Croatan Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, let’s break it down. The next couple of weeks at Croatan are looking pretty flat and quiet. There’s not much on offer in the way of proper surf, but we'll walk through what’s happening and where things might get a little interesting.

The water here is sitting at 80°, which is a touch warmer than normal for this time of year – you’ll be comfortable in just a shorty or boardshorts.

We start off on Tuesday, 25th August, and honestly, it’s a bit of a write-off. We’ve got a tiny 1ft swell coming from the SE with a long 11-second period, but the cross-onshore wind from the NE is messing it up good – choppy, messy, not worth paddling out for. Combined swell energy is weak at just 38.

Wednesday the 26th is more of the same. The swell stays at 1ft and the period drops to 9 seconds, then 8 seconds in the afternoon. The wind swings SE and picks up, making it choppy and unpleasant. No go.

Thursday the 27th, the swell nudges up to 2ft, but it’s still weak and the wind stays cross or cross-onshore. The water’s got ripples, the waves are poor. You’d be better off doing something else.

Friday morning the 28th looks like the first chance to get wet – and I mean barely. The swell is still only 1ft from the ESE, period 8 seconds, but the wind shifts to a light cross-offshore from the SW. It’s clean, and the combined energy is still weak at 47. The waves are surfable but very ordinary – a beginner could get a few soft ones, but it's nothing to write home about. The afternoon stays similar.

Saturday and Sunday, 29th and 30th, are poor again. A mix of onshore winds and tiny swell. Sunday morning does go glassy with 1ft and 8-second period from the ESE, but the waves are just too small to do anything with – still poor conditions.

Monday the 31st, early morning shows another clean window with light cross-offshore wind from the SW, but again, the swell is tiny at 1ft and the period is short at 7 seconds. Combined energy is just 15 in the morning. The afternoon gets a little bigger at 2ft but the wind picks up and it gets choppy.

Tuesday, 1st September, we get a weird one. The swell is only 0.7ft but it's coming from the ESE with a very long 15-second period. That kind of period means it's a proper groundswell, but there's just not enough height to make it work at a beach/jetty setup like Croatan. The morning is clean with cross-offshore wind, but you’d be bobbing around on nothing.

Wednesday, 2nd September, the swell stays at 1ft but the period is still decent at 12 seconds from the ESE. Morning is clean with a light cross-offshore wind from the NNW. Combined energy is up a little to 70, but the size is still tiny. Surfable but ordinary.

Finally, things get a little more interesting heading into the first weekend of September. On Friday the 4th, the swell picks up to 3ft in the morning and 5ft in the afternoon from the E. The period is short though, only 6 seconds, and the wind is a moderate cross-onshore from the SE. Combined energy jumps to 93 in the morning and 176 in the afternoon – that's moderate energy. But the short period and choppy conditions mean it’s messy. For the more experienced, the afternoon might offer some punchy, crumbly waves, but it's not clean. Beginners might find 5ft a bit much, especially with the chop.

Saturday the 5th has the best chance in the whole forecast. Morning shows 5ft from the E, 7-second period, with light cross-offshore wind from the SSW. Combined energy is 181 – moderate. The conditions are clean. This is the standout window. It’s still short period, so it’ll be a bit lumpy and close together, but for a beach break, that can mean more waves, just less shape. It's not perfect, but it's the most surfable day of the lot. The afternoon gets messy again with cross-shore wind.

Sunday the 6th drops back to 3ft from the ENE, 7 seconds, morning is clean with cross-offshore wind. Afternoon goes glassy with 2ft – surfable but small.

Monday the 7th is another small clean morning with 1ft and offshore wind, but nothing special.

From Tuesday the 8th onward, it fades back to tiny, poor surf with weak energy, cross-shore or onshore winds. Nothing worth chasing.

So, if you're hanging for a wave, your best bet is Saturday morning, 5th September. It’s not perfect, but it’s the most size and cleanest conditions we’ll see in this stretch. For beginners, the days around Friday 28th and Saturday 5th have manageable size, but keep an eye on the wind. Overall, it’s a lean couple of weeks at Croatan.

Rusty

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