
Surf Forecasts:
Atlantic Beach surf forecast from 12 Jul 2026:
- Best quality surf: Sunday 12 Jul, 5AM (local time) - 3ft (0.9m), 6s period, SW swell with cross-offshore winds.
- Most powerful swell: Thursday 16 Jul, 8PM (local time) - 4.5ft (1.4m), 6s period, SW swell with 129 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Sunday 12 Jul, 5AM (local time) - 3ft (0.9m), 6s period with SW swell.
Best Forecast Surf Conditions for Atlantic Beach this week:
The surf forecast for Atlantic Beach over the next 16 days: The first swell (rated 1 star or higher) is forecast to arrive on Sunday (Jul 12) at 5AM. The primary swell is predicted to be 0.9m and 6s period with a secondary swell of 0.4m and 10s. The wind is predicted to be cross-offshore as the swell arrives.
The most powerful waves expected at Atlantic Beach in the next 16 days are 1.4m 6s and forecast to arrive on Thursday (Jul 16) at 8PM. Winds are predicted to be cross-onshore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 1.0m 5s period and expected on Friday (Jul 17) at 8PM.
| Wave Type | Time (EDT) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 5AM (Sun 12th Jul) | 3ft (0.9m) 6s |
| Best Surf | 5AM (Sun 12th Jul) | 3ft (0.9m) 6s |
| Most Powerful | 8PM (Thu 16th Jul) | 4.5ft (1.4m) 6s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Atlantic Beach over the next 16 days.
Alright, Rusty here. Let’s break it down.
Honestly, the next 16 days for Atlantic Beach are looking pretty grim. The swell is small and inconsistent, and we’ve got a lot of wind issues to deal with. There’s not a single standout session that gets me fired up, but we’ll work through the window.
The pattern starts with weak, short-period swell from the SSW. On Sunday the 12th, we’re looking at a tiny 3-foot swell with a short 6-second period, and the wind is cross-onshore, leaving it messy and uninviting. Combined wave energy is very low (84 and 79). Not a day for it.
Monday the 13th brings a drop in size to 2 feet from the SE, but the wind goes offshore in the morning, cleaning it up. The period’s a bit better at 9 seconds, but the energy is still weak (65). It’s surfable but very ordinary.
Tuesday the 14th is similar: 1 feet SE swell, clean with light offshore winds, but the energy is even lower (55 and 57). You could get a fun little ripple on a longboard, but that’s about it.
From Wednesday the 15th through to the end of the first week, the swell stays tiny (1 foot to 2 feet) and the wind is mostly cross, cross-on, or onshore, with energy readings dropping into the teens and twenties. Choppy, messy, and not worth paddling out for.
We get a bump of energy on Thursday the 16th in the afternoon, with a 5-foot SW swell, but the period is a pathetic 4 seconds and the wind is cross-onshore, creating choppy, poor conditions. The energy is moderate (125), but it’s not surfable quality.
The only faint glimmer comes on Sunday the 19th. The swell picks up to 5 feet in the morning, climbing to 6 feet by the afternoon from the SW, with a 6-second period. The energy is building (154 and 277), but the wind is onshore, making it a real mess. Combined with the short period, it’s more of a washing machine than a surfable wave. This is over 5 feet, so it’s not for beginners, but the conditions are poor.
After that, the swell drops off again, with a small clean spell on Monday the 20th morning (3 feet SSW, 6 seconds, NW cross-off wind, 73 energy) but it’s still just ordinary.
The best of a bad bunch is likely the morning of Monday the 27th. We see a 6-foot SSW swell with a 6-second period, light offshore winds, and the highest combined energy in the whole forecast (290). The wind is clean, and the score says “expect good surf conditions.” This is the only real highlight, but it’s 16 days out, so take it with a grain of salt. This swell is over 5 feet, so it’s for intermediate to advanced surfers, but the short period means it won’t have the power of a groundswell.
Bottom line: for the next two weeks, Atlantic Beach is a write-off. There’s nothing to recommend. The only session that might be worth a look is that Monday the 27th morning, but it’s a long way off and the pattern is so inconsistent that it’s a real gamble. The water temperature is about average for the time of year, nothing to write home about.
Rusty.
