Surf Forecasts:
Croatan surf forecast from 12 Sep 2026:
- Best quality surf: Saturday 12 Sep, 11PM (local time) - 1.5ft (0.4m), 9s period, SE swell with cross-offshore winds.
- Most powerful swell: Tuesday 15 Sep, 11PM (local time) - 4.5ft (1.4m), 8s period, ENE swell with 210 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Saturday 12 Sep, 11PM (local time) - 1.5ft (0.4m), 9s period with SE 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 (Sep 12) at 11PM. The primary swell is predicted to be 0.4m and 9s period with a secondary swell of 0.5m and 5s. Another secondary swell of 0.4m and 4s is also forecast. Another secondary swell of 0.5m and 4s 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 1.4m 8s and forecast to arrive on Tuesday (Sep 15) at 11PM. Winds are predicted to be cross-onshore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 0.7m 3s period and expected on Monday (Sep 14) at 11AM.
| Wave Type | Time (EDT) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 11PM (Sat 12th Sep) | 1.5ft (0.4m) 9s |
| Best Surf | 11PM (Sat 12th Sep) | 1.5ft (0.4m) 9s |
| Most Powerful | 11PM (Tue 15th Sep) | 4.5ft (1.4m) 8s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Croatan over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
Alright, Rusty here, checking the Croatan outlook. This is a beach and jetty spot, wide open to the swell, and we’ve got a dry spell coming before a solid pulse. The water temp is about 80°, which is a good 4° above the long-term average – way warmer than usual, so no wetsuit worries.
The first several days are pretty dead. Through Saturday the 12th and into the next week, we’re looking at weak swells of 0.3 to 0.6 ft, with cross-onshore winds and combined energy mostly under 100. It’s basically flat and choppy. There’s a glassy moment on Sunday afternoon the 13th, but the wave size is barely there. This stretch runs until the 21st, so that’s about 8 days of poor options.
The real action kicks in on Tuesday the 22nd. We get a 8 to 8 ft ESE swell, with an 8-second period, and combined energy hitting 561 to 640 – that’s strong wave energy. The wind is a light cross-off from the SSW, keeping it clean. This is expert territory at that size, especially on a jetty, and expect crowds. It’s the best on offer.
Wednesday the 23rd morning is a close second. The swell drops to about 5 ft, but it’s glassy calm – no wind. Combined energy is still 269. That’s the call for intermediates wanting clean waves, but the afternoon turns messy.
Friday the 25th afternoon gives another glassy window. There’s a 6 ft NE swell, short period of 6 seconds, but combined energy of 252 and glassy conditions. A solid session for an evening surf.
The 26th and 27th bring bigger swell (over 6 ft from the NE), but cross and onshore winds ruin the surface. Not worth it.
So, the bottom line: a long flat spell through the first week. The standout is Tuesday the 22nd for experts, with Wednesday the 23rd morning and Friday the 25th afternoon as decent second options. Keep an eye out, but don’t get too excited about the end of the run.
Rusty.
