North and South Carolina Coastal Weather and Marine Report
Report time: July 16, 2026, 12:36 PM PDT
Today along the North Carolina coast, NOAA shows generally light to moderate southwest flow with seas mostly around 2 to 3 feet, while the nearby surf is holding near an average of 2 to 3 feet with a long-period east swell in the mix and a smaller south or southwest component adding texture. In the Cape Hatteras area, the swell detail is near E 3 feet at 9 seconds with a smaller S 1 foot at 3 seconds, which supports a modest but organized wave train for the outer beaches. [web:2][web:3]
For South Carolina, the Charleston marine forecast points to quieter nearshore conditions overall, with NOAA noting the local marine zone coverage for Charleston Harbor and surrounding coastal waters, plus tide forecast access through the same office. The Charleston area marine page also confirms NOAA’s official tide and coastal forecast resources for the region. [page:1]
Brief tide guidance for today is that coastal tide timing should be checked against local NOAA tide tables for each inlet and harbor, since the exact highs and lows vary by site; for the Charleston area, NOAA provides dedicated tide and currents links, and for North Carolina coastal waters the marine forecast offices direct users to zone-specific tide information. [page:1][web:5]
Overall, the best summary is that North Carolina coastal waters are running with small, rideable waves and a light southwest wind pattern, while South Carolina coastal waters are calmer nearshore but still influenced by local sea-breeze and tide effects. This is a workable day for cautious boating and modest surf, with the cleanest conditions likely on the more sheltered periods of the tide and wind cycle. [web:2][web:3][page:1]
Credits and references: NOAA National Weather Service marine forecasts and NOAA coastal marine resources. raw data from noaa, curated by surforecast pacificwaverider
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