Swimming at Emerald Isle Beach today
Emerald Isle, North Carolina
Updated 7:03 AM EDT
What decides a swimming score
Before you swim
Swim near a staffed lifeguard tower, and check the National Weather Service surf-zone forecast for the official rip-current outlook — we report conditions, we don't forecast rip currents.
Emerald Isle Beach is also scored for
About Emerald Isle Beach
Emerald Isle Beach sits on the North Carolina coast, where the water runs from about 52°F in January to 85°F in July.
The water averages above 70°F in May, June, July, August, September and October — 6 months of the year — peaking around 85°F in July and dropping to about 52°F in January.
Today it is 83°F. That is 1° below the August average of 84°F here.
Tide predictions come from NOAA station Swansboro, East Corbett Ave. Bridge about 7.1 km away on the Intracoastal Waterway.
Frequently asked questions
Is Emerald Isle Beach good for swimming today?
Great for swimming — we score it 95 out of 100 today. No single condition is holding it back today.
What makes a good swimming day?
We weight water temperature (40%), surf calmness (25%), uv exposure (15%) and combine them into one score. Conditions we cannot read are left out rather than guessed.
When is the best time of year to swim at Emerald Isle Beach?
The water averages above 70°F in May, June, July, August, September and October — 6 months of the year — peaking around 85°F in July and dropping to about 52°F in January.