Surf Forecasts:
Croatan surf forecast from 17 Aug 2026:
- Best quality surf: Wednesday 19 Aug, 2AM (local time) - 1.5ft (0.4m), 10s period, ESE swell with glassy winds.
- Most powerful swell: Tuesday 18 Aug, 8PM (local time) - 1.5ft (0.5m), 11s period, SE swell with 57 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Wednesday 19 Aug, 2AM (local time) - 1.5ft (0.4m), 10s period with ESE 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 Wednesday (Aug 19) at 2AM. The primary swell is predicted to be 0.4m and 10s period. The wind is predicted to be glassy as the swell arrives.
The most powerful waves expected at Croatan in the next 16 days are 0.5m 11s and forecast to arrive on Tuesday (Aug 18) at 8PM. Winds are predicted to be onshore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 0.5m 3s period and expected on Monday (Aug 17) at 8AM.
| Wave Type | Time (EDT) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 2AM (Wed 19th Aug) | 1.5ft (0.4m) 10s |
| Best Surf | 2AM (Wed 19th Aug) | 1.5ft (0.4m) 10s |
| Most Powerful | 8PM (Tue 18th Aug) | 1.5ft (0.5m) 11s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Croatan over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
Alright, let’s break down what we’ve got for Croatan. Honestly, it’s a tough watch for the next couple of weeks. We’re in for a long, flat stretch from now until the end of the month. The first time you’ll want to even think about waxing up is Friday the 28th of August.
The surf finally shows up on Friday morning, 28th August, but it’s nothing to write home about. We’re looking at a weak NE swell at about 4ft, but with a short 5-second period. The wave energy is moderate (144). Winds are light from the NNW and clean, so the surface will be alright. It’s just underwhelming. The size is fine for beginners.
Saturday the 29th and Sunday the 30th of August offer a bit more energy, but the quality is still poor. Saturday morning sees the swell swing to the ESE at 3ft with a 10-second period. The energy jumps to a strong 289, but conditions are only marginal with a light cross-shore wind. Sunday morning brings a 3ft E swell at 9-seconds, and the wind is light and cross-off from the SW, giving us clean conditions. It’s surfable, but that’s about it.
The best of a bad bunch is Sunday afternoon, 30th August. The swell holds from the E at 4ft with an 8-second period and moderate energy (229). The wind is light and cross-off from the SSW, keeping the face smooth. Even then, it’s only a marginal forecast, and the water temp is nothing unusual for this time of year. After that, we’re back to tiny, gutless surf through the 31st and into the start of September.
To be straight with you, this is a pretty barren run for Croatan. It’s not unusual for the area to go quiet like this. Put the board away for a bit and keep checking back. If you’re into kiting, some of those afternoon sea breezes might be more your thing.
Rusty.
