The internet has changed our lives.

As a result of this new technology surfers quickly realized the advantage the internet offered in keeping in touch with the constant ever changing conditions of the ocean. That is the reason surfchex.com was started.

Surfchex started in 1997, when local meteorologist Chris Marshall saw the need for an improved way to monitor the surf and weather conditions from Wrightsville Beach. However this was at a time when the internet was new and something as simple as keeping a dial-up internet connection online was a major hurdle.

But the promise of benefits outweighed the efforts and in early 1998 Wrightsville Beach had it’s first live beach cam from the Oceanic Restaurant on the South end. It was a prime spot for checking the surf and beach, overlooking a popular surf break called ‘the South end’ or ‘Crystal Pier’.

The task of keeping the camera running or ‘online’ was a major hurdle requiring hours of troubleshooting, trial and error, and expense.

But gradually like all things in life you adapt to it and we never looked back.

A lot has changed since 1997. Surfchex has tried to change with the times grasping the latest technology in an effort to accommodate our visitors, which now had grown to both national and international audiences. Visitors were amazed at the webcam and weather station reports. Boaters would check the conditions before heading out and surfers were always looking for signs of a new swell or a wind switch which could make or break a surfer’s day. Simply put the site was here to stay and quickly became a staple for anyone interested in the beach.

Now in our third decade of operation, we hope you find the simple look and feel of surfchex.com as you always have…useful. We also hope you will support our sponsors and thank them for making this site possible.

Be assured we will continue to bring you the latest in technology and functionality as it continues to improve. If you have any suggestions about the site or if you want to inquire about placing an ad on our site..you can contact us at [email protected]

Thanks and Enjoy!

SurfChex