the Town of Oak Island utilizes a 5-FLAG warning system for beach conditions, which are displayed through physical flags, QR codes and lighted signage.

The meaning of the color for each flag is listed below:

DOUBLE_RED: DO NOT ENTER WATER

RED: DO NOT SWIM IN WATER

YELLOW: USE EXTREME CAUTION

GREEN: ALWAYS USE CAUTION

PURPLE: Dangerous Fish or Stinging Marine Life Present 

PURPLE FLAG NOTE: Like almost any beach in the world, there are always sharks, jellyfish, and other potentially dangerous marine life the water. The rare possibility of encountering one of these must be accepted before swimming in the ocean.

In most cases, sightings of a shark or other marine life will NOT trigger a PURPLE Beach Warning Flag; only when they have been observed in an unusually high concentration, very close to shore, or other unique circumstances will a purple flag be raised.

To learn more about Oak Island wildlife that can be seen both in and out of the water, visit the Wildlife Information page at OakIslandNC.gov/WILDLIFE. 

Physical Flag Locations

• Mounted on ALL of the Beach Safety Unit and Fire Department vehicles 

• Fire Station 1 (101 E Oak Island Drive)

• Fire Station 2 (8510 E Oak Island Drive)

• The Volunteer Oak Island Water Rescue Station (SE 49th St.)

• Crossroads Gathering Place at the base of the GV Barbee bridge

QR Codes 

Flag conditions can also be accessed by scanning the QR code found on any Beach Access Location signage.

Lighted Signage

Oak Island is the FIRST Town in the Carolinas to use lighted Beach Warning Signs, featuring a wireless control system which automatically updates conditions from the National Weather Service.

The signs are installed in the Beach Access Locations at the more heavily trafficked areas of:

• Barbee Boulevard (near the Oak Island Pier)

• Oak Island Cabana (Middleton Park Complex)

• 3rd Place East (near S Middleton Ave.)

• The Point (end of W Beach Dr.)

NOTICE: An absence of lights on a sign DOES NOT mean the water is safe.

Each Summer season, the Oak Island Beach Safety Unit fills in hundreds of large, deep holes left unattended on the public beach areas. Deep holes in the sand can be dangerous to beachgoers, wildlife, and Beach Safety crews responding to emergencies. At well over 100 lbs. per cubic foot, the weight of sand from a collapsed hole can immediately crush most children, small pets, and wildlife. Often difficult to see when left unattended, and nearly impossible to see at night, these hazards regularly lead to damaged emergency equipment and severe injuries for people, pets, and wildlife walking along the beach.

In response to the call volume and overwhelming safety concerns, on July 8, 2025 the Oak Island Town Council approved an update to Ordinance 14-142, which will now limit the depth and tools used to dig recreational holes on the public beach areas.

As noted in the new Ordinance Amendment, Holes dug on the beach strand:

• Cannot be deeper than 12” 
• Can only be dug using toy shovels intended for use by children 
• Must be attended at ALL times, and completely filled in by 6:00 PM

Violation of this ordinance can now result in a $50 FINE, issued by the Beach Safety Unit or the Oak Island Police Department.

To educate beachgoers on the ordinance update, the Town is inviting everyone to help say "Goodbye to Deep Holes" -- through this effort, the graphic below will be shared with accompanying information on multiple visitor-targeted pages of the Town Website, as well as social media platforms and on roadside billboards. 

Across the 65 public Beach Access Locations within Oak Island, approximately 23 are designated Emergency Vehicle Access Locations.

As a popular Summertime destination, EXTREME HEAT can often be a concern.

Even if the National Weather Service has not issued a Heat Warning or Advisory, caution and awareness should still be used when on the sand in the Summer heat. 

Remember to:

• Drink plenty of water, and avoid beverages with alcohol.

• Apply SPF 30 or higher sunscreen every two hours

• Wear lightweight, light-colored, and loose-fitting clothing.

• Stay in the shade as much as possible.

• PLEASE keep PETS and SMALL CHILDREN off the sand during the heat of the day.

Most importantly if you or someone around you is starting to experience signs of #HeatStroke (including throbbing headache; confusion; slurred speech, and rapid, strong pulse), don’t wait until it’s too late, call 9-1-1 immediately.

U.S. Coast Guard approved Life Jackets or Personal Floatation Devices (PFDs) are required in many cases for any activities which might take you from the shore, such as boating, paddle boarding, wind surfing, kite boarding or similar.

When not required by law, they are still strongly encouraged!

Life jackets are also recommended for small children or non-confident swimmers who go further than waste deep into the ocean.     

REMEMBER: Even if they are wearing a life jacket, NEVER leave children unsupervised in the ocean, and if you see someone in distress CALL 9-1-1 FIRST -- before retrieving a Rescue Tube and entering the water to assist.

Rafts / Inflatables vs. PFDs

DO NOT let "flotation devices" such as rafts, innertubes, or arm-floats create a false sense of security! Non-USCG approved flotation devices are TOYS, and NOT meant for lifesaving.

These devices can pose risks if used in place of a PFD. Passengers can slide off, be flipped over, or even carried away from shore due to strong wind or currents.

Similarly, "arm floats" can actually slide down the arms, creating greater concerns of "trapping" small children. 

USCG approved devices are specifically tested to ensure safety; with Type I jackets being designed to keep an incapacitated person's head and face up out of the water.

