Surf Spots Near Wilmington, NC

Wrightsville Beach is the center of surfing around Wilmington: the shops, the camps and the crowd at C Street all sit on one island. Before the spots, a few rules, because the most obvious places to paddle out are the ones where surfing is banned.

Know the no-surf zones first

Wrightsville Beach town rules:

• No surfing within 350 feet of Johnnie Mercer's Pier
• No surfing within 350 feet of Crystal Pier (at the Oceanic restaurant)
• No surfing within 100 feet of the Masonboro Inlet jetty
• From Memorial Day weekend through Labor Day weekend, no surfing in the flagged zones in front of each lifeguard stand. Each zone is 600 to 750 feet wide.
• Leashes are required, and reckless surfing that puts someone else at risk is prohibited.

Carolina Beach and Kure Beach set their own rules near their piers and guard stands. Read the posted signs and flags at the access before you paddle out.

Wrightsville Beach spots

C Street

The busiest break in Wrightsville, and the nickname covers it: crowded, crammed, crazy when real waves show up. It tends to break harder than the spots around Crystal Pier, which draws stronger intermediate and advanced surfers. Surfline runs a C Street cam, so check it before you drive over.

Beach Access #4

A central access with a big parking lot and bathrooms. Two sandbars shift around with the weather and tides, which makes this a solid pick for surfers still learning. Show up before 9 a.m. for easier parking and a thinner lineup.

North end, near Shell Island Resort

A sandbar sits between the north tip of Wrightsville and Figure Eight Island, and it works on a solid east swell. There's a small public lot, then a walk, and that walk keeps the crowd down.

South end, Masonboro Inlet jetty

At the south tip, a rock jetty separates Wrightsville from Masonboro Island Reserve. With the right tide and a southerly swell, long right-handers peel off the rocks, and stand-up paddlers like it because paddles carry them through the flat sections. Stay more than 100 feet off the jetty. That's town law, and the rocks and inlet current are the reason.

Surf shops and lessons

Lessons

• WB Surf Camp (222 Causeway Drive): lessons and camps for more than 25 years, from beginner to advanced, for kids 6 and up, teens and adults. There are never more than 3 students per instructor, and staff are trained in professional rescuer CPR, first aid and lifeguarding. It also offers stand-up paddleboard sessions.
• Crystal South Surf Camp: founded in 1996 by East Coast surfing legend Jo Pickett, and the oldest surf camp in Wrightsville Beach. Private and group lessons, plus summer camps at Wrightsville and Oak Island.

Boards, wetsuits and rentals

• Sweetwater Surf Shop (10 North Lumina Avenue, Wrightsville Beach): family-owned since 1976, with a deep selection of boards and wetsuits, plus rentals.
• Aussie Island Surf Shop (5101 Dunlea Court, Wilmington): more than 30 years in the Wilmington area, with rentals.
• Bert's Surf Shop (800 North Lake Park Boulevard, Carolina Beach): the Pleasure Island outpost of a Carolina coast chain that dates to 1965.

When to go

• Fall is when locals get excited. Hurricane-season swells from far out in the Atlantic can light up the breaks.
• Summer is usually smaller and warmer, which makes it the easiest season to learn. Mornings are often cleaner before the afternoon sea breeze kicks in, and summer is also when the lifeguard-stand zones are in effect.
• Winter can bring strong surf with storms, but you'll need a thick full wetsuit, booties and a real commitment.
• Spring falls in between, with fewer people than summer.

Water temperature swings a lot through the year. Check a current reading before picking a wetsuit, or ask the shop.

Lineup manners

• The surfer closest to the peak has the wave. Don't drop in.
• Paddle around the lineup, not through someone's ride.
• Wait your turn, especially at C Street on a good day.
• When in doubt, start at a less crowded spot and watch for a set or two.

Off the board

Wrightsville's sound side is calmer water for paddleboarding, and a Masonboro eco cruise gets you out to the undeveloped island across the inlet. More water ideas are on the Water Sports hub.

Common questions

Can I surf next to the pier at Wrightsville Beach? No. Surfing is banned within 350 feet of Johnnie Mercer's Pier and Crystal Pier.

Where should a beginner surf near Wilmington? Take a lesson first. WB Surf Camp and Crystal South both teach at Wrightsville. For surfing on your own, Beach Access #4 has parking, bathrooms and sandbars that suit people still learning.

Is there a surf cam? Surfline runs a C Street cam at Wrightsville Beach.

For more about the island, see Wrightsville Beach and our beaches near Wilmington guide. Catch you on the water!