Surf Forecasts:
Croatan surf forecast from 19 Aug 2026:
- Best quality surf: Saturday 22 Aug, 11PM (local time) - 4ft (1.2m), 5s period, SSE swell with cross-offshore winds.
- Most powerful swell: Saturday 22 Aug, 11PM (local time) - 4ft (1.2m), 5s period, SSE swell with 59 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Saturday 22 Aug, 11PM (local time) - 4ft (1.2m), 5s period with SSE 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 Saturday (Aug 22) at 11PM. The primary swell is predicted to be 1.2m and 5s period with a secondary swell of 0.3m and 8s. Another secondary swell of 0.2m and 13s is also forecast. The wind is predicted to be cross-offshore as the swell arrives.
The most powerful waves expected at Croatan in the next 16 days are 1.2m 5s and forecast to arrive on Saturday (Aug 22) at 11PM. Winds are predicted to be cross-offshore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 0.4m 4s period and expected on Friday (Aug 21) at 5AM.
| Wave Type | Time (EDT) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 11PM (Sat 22nd Aug) | 4ft (1.2m) 5s |
| Best Surf | 11PM (Sat 22nd Aug) | 4ft (1.2m) 5s |
| Most Powerful | 11PM (Sat 22nd Aug) | 4ft (1.2m) 5s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Croatan over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
Alright, Rusty here. Let's be real: this 16-day stretch is a tough one for us.
We are looking at a long, drawn-out lull. For the first two weeks, from Wednesday the 19th of August all the way through to the end of the month, we’ve got a lot of days with no real swell to speak of. The energy is low, with wave heights sitting around 1.0 ft to 2 ft, and a short-period windswell that's just not doing the job. The water temperature is a warm 80°, which is about normal for this time of year.
The outlook doesn't really start to shift until the very tail end of the forecast. We see a small increase in combined energy, reaching some moderate levels in the 100 to 200 range, but it’s paired with poor conditions and onshore winds. For a spot called Croatan, the data shows the first sniff of something surfable but ordinary on Friday morning, the 28th of August. Even then, it’s a 2 ft swell from the SE, and the energy is just in the 50s. The run of poor surf continues right through to the start of September.
The first chance that looks even worth a mention arrives on the morning of Tuesday, the 1st of September. Combine that with the morning of Wednesday the 2nd. On the 2nd, we see a clean morning with a cross-off wind but it’s still a tiny 2 ft ESE swell with moderate wave energy of about 108. It’s small, it’s ordinary, but it’s the most promising we get. On Thursday the 3rd, the swell gets a bit of a bump: a 3 ft NE swell with a combined energy of 224. It’s more powerful, but it’s coming with a cross-onshore wind and a risk of thunderstorms. For a beach/jetty setup like Croatan, it's going to be choppy and messy. Honestly, this whole stretch looks more interesting for kite surfing than a proper paddle session.
To be totally upfront, there are no standouts here. The entire 16-day window is a bust for quality surf. We just don’t have the swell, and when we get a little bump, the wind ruins it. If you are desperate for a paddle, the cleanest windows are the mornings of the 1st and 2nd of September, but don’t expect much. It’s just one of those runs, and it can change. Keep an eye on it.
Rusty.
