Surf Forecasts:
Croatan surf forecast from 4 Sep 2026:
- Best quality surf: Tuesday 8 Sep, 8AM (local time) - 2ft (0.6m), 10s period, ENE swell with glassy winds.
- Most powerful swell: Monday 7 Sep, 2PM (local time) - 3.5ft (1.1m), 8s period, E swell with 135 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Tuesday 8 Sep, 8AM (local time) - 2ft (0.6m), 10s period with ENE swell.
Best Forecast Surf Conditions for Croatan this week:
The surf forecast for Croatan over the next 16 days: The first swell (rated 1 star or higher) is forecast to arrive on Tuesday (Sep 08) at 8AM. The primary swell is predicted to be 0.6m and 10s period with a secondary swell of 0.5m and 5s. The wind is predicted to be glassy as the swell arrives.
The most powerful waves expected at Croatan in the next 16 days are 1.1m 8s and forecast to arrive on Monday (Sep 07) at 2PM. Winds are predicted to be cross-onshore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 1.1m 4s period and expected on Thursday (Sep 10) at 8AM.
| Wave Type | Time (EDT) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 8AM (Tue 8th Sep) | 2ft (0.6m) 10s |
| Best Surf | 8AM (Tue 8th Sep) | 2ft (0.6m) 10s |
| Most Powerful | 2PM (Mon 7th Sep) | 3.5ft (1.1m) 8s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Croatan over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
Alright, Rusty here again, and I'm not gonna sugarcoat it – the next two weeks at Croatan look like a total washout. The guidance is clear, there's no good surf on the horizon. Water's a balmy 81°F, which is a lot warmer than average for this time of year, so at least a swim won't be cold.
We're looking at a long stretch of tiny, weak waves. Starting Friday the 4th, the swell is barely a ripple, around 1ft from the SE with a short, choppy period. The energy is pathetic, sitting in the low teens. This pattern holds through the first week. The weekend of the 6th and 7th sees a slight bump in height to around 3ft to 4ft, but it's from a short-period easterly windswell, blown out by onshore and cross-onshore winds. It's all slop. A total beginner might find a few whitewater rides, but that's the best I can say.
Into the second week, it's more of the same. Wednesday the 9th offers a moment of clean offshore wind, but the swell is still tiny at 1ft to 3ft and the period is all over the place. It's surfable, but barely. The rest of the run is small, crummy NE and E swells with cross-shore and onshore winds. The 15th shows a 3ft NNE swell, but the wind is cross-shore, making it a choppy mess.
There is no standout day. For a spot that's usually fairly consistent, this is a brutal stretch. Rips and onshore slop make this setup look more like a kiteboarding zone than a surf spot for the next 16 days. Keep your gear waxed and hope for a better forecast down the line.
Rusty.
Short Range ForecastLight rain (total 8mm), mostly falling on Sat night. Warm (max 33°C on Fri afternoon, min 23°C on Sat night). Wind will be generally light. | Days 4-6 Weather SummaryMostly dry. Warm (max 29°C on Wed afternoon, min 21°C on Wed morning). Winds increasing (calm on Tue morning, fresh winds from the SW by Wed night). | ||||||||||||||||||||
Friday 4 | Saturday 5 | Sunday 6 | Monday 7 | Tuesday 8 | Wednesday 9 | Thursday 10 | |||||||||||||||
AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | |
Swell Height Map |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | ||||||||||||||
Wave Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SE 8 | SE 8 | ESE 8 | ESE 8 | ESE 8 | ESE 8 | ENE 4 | E 5 | E 5 | E 6 | E 8 | ENE 10 | ENE 10 | ENE 10 | ENE 9 | ENE 9 | NE 9 | SE 5 | ESE 9 | ESE 9 | N 4 |
Wave Graph  | |||||||||||||||||||||
 kJ | 17 | 17 | 6 | 6 | 6 | 6 | 22 | 34 | 41 | 80 | 127 | 85 | 54 | 52 | 33 | 32 | 21 | 21 | 8 | 8 | 15 |
