Swimming at Outer Banks Beach today
Nags Head, 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.
Outer Banks Beach is also scored for
About Outer Banks Beach
Outer Banks Beach sits on the North Carolina coast, where the water runs from about 47°F in February to 83°F in July.
The water averages above 70°F in June, July, August and September — 4 months of the year — peaking around 83°F in July and dropping to about 47°F in February.
Today it is 83°F. That is 2° above the August average of 81°F here.
Tide predictions come from NOAA station Jennettes Pier, Nags Head (ocean) about 6.1 km away on the open coast.
Frequently asked questions
Is Outer Banks 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 Outer Banks Beach?
The water averages above 70°F in June, July, August and September — 4 months of the year — peaking around 83°F in July and dropping to about 47°F in February.