Overview

South Beach is located on the ocean side of Buxton, just north of Cape Point on Hatteras Island. This spot provides direct access to Atlantic waves in a wild setting within Cape Hatteras National Seashore. The beach is wide and faces southeast, receiving swells well from east to south directions. It's a good intermediate wave-riding spot, less exposed than Cape Point but still offering solid conditions. Access is via the road leading to the Cape Hatteras Lighthouse.

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Spot forecast for South Beach / Hatteras

Sunrise 07:12 · Sunset 18:21

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< 7 kn7–12 kn13–20 kn21–30 kn31–40 kn41+ kn Gusts Your minimum: 7 kn

Forecasts provided by Open-Meteo

Swell and waves

Swell and tides over 8 days. Premium members see the swell and tides over 8 days. Without a subscription: 5 days.

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Wave height: < 0.5 m 0.5–1 m 1–2 m 2–3 m ≥ 3 m

Swell data by Open-Meteo Marine

Tides

Heights above lowest astronomical tide, in the spot's local time. Computed 4.3 km from the spot.

Monday 19 October High tide 02:04 · 0.8 m Low tide 07:45 · 0.4 m High tide 14:27 · 1 m Low tide 21:15 · 0.4 m
Tuesday 20 October High tide 03:07 · 0.8 m Low tide 08:51 · 0.4 m High tide 15:23 · 1 m Low tide 21:58 · 0.4 m
Wednesday 21 October High tide 03:59 · 0.9 m Low tide 09:55 · 0.4 m High tide 16:13 · 1 m Low tide 22:35 · 0.3 m
Thursday 22 October High tide 04:43 · 1 m Low tide 10:52 · 0.3 m High tide 16:59 · 1 m Low tide 23:11 · 0.3 m
Friday 23 October High tide 05:26 · 1.1 m Low tide 11:44 · 0.3 m High tide 17:43 · 1 m Low tide 23:49 · 0.2 m

South Beach / Hatteras: when to go?

Rideable days and hours computed for a minimum wind of 7 knots · log in to set your own (foil, twin-tip…)

Season · peak

172h

in March · 18 rideable days

Wind is uneven from month to month: the best months are September, August and October, at 22 rideable days and 25 °C. The low point is January, at 8 days.

Rideable days per month

Wind strength when it is rideable

7-12 knots · 79%13-20 knots · 20%21-30 knots · 1%

When the spot works, wind sits mostly between 7 and 12 knots — 79% of rideable hours. Big-kite territory. The coldest month is January, at 10 °C. The wettest month is March, with 298 mm.

Monthly averages: South Beach / Hatteras

Monthly averages — South Beach / Hatteras — averaged over 2 years of records — Weather data by Open-Meteo.com — How it is calculated
Month	Rideable days	Usable wind	Temperature	Rain
January	8.0	62 h	10 °C	47 mm
February	15.0	138 h	13 °C	75 mm
March	18.0	172 h	17 °C	298 mm
April	16.0	143 h	21 °C	68 mm
May	16.0	164 h	25 °C	192 mm
June	13.0	106 h	28 °C	36 mm
July	13.0	131 h	30 °C	138 mm
August	22.5	212 h	28 °C	146 mm
September	23.5	256 h	26 °C	118 mm
October	20.0	206 h	22 °C	77 mm
November	11.5	105 h	18 °C	76 mm
December	12.5	106 h	13 °C	151 mm

Photo gallery of South Beach / Hatteras

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Technical details of South Beach / Hatteras spot

The spot works with winds from N, NNE, NE, ENE, E, ESE, SE, SSE, S.

Rideable Not rideable

Spot opening date · Required level

Spot opening date: Open all year round
Required level: Intermediate

On the water

Ocean waves with swells coming mainly from southeast to northeast. Moderate to powerful shore break depending on swell size. Sandy bottom with sandbars that create good sections for wave kiting. Conditions are best in NE to SE side-shore winds. Longshore current can be significant — watch your drift. At low tide, the beach is very wide and offers more space for launching.

Hazards

Rip currents possible along the beach. Shore break can be violent at high tide. Stingrays in shallow water — do the stingray shuffle. Sea nettles (jellyfish) common in summer. Afternoon thunderstorms with lightning possible in summer. Sea turtle nesting area — respect marked zones. Sharks occasionally present offshore.

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Hatteras, Mitchell Field7.5 kmsource noaa

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Additional stations

BUXTON1.9 km

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EW9496 Frisco NC US8.1 km

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source madis - NOAA

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Webcams near South Beach / Hatteras

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Nearby spots

All spots: Caroline du Nord

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South Beach / Hatteras kitesurf, wingfoil and windsurf spot