NOTE: With any device, a child or incapacitated swimmer can still float into deep water. That is why it is important to remain aware of your surroundings, including present water conditions.

For more information on Rip Current Safety from the National Weather Service, CLICK HERE to view the NWS Rip Current Awareness page.

Beach safety and rip current education is a major part of the efforts undertaken by the Town of Oak Island. Information we promote largely comes from the National Weather Service.

As the instructional video below notes, when caught in a rip current:

• Stay Calm! Rip currents don't pull you under - just out.

• Do NOT try to swim directly back to shore. Swim with the shoreline (parallel) until you escape the current's pull.

• When free from the pull of the current, swim at an angle away from the current toward shore.

• If you feel you can't reach shore, relax, face the shore, and call or wave for help.

• Remember: If in doubt, don't go out!

IMPORTANT: Swimming, surfing, and ALL in-water activity under, beside, or immediately near a Pier is DANGEROUS and PROHIBITED!

Town Ordinance 22-12 prohibits swimming or other in-water activity within 250 ft. of the Pier, and Section 22-5 further extends this for surfing to 350 ft. away.

"WHY?" There are many hazards around a pier which can lead to serious personal injury, including fishing lines, fishing hooks, and larger predatory fish.

Additionally, barnacles and other crustacean growth, along with pushing waves and swift currents can make the support pilings underneath a pier extremely dangerous!

"WHAT TO DO." To help ensure a safe distance for in-water activity, start at the Pier and take about 100 "big steps" away. This is an approximate way to measure enough distance to help avoid hazards.

The Town of Oak Island is home to TWO (2) ocean piers, the privately owned Ocean Crest Pier, and the Town-owned Oak Island Pier (pictured below).

To learn more about the Oak Island Pier, visit OakIslandNC.gov/PIER. 

The sand dunes (also called "berms") protecting the seashore can be a place of potential safety concern for both humans and wildlife! 

Walking, running, playing, climbing, or any other traffic of any kind on or across the sand dunes (except were designated) is PROHIBITED!

"WHY?" This is to ensure both dune stability and personal safety. There are posts, fencing, shells, and vegetation within the dunes that could cause injury, as well as the risk of falling.

Additionally, several species of local wildlife use the dune system as a vital part of their habitat. 

Designated Access Pathways over the dunes are clearly marked at each Beach Access Location, and feature post-and-rope guides like the example shown below:

In most cases, advisories will not be issued during the non-swimming season from November 1 - March 31.

Click the link below to view any Swimming Advisories.

Water quality in the surf areas along Oak Island is regularly tested as part of the NC Recreational Water Quality Program, administered by the Department of Environmental Quality (NCDEQ).

The program conducts testing at 11 sites in the Town of Oak Island, and two in neighboring Caswell Beach, for enterococcus bacteria. This is an "indicator organism" that does not cause illness, but is an indicator of of organisms that can. 

Most sites are tested on a weekly basis during the swimming season of April through September, twice a month in October, and monthly from November through March.

Click the map below to view recent testing results by location:

Swimming Advisory Levels 

If testing shows bacteria levels are significantly elevated, NCEDQ may issue a Swimming Advisory in one of the following levels:

• No Pending Swimming Advisory means that enterococci levels are within the EPA standards for swimming at this particular monitoring site.

• Precautionary Advisory – stormwater discharge area, including areas impacted by excessive rain events.

• Pending Swimming Advisory means that enterococci levels are elevated. The results from a second water sample will determine whether a Swimming Advisory will be issued or if the Pending Swimming Advisory is rescinded

• Swimming Advisory means either that enterococci levels have exceeded EPA Standards for two consecutive tests or that enterococci levels of five samples collected within 30 days exceeds EPA standards.

Tidal schedules and current conditions are provided by the National Oceanic & Atmospheric Administration (NOAA).

Click the sample chart below, or the direct links provided. 

• CLICK HERE to view the current tide forecast

• CLICK HERE to view Annual Published Tide Tables

Through an ongoing partnership with the Jack Helbig Memorial Foundation, the Town of Oak Island provides Water Safety Stations at ALL 65 of the public Beach Access Locations. 

Each Station consists of two (2) main components:

• Beach Warning Flag & instructional sign

• A yellow "Rescue Tube" personal floatation device

NOTE: Rescue Tubes & Beach Warning Forecasts are only installed during the summer months, when Beach Warning Flag forecasts are provided by the National Weather Service. 

READING A STATION SIGN

The Water Safety Station signs provide FIVE (5) key points of information that is critical during an on-beach emergency, including: 

• The station's street location (to provide telecommunicators with when calling 9-1-1)

• The location relative to other stations (at the baseline of the dunes)

• Descriptions of the Beach Warning Flag colors

• Instructions on how to use the attached Rescue Tubes

• Links on how to find the current Warning Flag status and forecasts.

Provided below is a breakdown of where to find these information points (click on image to enlarge):

With a diverse ecosystem of wooded forests, swamps, coastal marshes, and sandy beaches, there is no shortage of wildlife to be found in the Cape Fear region! In fact, there are hundreds, if not thousands of species of birds, fish, reptiles, amphibians, insects, and arachnids that call Oak Island home.

To learn more about the variety of species that you may encounter in the beach and surf areas, visit OakIslandNC.gov/WILDLIFE or Click the link below.