft with a long period), based on how much of the wave reaches this shore given the way it faces. In the U.S., today's and tomorrow's rip current risk comes from the National Weather Service surf zone forecast when it issues one; otherwise we estimate it from the waves.
- Best windows: runs of 2 to 5 hours rated 4 or more and close to the best hour, at least one hour apart.
- Day rating: the average of the best window; a 2-hour window keeps 85% of it and a 3-hour window 95%.
Today, in the best window: sun 2.2 of 3, warmth 3 of 4, calm sea 1 of 1, water 0.5 of 1 and tide 0.6 of 1; minus wind 0.7.
It's a guide, not a guarantee: weather changes and every beach is different. Always follow the lifeguard's flags.
Questions about the beach in Oak Island
Is it a beach day in Oak Island today?
A good beach day: 7/10. Best from 12:00 pm to 5:00 pm, with sunshine, pleasant temperatures and a calm sea, though with moderate offshore wind.
What are the swimming conditions in Oak Island today?
3.6 ft waves: calm for swimming. Low rip current risk from the NWS surf zone forecast. Always follow the lifeguard's flags.
How warm is the water in Oak Island?
About 69 °F today: cool. That's the sea surface temperature offshore; it can differ a little at the shoreline.
How much sun protection do I need in Oak Island today?
UV reaches 5 (moderate): SPF 30 sunscreen, sunglasses and a hat.
When is low tide in Oak Island?
Today low tide is at 5:22 am and 6:22 pm: that's when there's the most sand. High tide is at 11:35 am and 11:51 pm.
What about tomorrow? Will it be a beach day in Oak Island?
Tomorrow, Friday, October 30: a good beach day (8/10), best from 1:00 pm to 6:00 pm.
What beaches are near Oak Island?
Long Beach (0.4 mi) and Oak Island Cabana (2.6 mi). See below for amenities and water quality.
Are there jellyfish or sargassum today?
We don't know: there's no open data on jellyfish, sargassum or closures for each beach. Ask the lifeguard, check the flags or the local beach authority's website.
How is the rating worked out?
From the hourly forecast: sun and clouds, feels-like temperature, rain, wind (and whether it blows onshore or offshore), waves and their period, UV, water temperature and, where there is one, the tide. Each factor adds or takes away a fixed number of points and the rating sums them up out of 10.
More about Oak Island today
Learn more
Our own calculation, using the Open-Meteo forecast (ECMWF, NOAA GFS, Météo-France, Copernicus Marine and CAMS, CC BY 4.0), the tide from Varnamtown (NOAA) and the sun from astronomy-engine. Slackwater database (https://github.com/openwatersio/slackwater-database)