Surf: General: Across the Cape Fear Inlet lie the barrier islands of Brunswick County. The largest island, Oak, includes the communities of Long Beach, Yaupon Beach and Caswell Beach. Oak Island and the rest of the beaches that run toward the South Carolina border are often referred to as the "armpit beaches," since they are heavily shadowed by Cape Fear and the beaches of New Hanover County. These are basically all one beach subdivided by small towns. Most of the surfing is concentrated at the piers, and most waves work on higher tides. The Oak Island beaches receive swell from the S and windswell from the onslaught of aggravating SW winds in the summertime that fail to produce much more than short-period wind chop. Generally, though, the 14 miles of Oak Island coastline (and farther south toward the South Brunswick beaches) holds the weakest surf spots on the coast. Tides: Mid to higher tide Size: Chest high-overhead Wind: North Swell: S, SE Bottom: Sand Paddling: Not bad at all. Spot Rating: Needs the right swell and wind combo to be worthwhile. Access: Easy Crowds: Crowd Factor: Not an issue. Local Vibe: Very mellow. Environment: All good. Hazards: The Post Office is probably the most threatening entity here. Season: Storm dependent: tropical cyclones in the late summer and fall with frontal activity from late fall through winter into spring.