Beach forecast for Wanchese
Today, Wednesday, October 28, 2026 · local time (EDT) · North Carolina, United States Today, Wed, Oct 28 · EDT- Swimming
- Calm · 3.1 ft
- Water
- 64 °F · cold
- Max UV
- 5 · SPF 30
- Low tide
- 2:57 am and 3:53 pm
Today, Wednesday, October 28, it's a fair beach day in Wanchese (6/10). The best hours are from 12:00 pm to 3:00 pm: sunshine, a calm sea and low tide at 3:53 pm, though with light offshore wind. The best day this week is Friday, October 30, at 6/10.
Beach forecast for the next 7 days
| Day | Rating | Best hours | Swimming | Water | UV |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Today | 6Fair beach day | 12:00–3:00 pm | Calm · 3.1 ft | 64 °F | 5 |
| Thu 29 | 3Poor beach day | No good window | Calm · 2.6 ft | 64 °F | 4 |
| Fri 30 | 6Fair beach day | 1:00–6:00 pm10:00 am–12:00 pm | Calm · 1.8 ft | 65 °F | 4 |
| Sat 31 | 0Not a beach day | No good window | Calm · 3.0 ft | 65 °F | 4 |
| Sun 1 | 3Poor beach day | No good window | Calm · 2.4 ft | 65 °F | 4 |
| Mon 2 | 2Not a beach day | No good window | Calm · 1.4 ft | 65 °F | — |
| Tue 3 | 6Fair beach day | 8:00 am–12:00 pm | Calm · 1.6 ft | 65 °F | — |
Each rating comes from sun, temperature, rain, wind, waves, UV, water temperature and, where there is one, the tide.
Today in detail
3 good hours- Official statement: Beach Hazards Statement (NWS Newport/Morehead City NC)
- Sunny
- Feels like 71 °F: mild
- Calm for swimming: 3.1 ft waves
- UV 5 (moderate): SPF 30 sunscreen
- Low tide at 3:53 pm: more sand
- Light offshore wind (12 mph): it blows floats and inflatables out to sea
Today, hour by hour
- Swimming Calm · 3.1 ft
3.1 ft waves: calm for swimming. Low rip current risk. Always follow the lifeguard's flags.
- Water 64 °F
Cold: ease in slowly.
- Sun & sunscreen UV 5 · SPF 30
Max UV 5 (moderate): SPF 30 sunscreen, reapplied every 2 hours.
- Wind 14 mph
Moderate offshore wind (14 mph). Skip the inflatables: offshore wind carries them out to sea.
- Tide & sand 2:57 am
Low tide at 2:57 am and 3:53 pm: that's when there's the most sand. High tide at 9:21 am and 9:42 pm.
The best window, 12:00 pm to 3:00 pm, brings sunshine, a calm sea and low tide at 3:53 pm, though with light 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 | 0 | Overcast | 64 °F | 9 mph | 3.0 ft | 0 |
| 9:00 am | 3 | Partly cloudy | 65 °F | 10 mph | 3.0 ft | 1 |
| 10:00 am | 4 | Mainly clear | 66 °F | 12 mph | 3.0 ft | 2 |
| 11:00 am | 4 | Clear sky | 68 °F | 14 mph | 3.0 ft | 4 |
| 12:00 pm | 6 | Clear sky | 71 °F | 11 mph | 3.0 ft | 5 |
| 1:00 pm | 7 | Clear sky | 71 °F | 12 mph | 3.1 ft | 5 |
| 2:00 pm | 7 | Clear sky | 71 °F | 12 mph | 3.1 ft | 4 |
| 3:00 pm | 4 | Clear sky | 68 °F | 13 mph | 3.1 ft | 2 |
| 4:00 pm | 5 | Clear sky | 67 °F | 11 mph | 3.1 ft | 1 |
| 5:00 pm | 5 | Clear sky | 66 °F | 9 mph | 3.1 ft | 0 |
Beach hours only: from one hour after sunrise to half an hour before sunset.
Beaches near Wanchese
Map: OpenFreeMap · © OpenMapTiles · © OpenStreetMap contributors
- Coquina Beach 4.6 mi · E
- Restrooms
- 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 Wanchese
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 3 of 3, warmth 2 of 4, calm sea 1 of 1, water 0 of 1 and tide 0.9 of 1; minus wind 0.5; short window: the rating keeps 95%.
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 Wanchese
Is it a beach day in Wanchese today?
A fair beach day: 6/10. Best from 12:00 pm to 3:00 pm, with sunshine, a calm sea and low tide at 3:53 pm, though with light offshore wind.
What are the swimming conditions in Wanchese today?
3.1 ft waves: calm for swimming. Low rip current risk. Always follow the lifeguard's flags.
How warm is the water in Wanchese?
About 64 °F today: cold. That's the sea surface temperature offshore; it can differ a little at the shoreline.
How much sun protection do I need in Wanchese today?
UV reaches 5 (moderate): SPF 30 sunscreen, sunglasses and a hat.
When is low tide in Wanchese?
Today low tide is at 2:57 am and 3:53 pm: that's when there's the most sand. High tide is at 9:21 am and 9:42 pm.
What about tomorrow? Will it be a beach day in Wanchese?
Tomorrow, Thursday, October 29: a poor beach day (3/10).
What beaches are near Wanchese?
Coquina Beach (4.6 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 Wanchese 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 Jennettes Pier (NOAA) and the sun from astronomy-engine. Slackwater database (https://github.com/openwatersio/slackwater-database)