World › United States of America › North Carolina › Emerald Isle
Emerald Isle 51.5
#4364 of 5753 surf spots in the world · 🇺🇸 United States of America · North Carolina · near Jacksonville
Very consistent, wind is the enemy here, no off season.
Works all yearBeginner friendlyBeginner
Surf score51.5 /100
Surfable days84% of the year
Clean days2% groundswell + friendly wind
Groundswell3% period 11 s+
Typical size0.9 m 2.8 ft median
Water19°C a 2 mm shorty
Best time to surf Emerald Isle
The best time to surf Emerald Isle is March, September, October. It rarely works. In September the water sits around 25°C, so pack boardshorts, and the typical wave is 0.8 m. The nearest airport is ILM (92 km) and the nearest town is Jacksonville (38 km).
| Month | Surfable | Clean | Size | Water | Suit |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 84% | 0% | 0.9 m | 11°C | 5/4 |
| Feb | 94% | 1% | 1.0 m | 7°C | 6/5 |
| Mar | 90% | 2% | 1.0 m | 14°C | 4/3 |
| Apr | 83% | 2% | 1.0 m | 18°C | 3/2 |
| May | 90% | 0% | 0.8 m | 22°C | vest |
| Jun | 82% | 0% | 0.7 m | 26°C | boardies |
| Jul | 84% | 0% | 0.8 m | 29°C | boardies |
| Aug | 69% | 0% | 0.7 m | 28°C | boardies |
| Sep | 77% | 14% | 0.8 m | 25°C | boardies |
| Oct | 79% | 5% | 0.8 m | 22°C | 2mm |
| Nov | 87% | 1% | 0.9 m | 16°C | 3/2 |
| Dec | 88% | 2% | 0.9 m | 12°C | 5/4 |
Why 51.5
Seven parts, each normalised 0 to 1 and weighted; the sum is scaled so the best spot in the world is 100.
Consistency 26%
25.6
Clean days 24%
0.7
Groundswell 12%
0.2
Season spread 10%
10.0
Wave size 8%
1.5
Water comfort 10%
4.4
Access 10%
7.8
The detail
Faces 162° with 44% open water around it. Friendly morning wind 77% of days. Mean peak period 7.1 s. Days over 3 m: 1%. Mellow days (0.4 to 1.2 m): 77%. Months that work: 12 of 12. Coordinates 34.660, -77.034 (OpenStreetMap).
Spots nearby
Onslow Beach🇺🇸 United States of America · score 46.4Atlantic Beach🇺🇸 United States of America · score 53.3Shackleford Banks🇺🇸 United States of America · score 53.5Cape Lookout🇺🇸 United States of America · score 54.2
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