Wind (km/h) | |||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | off | on | cross-off | cross | on | off | on | on | on | cross-on | on | on | on | on | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | off | cross-off | cross |
High Tide | 1:58PM1.20m | 2:22AM0.91m | 3:06PM1.19m | 3:34AM0.92m | 4:18PM1.20m | 4:45AM0.98m | 5:24PM1.23m | 5:49AM1.06m | 6:20PM1.25m | 6:45AM1.15m | 7:10PM1.26m | 7:35AM1.22m | 7:56PM1.25m | ||||||||
Low Tide | 8:40PM0.21m | 8:34AM0.12m | 9:45PM0.20m | 9:40AM0.10m | 10:49PM0.17m | 10:47AM0.08m | 11:48PM0.12m | 11:51AM0.04m | 00:41AM0.06m | 12:50PM0.00m | 1:28AM0.01m | 1:44PM-0.02m | 2:11AM-0.02m | ||||||||
 |  |  | | |  |  |  | | | | | | | | | | | | |  | |
 | 6:35 | — | — | 6:37 | — | — | 6:37 | — | — | 6:39 | — | — | 6:39 | — | — | 6:39 | — | — | 6:41 | — | — |
 | — | 7:28 | — | — | 7:25 | — | — | 7:24 | — | — | 7:23 | — | — | 7:22 | — | — | 7:21 | — | — | 7:19 | — |
mm | — | — | — | — | — | 2 | 3 | 1 | 2 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 1 | — | — |
Temp °C | 31 | 33 | 29 | 28 | 29 | 26 | 25 | 26 | 24 | 24 | 24 | 24 | 25 | 25 | 24 | 24 | 29 | 26 | 27 | 33 | 29 |
Feels °C | 32 | 34 | 32 | 30 | 32 | 29 | 27 | 25 | 22 | 21 | 20 | 22 | 23 | 23 | 22 | 23 | 26 | 24 | 26 | 32 | 26 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SE 8 | SE 8 | SSE 5 | SSE 6 | ENE 7 | ESE 8 | ESE 8 | — | E 10 | ESE 8 | ENE 10 | ENE 10 | ENE 10 | ENE 10 | ENE 9 | ENE 9 | NE 9 | SE 5 | SE 6 | SSE 6 | SSE 7 |
| kJ | 17 | 17 | 6 | 3 | 4 | 6 | 6 | — | 8 | 7 | 20 | 85 | 54 | 52 | 33 | 32 | 20 | 21 | 5 | 4 | 9 |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | ENE 6 | ENE 5 | ESE 8 | ESE 8 | N 3 | ENE 6 | S 6 | ESE 9 | S 5 | — | ESE 8 | ESE 8 | SE 5 | ESE 8 | SE 5 | ESE 7 | ESE 9 | ENE 8 | ESE 9 | ESE 9 | ESE 8 |
| kJ | 3 | 3 | 6 | 6 | 1 | 4 | 1 | 8 | 1 | — | 7 | 6 | 13 | 7 | 7 | 5 | 9 | 7 | 8 | 8 | 7 |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | S 4 | — | ENE 5 | ENE 6 | ESE 8 | — | — | S 6 | S 5 | — | — | — | ESE 8 | SE 7 | ESE 8 | E 10 | — | ESE 9 | ENE 9 | WSW 3 | E 10 |
| kJ | 1 | — | 3 | 4 | 6 | — | — | 1 | 1 | — | — | — | 6 | 2 | 7 | 2 | — | 8 | 7 | 1 | 2 |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | WSW 3 | — | SSW 3 | NNW 3 | — | NE 3 | ENE 4 | E 5 | E 5 | E 6 | E 8 | SE 5 | — | SE 5 | S 3 | SSE 6 | SSE 4 | SSW 4 | SW 4 | WNW 3 | N 4 |
| kJ | 3 | — | 1 | 4 | — | 1 | 22 | 34 | 41 | 80 | 127 | 12 | — | 13 | 5 | 12 | 21 | 31 | 24 | 1 | 15 |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 572 | 540 | 299 | 299 | 793 | 138 | 462 | 594 | 317 | 356 | 594 | 175 | 137 | 481 | 0 | 0 | 10 | 910 | 175 | 1258 | 242 |
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The surf report / weather widget below is available to embed on third party websites free of charge and provides a summary of our Croatan surf forecast. Simply grab the html code snippet that we provide and paste it into your own site. You can choose your preferred language and metric/imperial units for the surf forecast feed to suit users of your site. Click here to get the code.
Information about the Croatan Surf forecast
The above surf forecast table for Croatan provides essential information for determining whether the surfing conditions will be good over the next 16 days. A general guide to surfing at Croatan can be found by selecting the local surf guide option on the grey menu. Our Croatan 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 (Croatan) 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 Croatan 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.
Croatan is 7 km (4 miles) from the city of Virginia Beach. If you plan a vacation in Virginia, look for hotels and other accommodation in Virginia Beach. Virginia Beach has rooms for a wide range of budgets as well as car hire and transport links.
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