Short Range ForecastHeavy rain (total 28mm), heaviest during Sun afternoon. Warm (max 28°C on Sat afternoon, min 22°C on Mon night). Winds increasing (calm on Sun night, fresh winds from the N by Mon afternoon). | Days 5-7 Weather SummaryMostly dry. Warm (max 27°C on Fri morning, min 20°C on Tue night). Wind will be generally light. | |||||||||||||||||||
Sat 12 | Sunday 13 | Monday 14 | Tuesday 15 | Wednesday 16 | Thursday 17 | Friday 18 | ||||||||||||||
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 10 | ESE 10 | ESE 9 | ESE 9 | SE 9 | NNE 4 | NE 5 | ENE 6 | ENE 6 | ENE 8 | ENE 8 | ENE 8 | E 8 | E 7 | E 7 | E 7 | E 7 | ENE 6 | E 12 |
Wave Graph  | ||||||||||||||||||||
 kJ | 20 | 23 | 36 | 33 | 32 | 39 | 29 | 51 | 88 | 136 | 186 | 201 | 163 | 145 | 108 | 62 | 45 | 22 | 13 | 11 |
Wind (km/h) | ||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | cross-on | cross-off | cross-off | glassy | off | cross | cross | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | cross | glassy | cross | cross-off |
High Tide | 9:21PM1.16m | 9:51AM1.29m | 10:02PM1.09m | 10:33AM1.25m | 10:43PM1.02m | 11:15AM1.20m | 11:24PM0.95m | 11:58AM1.14m | 00:08AM0.88m | 12:44PM1.08m | 00:56AM0.83m | 1:36PM1.03m | 1:51AM0.80m | |||||||
Low Tide | 3:18PM0.03m | 3:30AM0.00m | 4:03PM0.08m | 4:09AM0.05m | 4:48PM0.15m | 4:49AM0.12m | 5:35PM0.22m | 5:31AM0.20m | 6:25PM0.28m | 6:18AM0.27m | 7:18PM0.33m | 7:10AM0.32m | 8:15PM0.36m | |||||||
 |  |  | | |  | |  | | | | | |  |  | | | | | | |
 | — | — | 6:43 | — | — | 6:43 | — | — | 6:45 | — | — | 6:46 | — | — | 6:47 | — | — | 6:48 | — | — |
 | 7:15 | — | — | 7:15 | — | — | 7:13 | — | — | 7:12 | — | — | 7:09 | — | — | 7:07 | — | — | 7:07 | — |
mm | 1 | 10 | 4 | 8 | 4 | — | 1 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Temp °C | 28 | 27 | 24 | 28 | 28 | 25 | 24 | 24 | 23 | 23 | 21 | 21 | 21 | 23 | 25 | 25 | 25 | 27 | 27 | 26 |
Feels °C | 30 | 29 | 27 | 32 | 32 | 27 | 21 | 20 | 20 | 20 | 19 | 19 | 19 | 25 | 27 | 27 | 29 | 31 | 28 | 27 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | ENE 5 | ENE 5 | ESE 10 | ESE 9 | ESE 9 | SE 9 | ESE 9 | ESE 9 | ESE 9 | E 15 | E 14 | E 14 | E 14 | E 8 | E 7 | E 7 | E 7 | E 7 | ENE 6 | ENE 6 |
| kJ | 17 | 7 | 36 | 33 | 32 | 39 | 16 | 15 | 15 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 145 | 108 | 62 | 45 | 22 | 13 | 8 |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SE 9 | SE 10 | SSE 4 | ENE 4 | SSE 4 | — | SSE 6 | E 15 | E 15 | — | — | — | — | E 13 | E 13 | E 12 | E 13 | E 12 | E 12 | SSE 3 |
| kJ | 20 | 23 | 3 | 2 | 3 | — | 4 | 4 | 4 | — | — | — | — | 4 | 13 | 12 | 12 | 12 | 11 | 2 |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | E 9 | ENE 4 | E 8 | E 4 | — | — | E 15 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | E 9 | SSE 5 | SE 9 | E 12 |
| kJ | — | 1 | 4 | 1 | 2 | — | — | 4 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 2 | 3 | 3 | 11 |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SSE 3 | S 3 | WSW 3 | SSE 3 | — | N 3 | NNE 4 | NE 5 | ENE 6 | ENE 6 | ENE 8 | ENE 8 | ENE 8 | — | — | — | — | — | SE 2 | WSW 2 |
| kJ | 2 | 3 | 1 | 2 | — | 11 | 29 | 51 | 88 | 136 | 186 | 201 | 163 | — | — | — | — | — | 2 | 1 |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | ||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 1137 | 175 | 0 | 78 | 78 | 242 | 465 | 852 | 469 | 481 | 242 | 255 | 255 | 481 | 218 | 1083 | 0 | 852 | 481 | 175 |
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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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