Short Range ForecastModerate rain (total 15mm), heaviest on Sun afternoon. Warm (max 31°C on Sat night, min 24°C on Sun morning). Wind will be generally light. | Days 5-7 Weather SummaryMostly dry. Warm (max 31°C on Fri morning, min 24°C on Tue night). Wind will be generally light. | ||||||||||||||||||||
Sunday 12 | Monday 13 | Tuesday 14 | Wednesday 15 | Thursday 16 | Friday 17 | Sat 18 | |||||||||||||||
Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | |
Swell Height Map | |||||||||||||||||||||
Wave Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SW 6 | SSW 6 | SSW 6 | SE 10 | SE 9 | SE 9 | SE 9 | SE 9 | SE 9 | SE 9 | SE 9 | SE 8 | ESE 8 | SE 8 | SW 5 | SW 6 | SSW 6 | SSW 6 | E 5 | E 6 | S 6 |
Wave Graph | |||||||||||||||||||||
102 | 60 | 44 | 45 | 41 | 41 | 39 | 27 | 29 | 27 | 27 | 25 | 23 | 18 | 107 | 92 | 21 | 12 | 26 | 10 | 16 | |
Wind (km/h) | |||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | cross-off | cross-on | cross-on | cross-off | off | cross-off | cross-off | off | cross-off | cross-off | cross | cross-on | cross | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | cross-off | cross | cross-on | cross-on | on |
High Tide | 6:28AM0.62m | 7:14PM1.02m | 7:29AM0.65m | 8:10PM1.04m | 8:27AM0.69m | 9:03PM1.04m | 9:22AM0.72m | 9:55PM1.02m | 10:17AM0.75m | 10:45PM0.97m | 11:11AM0.77m | 11:34PM0.90m | 12:06PM0.77m | ||||||||
Low Tide | 1:06AM0.02m | 12:40PM-0.12m | 2:03AM-0.02m | 1:39PM-0.15m | 2:57AM-0.06m | 2:38PM-0.16m | 3:48AM-0.08m | 3:35PM-0.15m | 4:37AM-0.09m | 4:31PM-0.12m | 5:24AM-0.09m | 5:27PM-0.06m | 6:11AM-0.07m | 6:23PM-0.00m | |||||||
— | 6:01 | — | — | 6:03 | — | — | 6:03 | — | — | 6:03 | — | — | 6:05 | — | — | 6:05 | — | — | 6:05 | — | |
8:22 | — | 8:21 | — | — | 8:21 | — | — | 8:21 | — | — | 8:20 | — | — | 8:20 | — | — | 8:19 | — | — | 8:19 | |
mm | — | — | 7 | 5 | 1 | 2 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 3 | — | — |
Temp °C | 31 | 26 | 27 | 26 | 26 | 27 | 25 | 26 | 28 | 27 | 27 | 28 | 29 | 29 | 30 | 29 | 31 | 31 | 29 | 29 | 29 |
Feels °C | 32 | 29 | 29 | 29 | 28 | 29 | 26 | 28 | 30 | 30 | 29 | 29 | 30 | 30 | 30 | 33 | 34 | 32 | 33 | 32 | 30 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SSW 6 | SSW 6 | SSW 6 | SSW 6 | SW 5 | E 7 | E 7 | E 7 | E 7 | E 6 | E 7 | E 7 | ESE 8 | SE 8 | SE 7 | ESE 8 | SSW 6 | SSW 6 | SSW 6 | E 6 | E 5 |
75 | 60 | 44 | 13 | 13 | 25 | 34 | 23 | 22 | 13 | 14 | 17 | 23 | 15 | 14 | 11 | 21 | 12 | 6 | 9 | 4 | |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SE 9 | SE 10 | SE 10 | SE 10 | SE 9 | SSW 5 | SE 9 | SE 9 | SE 9 | SE 9 | SE 9 | SE 8 | — | E 6 | — | S 15 | SE 8 | SE 8 | SE 8 | SSW 5 | SE 8 |
23 | 23 | 33 | 45 | 41 | 10 | 39 | 27 | 29 | 27 | 27 | 25 | — | 3 | — | 4 | 16 | 11 | 10 | 5 | 10 | |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | E 9 | E 8 | E 9 | E 9 | ENE 7 | SE 9 | SSW 6 | SSW 5 | SW 5 | SW 5 | SSW 5 | — | — | — | E 15 | SE 15 | — | — | S 14 | SE 8 | SE 13 |
2 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 10 | 41 | 12 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 5 | — | — | — | 4 | 8 | — | — | 4 | 10 | 7 | |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SW 6 | — | E 7 | ENE 3 | E 3 | — | — | — | — | WSW 3 | — | SSW 5 | SSW 4 | SW 4 | SW 5 | SW 6 | NE 4 | ENE 5 | E 5 | — | S 6 |
102 | — | 1 | 2 | 1 | — | — | — | — | 1 | — | 11 | 10 | 18 | 107 | 92 | 6 | 22 | 26 | — | 16 | |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 0 | 22 | 698 | 0 | 0 | 14 | 14 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 115 | 149 | 533 | 80 | 671 | 110 | 911 | 2145 | 80 | 1448 | 697 |
Best forecast wave conditions in North Carolina | |||||||||||||||||||||
Best forecast wave conditions in United States | |||||||||||||||||||||
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Information about the Atlantic Beach Surf forecast
The above surf forecast table for Atlantic Beach provides essential information for determining whether the surfing conditions will be good over the next 16 days. A general guide to surfing at Atlantic Beach can be found by selecting the local surf guide option on the grey menu. Our Atlantic Beach surf forecast is unique since it includes wave energy (power) that defines the real feel of the surf rather than just the height or the period. If you surf the same spot (Atlantic Beach) regularly then make a mental note of the wave energy from the surf forecast table each time you go. Very soon you may start to choose your surf days based on the wave energy alone combined with our forecast of favourable offshore wind conditions. Our star ratings will help here and of course you will also find the usual wave height and period predictions on our surf forecasts as well as a full break down of the swell components under our advanced users option (to reveal that, click the little Einstein character under the tide times).
Further information to help with frequently asked questions about our surf forecast for Atlantic Beach may be found under the help tab on the top menu and also by moving your mouse over the question marks on the surf forecast table itself. Please always bear in mind that the forecast is for near-shore open water and local factors at each surf break influence the actual breaking wave height, such as the beach / reef profile, water depths offshore and shelter.
Atlantic Beach is 25 km (16 miles) from Havelock. If you plan a vacation in North Carolina, look for hotels and other accommodation in Havelock. Havelock has rooms for a wide range of budgets as well as car hire and transport links.











