Corolla Lighthouse
Pull to refresh
Swl 2
0.4ft 7s.
1kJ
Swl 1
1.0ft 8s.
6kJ
Wnd
9mph
9mph
Hourly Forecast
Timezone: America/New_York
⏱️s.
⚡️kJ
🔮
🌒
Join Surfnerd+ to check
weekend forecasts
Tuesday 2
Wednesday 3
Thursday 4
Friday 5
Saturday 6
Sunday 7
to unlock wave energy
Tap any forecast cell to see the forecast arrows update on the map.
Surfnerd Logo
Join Surfnerd for free to check this forecast
Join Surfnerd to check forecasts, set your homespot, save and create spots and log your surf sessions.
Sign up with Google

Corolla Lighthouse surf guide

Corolla Lighthouse is located at the northern tip of the Outer Banks and is often overlooked by surfers looking for consistent waves. The beach offers fewer advantages compared to other OBX spots. With a more extensive shelf than places further south, the wave size and power are generally a bit less intense here. The area can pick up some decent waves when the sandbars are set up just right, but it’s not a hotspot that draws in the crowds. Accessing the beach can be tricky since much of the oceanfront is residential, and there are limited legal paths to the beach. If you're lucky enough to be there on vacation, you might score a decent session, but it's not a must-visit for surfers who are traveling just for the waves.

When it comes to the surf, Corolla Lighthouse has some variability. The waves here can range from chest high to overhead (roughly 1 to 2.5 meters) and typically break over a sandy bottom. While the preferred swell direction is Southeast, this spot can also accommodate swells from the North and South, handling sizes from 3 to 8 feet (about 0.9 to 2.4 meters). You'll mainly find beach breaks here with waves breaking both left and right. The best conditions usually happen at low to mid tide, and the optimal wind is from the Southwest. Beginners can definitely find something here, but if you're chasing a quality wave, you might end up finding better options in Dare County.

During the summer months, you’ll need to keep an eye out for hazards like sunburn and the occasional jellyfish. Although the beaches can get crowded if the nearby McMansions are filled with surfers, it's usually not too busy. If you're bringing different boards, this spot works for shortboards, fish, funboards, longboards, SUPs, skimboards, bodyboards, bodysurfing, and even kiteboarding. Just be aware that getting to the beach can be a bit of a hassle unless you’ve rented a house. Overall, it’s a decent place to catch a few waves, but it’s not likely to be worth the traffic if you’re coming from a distance.

Surf reports and surf forecasts nearby Corolla Lighthouse

Sandbridge Beach
Virginia, United States
Beach break
Tue 29
Wed 30
Thu 31
Fri 1
Sat 2
Sun 3
Mon 4
Tue 5
Wed 6
Thu 7
Fri 8
Sat 9
Corolla Lighthouse
North Carolina, United States
Beach break
Tue 29
Wed 30
Thu 31
Fri 1
Sat 2
Sun 3
Mon 4
Tue 5
Wed 6
Thu 7
Fri 8
Sat 9
Duck Pier
North Carolina, United States
Beach break, Pier break
Tue 29
Wed 30
Thu 31
Fri 1
Sat 2
Sun 3
Mon 4
Tue 5
Wed 6
Thu 7
Fri 8
Sat 9
Kitty Hawk Pier
North Carolina, United States
Unknown break
Tue 29
Wed 30
Thu 31
Fri 1
Sat 2
Sun 3
Mon 4
Tue 5
Wed 6
Thu 7
Fri 8
Sat 9
Eckner Street
North Carolina, United States
Beach break
Tue 29
Wed 30
Thu 31
Fri 1
Sat 2
Sun 3
Mon 4
Tue 5
Wed 6
Thu 7
Fri 8
Sat 9
Laundromats
North Carolina, United States
Beach break
Tue 29
Wed 30
Thu 31
Fri 1
Sat 2
Sun 3
Mon 4
Tue 5
Wed 6
Thu 7
Fri 8
Sat 9
Avalon Pier
North Carolina, United States
Unknown break
Tue 29
Wed 30
Thu 31
Fri 1
Sat 2
Sun 3
Mon 4
Tue 5
Wed 6
Thu 7
Fri 8
Sat 9
Avalon Pier
North Carolina, United States
Beach break, Pier break
Tue 29
Wed 30
Thu 31
Fri 1
Sat 2
Sun 3
Mon 4
Tue 5
Wed 6
Thu 7
Fri 8
Sat 9
Third Street
North Carolina, United States
Beach break
Tue 29
Wed 30
Thu 31
Fri 1
Sat 2
Sun 3
Mon 4
Tue 5
Wed 6
Thu 7
Fri 8
Sat 9
1st Street
North Carolina, United States
Beach break
Tue 29
Wed 30
Thu 31
Fri 1
Sat 2
Sun 3
Mon 4
Tue 5
Wed 6
Thu 7
Fri 8
Sat 9
Surfnerd Logo
Join Surfnerd+ and get:
  • Weekend
    + weekday forecasts
    (vs weekdays only)
  • 12-day
    forecast range
    (vs 5-day)
  • 1-hour
    forecast steps
    (vs 3-hour)
  • Wave energy
    metric
    (power rating)
  • Secondary & tertiary
    swells
    (complete picture)
"Great Forecasts. Nothing more, nothing less."
Login to do spot actions
Wind certainty

Wind certainty tells you how much the weather models agree on the forecast.

  • High certainty: Models agree closely; forecast is reliable.
  • Medium certainty: Some disagreement; conditions may shift slightly.
  • Low certainty: Models diverge; treat forecast with caution.

We calculate this by comparing wind speed, gust and direction from multiple models (like GFS, ECMWF, Arome, and Harmonie) and seeing how closely they match. They are weighted, meaning that some models count more than others, depending on how good they are for a certain spot.

Readme

Welcome! If you’re new to surf forecasting, check out this quick guide.

Forecast Cheat Sheet

Short on time? Focus on wave energy. It’s the best single metric to gauge how big and powerful the waves will be.

Click any table cell to jump to that forecast hour. The map will update with forecast arrows, so you can see if wind and swell direction are lining up.

Use the table sidebar to switch units for height and speed.

Log your surf sessions to compare forecasts with real sessions and sharpen future predictions.

On the map, click a metric label to bring that arrow to the front — handy when arrows overlap.

Models and Updates

Surfnerd blends multiple global and local wind and swell models using advanced interpolation and spatial techniques to create an "ensemble" forecast. Forecasts are refreshed hourly.

Surf Predictions

Our AI-driven algorithm scores surf quality, shown by green, orange, and gray dots. Each forecast hour is rated for wind, swell, and tide quality, then combined into an overall score. Here’s the scale:

Perfect
Good
Average
Bad or No Data

Session logs also feed the algorithm — the more you log, the smarter your forecasts get.

With Surfnerd, no more "you should have been here yesterday"