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Nags Head 53.6
#4200 of 5753 surf spots in the world · 🇺🇸 United States of America · North Carolina · near Kitty Hawk
Works almost every day, wind is the enemy here, no off season.
Works all yearIntermediate
Surf score53.6 /100
Surfable days93% of the year
Clean days4% groundswell + friendly wind
Groundswell7% period 11 s+
Typical size1.1 m 3.7 ft median
Water17°C a 3/2 wetsuit
Best time to surf Nags Head
The best time to surf Nags Head is January, September, October. It rarely works. In October the water sits around 20°C, so pack a 2 mm shorty, and the typical wave is 1.3 m. The nearest airport is ORF (118 km) and the nearest town is Kitty Hawk (16 km).
| Month | Surfable | Clean | Size | Water | Suit |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 94% | 5% | 1.5 m | 11°C | 5/4 |
| Feb | 99% | 2% | 1.4 m | 5°C | 6/5 |
| Mar | 96% | 4% | 1.4 m | 9°C | 6/5 |
| Apr | 99% | 2% | 1.3 m | 14°C | 4/3 |
| May | 96% | 2% | 1.0 m | 19°C | 2mm |
| Jun | 81% | 0% | 0.8 m | 24°C | vest |
| Jul | 90% | 0% | 0.8 m | 27°C | boardies |
| Aug | 80% | 1% | 0.8 m | 27°C | boardies |
| Sep | 95% | 9% | 1.2 m | 24°C | vest |
| Oct | 95% | 10% | 1.3 m | 20°C | 2mm |
| Nov | 95% | 3% | 1.4 m | 16°C | 4/3 |
| Dec | 95% | 4% | 1.3 m | 11°C | 5/4 |
Why 53.6
Seven parts, each normalised 0 to 1 and weighted; the sum is scaled so the best spot in the world is 100.
Consistency 26%
26.0
Clean days 24%
1.7
Groundswell 12%
1.0
Season spread 10%
10.0
Wave size 8%
2.7
Water comfort 10%
2.9
Access 10%
8.0
The detail
Faces 104° with 69% open water around it. Friendly morning wind 56% of days. Mean peak period 7.5 s. Days over 3 m: 3%. Mellow days (0.4 to 1.2 m): 55%. Months that work: 12 of 12. Coordinates 35.951, -75.619 (OpenStreetMap).
Spots nearby
Kitty Hawk Pier🇺🇸 United States of America · score 53.5Chicahauk🇺🇸 United States of America · score 54.0Boiler🇺🇸 United States of America · score 49.3New New Inlet🇺🇸 United States of America · score 49.2
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