Short Range ForecastHeavy rain (total 24mm), heaviest during Thu night. Warm (max 32°C on Thu afternoon, min 21°C on Fri night). Wind will be generally light. | Days 4-6 Weather SummaryHeavy rain (total 32mm), heaviest during Mon night. Warm (max 29°C on Sun afternoon, min 21°C on Sat morning). Wind will be generally light. | ||||||||||||||||||||
Wednesday 19 | Thursday 20 | Friday 21 | Saturday 22 | Sunday 23 | Monday 24 | Tuesday 25 | |||||||||||||||
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 9 | SE 9 | SE 9 | ESE 8 | SSE 4 | SE 4 | ESE 8 | ESE 9 | ESE 9 | ESE 8 | E 13 | SSE 5 | SSE 5 | SE 5 | SSE 5 | ESE 12 | ESE 12 | ESE 11 | ESE 11 | ESE 11 | ESE 11 |
Wave Graph  | |||||||||||||||||||||
 kJ | 22 | 20 | 19 | 13 | 32 | 17 | 13 | 16 | 16 | 14 | 14 | 32 | 17 | 14 | 15 | 27 | 26 | 23 | 22 | 22 | 22 |
Wind (km/h) | |||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | cross | on | cross | cross | cross | cross-off | cross | cross-on | off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | off | cross-off | off | glassy | on | cross-off | cross-off | cross-on | cross-off |
High Tide | 1:26PM1.07m | 1:30AM0.81m | 2:19PM1.03m | 2:26AM0.76m | 3:19PM1.01m | 3:33AM0.75m | 4:22PM1.01m | 4:43AM0.77m | 5:19PM1.04m | 5:41AM0.82m | 6:08PM1.08m | 6:29AM0.89m | 6:51PM1.12m | ||||||||
Low Tide | 8:00PM0.28m | 7:49AM0.23m | 8:57PM0.31m | 8:42AM0.27m | 9:54PM0.32m | 9:38AM0.28m | 10:51PM0.31m | 10:36AM0.27m | 11:43PM0.27m | 11:32AM0.24m | 00:29AM0.22m | 12:24PM0.20m | 1:09AM0.16m | ||||||||
 |  |  | | |  | |  |  | | | |  |  | | | | | | | | |
 | 6:22 | — | — | 6:24 | — | — | 6:24 | — | — | 6:26 | — | — | 6:26 | — | — | 6:26 | — | — | 6:28 | — | — |
 | — | 7:50 | — | — | 7:49 | — | — | 7:47 | — | — | 7:45 | — | — | 7:45 | — | — | 7:44 | — | — | 7:42 | — |
mm | — | — | — | — | — | 17 | — | 1 | 6 | — | — | 6 | — | 1 | 2 | — | 3 | 20 | 2 | 6 | 9 |
Temp °C | 28 | 29 | 27 | 30 | 32 | 24 | 26 | 28 | 28 | 25 | 28 | 27 | 26 | 29 | 28 | 27 | 28 | 25 | 24 | 27 | 25 |
Feels °C | 29 | 29 | 29 | 32 | 31 | 25 | 29 | 30 | 31 | 26 | 29 | 29 | 29 | 30 | 29 | 31 | 31 | 28 | 27 | 30 | 27 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SE 9 | SE 9 | SE 9 | ESE 8 | — | ESE 8 | SE 4 | ESE 9 | SSE 4 | SE 4 | ESE 8 | E 8 | SSE 5 | SE 7 | SSE 5 | ESE 12 | ESE 12 | ESE 11 | ESE 11 | NE 4 | NE 4 |
| kJ | 22 | 20 | 19 | 13 | — | 13 | 4 | 16 | 13 | 4 | 14 | 12 | 17 | 7 | 15 | 27 | 26 | 23 | 22 | 6 | 5 |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | — | NE 4 | — | — | E 16 | ESE 8 | E 7 | ESE 9 | ESE 8 | E 13 | E 13 | E 8 | E 8 | E 12 | SSE 5 | SSE 5 | NE 3 | SSE 5 | ESE 11 | ESE 11 |
| kJ | — | — | 1 | — | — | 5 | 13 | 4 | 16 | 14 | 14 | 13 | 11 | 4 | 11 | 3 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 22 | 22 |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | — | — | — | — | — | E 15 | E 15 | E 7 | E 14 | NE 4 | SE 8 | E 12 | E 12 | SE 8 | E 7 | E 7 | SSE 5 | E 7 | SE 5 | E 6 |
| kJ | — | — | — | — | — | — | 4 | 4 | 1 | 4 | 1 | 3 | 12 | 11 | 2 | 4 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 1 |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | N 2 | NNE 3 | SSE 2 | S 3 | SSE 4 | SE 4 | — | SE 4 | WNW 2 | — | SE 3 | SSE 5 | — | SE 5 | — | NNE 3 | NNE 3 | — | NE 5 | — | SE 3 |
| kJ | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 32 | 17 | — | 4 | 1 | — | 3 | 32 | — | 14 | — | 2 | 1 | — | 7 | — | 2 |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 175 | 803 | 429 | 469 | 803 | 175 | 175 | 2009 | 176 | 78 | 137 | 0 | 0 | 175 | 78 | 78 | 572 | 138 | 78 | 78 | 137 |
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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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