Beach Conditions

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TODAY IN NAGS HEAD

Beach & Ocean

Location-specific beach weather, ocean conditions, and the reasons behind today’s Beach Score.

Sunnyside Beach Score8.3/10Very Good Sunnyside Beach Day
Recommendation: Very good beach conditions right now, with a few possible changes to monitor.
Current weatherSunnyside Up stationUpdated 3 min ago
Water temperatureMeasured · Jennettes PierUpdated 43 min ago
Ocean safetyhttps://www.lovethebeachrespecttheocean.com/Checked 3 min ago
TidesNOAA tides · Jennette's Pier, Nags Head (ocean)Official prediction
Air79.3°FFeels 85.0°F
WindSSW 2.5 mphCurrent
Humidity81%Current
Rip RiskModerateOfficial guidance
Surf1–2 ftNWS Surf Zone
Water80°FTemperature
Next TideHigh Tide10:19 PM • 3.7 ft
Main deductions today: Beach flag / ocean safety • Wind
WHY THIS SCORE

Nags Head scoring factors

Tap to view breakdownTap to hide breakdown
8.3/10
Beach flag / ocean safety15.0 / 25

Beach flag / ocean safety is limiting beach comfort today.

Heat & humidity comfort23.0 / 25

Heat & humidity comfort is helping today’s score.

Wind comfort15.1 / 20

Wind comfort is generally favorable with a modest deduction.

Sky / rain / storm comfort20.0 / 20

Sky / rain / storm comfort is helping today’s score.

Water & surf comfort10.0 / 10

Water & surf comfort is helping today’s score.

Bottom line

Very good beach conditions right now, with a few possible changes to monitor.

OFFICIAL OCEAN-SAFETY GUIDANCE

Today’s Ocean Safety Update

Only the ten beaches covered by Sunnyside Up Weather / OBX Beach & Weather are shown below.

August 31, 2026

Northern Beaches

CorollaModerate
DuckModerate
Southern ShoresModerate
Kitty HawkModerate
Kill Devil HillsModerate
Nags HeadModerate

Hatteras Island

RodantheLow
AvonLow
BuxtonLow
Hatteras VillageLow
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Rip Current Safety

Rip currents: know your options
Rip current safety guidance from NOAA / United States Lifesaving Association.
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Rip Current Risk Map

Daily Outer Banks rip current risk map
Rip current risk map from Love the Beach, Respect the Ocean / NWS Newport-Morehead City.
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Rip Current Timing

Strongest rip currents often occur a couple hours either side of low tide, which happens around 4:20 PM today in Nags Head.

Surf & Marine Conditions

Beach surf height uses the location-mapped NWS Surf Zone Forecast. NOAA buoy observations provide offshore swell period and direction context; Surfline remains available directly in the native app.

Current Surf Conditions1–2 ftNWS Surf Zone Forecast
Open Jennette’s Pier Surfline report ↗
NOAA buoy swell1.6 ft · 8 sec · ESE (123°)

Surfline’s live spot feed is unavailable on the website. Surf height is from the official NWS Surf Zone Forecast; the NOAA buoy below provides regional swell context.

🌊1–2 ftBeach Surf Height • NWS Surf Zone
8 secOffshore Dominant Period • NOAA 44086
🧭ESE (123°)Offshore Swell Direction • NOAA 44086
↕️High Tide10:19 PM • 3.7 ft
Jennette's Pier, Nags Head (ocean)
🌡80°FWater Temp • Measured
📡9:00 PM EDTNOAA Buoy Update