North Island
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Timezone: America/New_York
โฑ๏ธs.
โšก๏ธkJ
Monday 20
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North Island surf guide

North Island is a surf spot located just to the north of Winyah Bay, and the only way to get there is by boat. This island remains undeveloped and is known for its stunning natural beauty, featuring lots of shells, dunes, and a full maritime forest. While the trip here can take some effort, the scenery makes it worthwhile. It's more exposed to swells compared to areas further north, making it a potential spot to catch some waves, though watch out for sand bars that can block some south swells near the bay.

The surf here works well on swells coming from the south or southeast and usually handles sizes ranging from about 1 to 2 meters (3 to 6 feet). The waves break over sand and can offer both left and right peaks. For the best experience, aim to surf during low to mid tides at the ends of the island or during mid to high tides in the central beach breaks. Wind from the west, west-northwest, or west-southwest provides preferable conditions, and the currents can vary, so it's good to be mindful of that, especially with stronger winds. This spot is suitable for intermediate to expert surfers and works well for various board types, including shortboards, funboards, longboards, fish, and stand-up paddleboards.

Accessing North Island is difficult since it's only reachable by boat, so you'll likely have the place to yourself. The crowd factor is virtually nonexistent, meaning you can enjoy some quiet time in the water. Keep in mind that the environment is generally clean but often on the cloudy side. While it's a great spot for a surf session, be aware that the area can have stronger currents near the inlets and is somewhat sharkier than other spots, so some caution is recommended.

Surf reports and surf forecasts nearby North Island

Garden City Pier
South Carolina, United States
Unknown break
Mon 20
Tue 21
Wed 22
Thu 23
Fri 24
Sat 25
Sun 26
Mon 27
Tue 28
Wed 29
Thu 30
Fri 31
North End
South Carolina, United States
Beach break
Mon 20
Tue 21
Wed 22
Thu 23
Fri 24
Sat 25
Sun 26
Mon 27
Tue 28
Wed 29
Thu 30
Fri 31
South Litchfield
South Carolina, United States
Beach break
Mon 20
Tue 21
Wed 22
Thu 23
Fri 24
Sat 25
Sun 26
Mon 27
Tue 28
Wed 29
Thu 30
Fri 31
The Pier
South Carolina, United States
Beach break, Pier break
Mon 20
Tue 21
Wed 22
Thu 23
Fri 24
Sat 25
Sun 26
Mon 27
Tue 28
Wed 29
Thu 30
Fri 31
The Pier
South Carolina, United States
Unknown break
Mon 20
Tue 21
Wed 22
Thu 23
Fri 24
Sat 25
Sun 26
Mon 27
Tue 28
Wed 29
Thu 30
Fri 31
South Jetty
South Carolina, United States
Jetty break
Mon 20
Tue 21
Wed 22
Thu 23
Fri 24
Sat 25
Sun 26
Mon 27
Tue 28
Wed 29
Thu 30
Fri 31
South End
South Carolina, United States
Beach break
Mon 20
Tue 21
Wed 22
Thu 23
Fri 24
Sat 25
Sun 26
Mon 27
Tue 28
Wed 29
Thu 30
Fri 31
North Island
South Carolina, United States
Beach break
Mon 20
Tue 21
Wed 22
Thu 23
Fri 24
Sat 25
Sun 26
Mon 27
Tue 28
Wed 29
Thu 30
Fri 31
South Island
Unknown Region, Unknown Country
Beach break
Mon 20
Tue 21
Wed 22
Thu 23
Fri 24
Sat 25
Sun 26
Mon 27
Tue 28
Wed 29
Thu 30
Fri 31
Cape Romain
South Carolina, United States
Beach break
Mon 20
Tue 21
Wed 22
Thu 23
Fri 24
Sat 25
Sun 26
Mon 27
Tue 28
Wed 29
Thu 30
Fri 31
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.

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Readme

Welcome! If youโ€™re new to surf forecasting, check out this quick guide.

Forecast Table

The forecast table (the section on the page with all the numbers) is designed to pack as much information in the screen as possible. Although intimidating at first, it will help you make informed decisions about the waves faster, trust me :D. The table consists of roughly four sections, time and predictions, wind, waves, and tides:

๐Ÿ”ฎ Time and predictions section

Here we show the forecast thour and the overall surf quality prediction. This is determined based on the wave, wind and tide quality prediction. These individual predictions can be found on the forecast map.

๐Ÿ’จ Wind section

The first row on the table (with the ๐Ÿ’จ icon) shows wind speed, direction and gust. The more the wind speed the more aggressive the color (from blue, green, orange to red).

๐ŸŒŠ Wave section

The waves section consists of three rows, one for wave height and direction, one for period and one for wave energy. Our algorithm choices the "dominant wave". This is normally the first swell partition, but with heavy local storms it displays the wind waves. If that's the case, we display the numbers in italic and in gray.

๐ŸŒ’ Tide section

The tide section consists of a row with the actual heights per hour (measured at the half hour) and a table that displays the flow of the tide and the extremes (lows and highs).

Forecast map

The forecast map consists of arrows. These arrows represent all wave partitions (swell partitions and wind wave partition) and the wind. This allows you to see things like: a secondary swell or wind waves messes up the surf, or the wind is just a tick offshore so very surfable. Click a metric label in the bottom left to bring that arrow to the front โ€” handy when arrows overlap.

Forecast Cheat Sheet

Short on time? Focus on wave energy. Itโ€™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.

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. Hereโ€™s the scale:

Perfect
Good
Average
Bad or No Data

Session logs also feed the algorithm โ€” the more you log, the smarter your forecasts get.

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