Short Range ForecastLight rain (total 7mm), mostly falling on Sun night. Warm (max 34°C on Mon afternoon, min 24°C on Mon morning). Wind will be generally light. | Days 5-7 Weather SummaryHeavy rain (total 84mm), heaviest during Thu night. Warm (max 30°C on Thu afternoon, min 22°C on Fri night). Wind will be generally light. | ||||||||||||||||||
Monday 17 | Tuesday 18 | Wednesday 19 | Thursday 20 | Friday 21 | Saturday 22 | ||||||||||||||
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) | S 5 | SSE 5 | SE 8 | SE 7 | SE 7 | SE 11 | ESE 10 | ESE 9 | ESE 9 | ESE 9 | ESE 8 | ESE 8 | S 4 | SE 8 | ESE 9 | ESE 9 | ESE 9 | ESE 8 | E 13 |
Wave Graph  | |||||||||||||||||||
 kJ | 52 | 7 | 14 | 13 | 25 | 31 | 40 | 34 | 16 | 15 | 14 | 14 | 14 | 16 | 16 | 16 | 16 | 13 | 13 |
Wind (km/h) | |||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | cross-off | off | glassy | cross-off | cross | on | glassy | on | on | cross | glassy | cross-on | glassy | glassy | cross-on | cross-off | cross-off | glassy | off |
High Tide | 11:16PM1.04m | 11:53AM1.16m | 11:58PM0.95m | 12:38PM1.12m | 00:42AM0.87m | 1:26PM1.07m | 1:30AM0.81m | 2:19PM1.03m | 2:26AM0.76m | 3:19PM1.01m | 3:33AM0.75m | 4:22PM1.01m | 4:43AM0.77m | ||||||
Low Tide | 5:30AM0.05m | 6:10PM0.17m | 6:14AM0.11m | 7:04PM0.23m | 7:00AM0.18m | 8:00PM0.28m | 7:49AM0.23m | 8:57PM0.31m | 8:42AM0.27m | 9:54PM0.32m | 9:38AM0.28m | 10:51PM0.31m | |||||||
 |  |  |  |  | |  | | | | | |  | | | | | | | |
 | — | 6:22 | — | — | 6:22 | — | — | 6:22 | — | — | 6:24 | — | — | 6:24 | — | — | 6:26 | — | — |
 | 7:53 | — | 7:52 | — | — | 7:51 | — | — | 7:50 | — | — | 7:49 | — | — | 7:47 | — | — | 7:45 | — |
mm | 6 | 1 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 55 | — | 5 | 24 | — | — | 25 |
Temp °C | 26 | 28 | 34 | 30 | 28 | 29 | 28 | 28 | 29 | 27 | 29 | 30 | 27 | 27 | 27 | 24 | 26 | 29 | 28 |
Feels °C | 26 | 30 | 36 | 32 | 30 | 31 | 31 | 30 | 31 | 30 | 33 | 32 | 30 | 31 | 29 | 26 | 29 | 33 | 30 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | ESE 8 | SSE 5 | SE 8 | SSE 6 | SE 7 | SE 11 | ESE 10 | ESE 9 | ESE 9 | ESE 9 | SE 5 | SE 5 | ESE 8 | SE 8 | ESE 9 | ESE 9 | ESE 9 | ESE 8 | ESE 8 |
| kJ | 6 | 7 | 14 | 12 | 25 | 31 | 40 | 34 | 16 | 15 | 4 | 7 | 14 | 16 | 16 | 16 | 16 | 13 | 12 |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | ESE 8 | ESE 8 | E 6 | SE 7 | ESE 9 | SSE 6 | — | SSE 5 | SSE 5 | — | ESE 8 | ESE 8 | E 16 | E 8 | SE 4 | E 9 | NE 5 | NNE 4 | NE 4 |
| kJ | 6 | 6 | 2 | 13 | 8 | 3 | — | 6 | 3 | — | 14 | 14 | 5 | 5 | 1 | 6 | 3 | 2 | 1 |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | E 5 | SE 9 | E 5 | SE 12 | — | — | — | — | — | NE 5 | E 6 | E 16 | E 15 | E 15 | E 14 | E 4 | ENE 8 | E 13 |
| kJ | — | 2 | 3 | 1 | 6 | — | — | — | — | — | 1 | 1 | 5 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 1 | 6 | 13 |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | S 5 | WSW 3 | — | — | — | NNE 3 | — | — | — | SE 4 | — | — | S 4 | NE 3 | NE 4 | ENE 4 | — | — | — |
| kJ | 52 | 4 | — | — | — | 1 | — | — | — | 6 | — | — | 14 | 1 | 11 | 10 | — | — | — |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 1142 | 175 | 290 | 356 | 106 | 33 | 0 | 349 | 752 | 378 | 1144 | 1271 | 811 | 138 | 1365 | 176 | 138 | 352 | 242 |
Best forecast wave conditions in Virginia | |||||||||||||||||||
Best forecast wave conditions in United States | |||||||||||||||||||
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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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