Croatan Surf Break

Lat Long: 36.79° N 75.96° W

Croatan Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Issued: 7 am 21 Aug 2026 (local time)

Forecast update in  hr  min

Today's Croatan sea temperature is
27.2° C
1.7° 

Croatan surf forecast is for near shore open water. Breaking waves will often be smaller at less exposed spots.


Croatan surf forecast from 21 Aug 2026:

  • Best quality surf: Saturday 22 Aug, 5PM (local time) - 1ft (0.3m), 8s period, ESE swell with cross-offshore winds.
  • Most powerful swell: Friday 28 Aug, 8AM (local time) - 3ft (0.9m), 9s period, ESE swell with 124 kJ wave energy.
  • Next surfable swell (1★+): Saturday 22 Aug, 5PM (local time) - 1ft (0.3m), 8s 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 Saturday (Aug 22) at 5PM. The primary swell is predicted to be 0.3m and 8s period with a secondary swell of 0.5m and 4s. Another secondary swell of 0.4m and 3s 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 0.9m 9s and forecast to arrive on Friday (Aug 28) at 8AM. Winds are predicted to be offshore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 0.4m 3s period and expected on Monday (Aug 24) at 5AM.

Wave TypeTime (EDT) & Date Wave Height & Period
Next good surf (1 star+) 5PM (Sat 22nd Aug)1ft (0.3m) 8s
Best Surf 5PM (Sat 22nd Aug)1ft (0.3m) 8s
Most Powerful 8AM (Fri 28th Aug)3ft (0.9m) 9s

Table - best surf conditions forecast for Croatan over the next 16 days.


The Lowdown

Alright folks, Rusty here. Let’s be straight with you – this 16-day stretch for the Croatan area is a flat spell, plain and simple. We’re looking at a long stretch of nothing much to get excited about. The water is sitting at a warm 81°, which is a touch warmer than normal for this time of year, but that's about the only thing that's running hot.

The whole first week, from Friday the 21st of August right through to the end of the month, is a write-off. We’re talking tiny 1ft to 2ft windswell with weak energy. The wind is all over the shop – cross-on, onshore, or just plain messy. It’s poor surf, day after day.

You get a little glimmer of hope on the afternoon of Saturday the 22nd, with a clean cross-off breeze and surfable, but still very ordinary, 1ft waves. Then Sunday the 23rd afternoon goes glassy, but the swell is a pathetic 0.7ft with a 12-second period, so it’s a lake, not a surf break. The energy is barely registering. Monday the 24th keeps that glassy vibe but still only 1ft. It’s frustrating.

The first real shift comes on Friday the 28th of August. The morning session shows a clean, cross-off northwest wind with 2ft swell from the ESE. The energy climbs. It’s still small, but it’s the cleanest and most energetic we’ve seen. It’s surfable, but nothing to write home about.

Then we hit a second gap. From Saturday the 29th straight through to Tuesday the 1st of September, it’s back to tiny, onshore, choppy junk. We’re talking 1ft to 1ft, with energy dropping way off. Not worth paddling out.

The best of this whole outlook lands on Wednesday the 2nd of September. The morning has a moderate offshore wind from the WSW, cleaning up a 1ft ESE swell with a 10-second period. The afternoon goes perfectly glassy with the same size and period. It’s the one standout – a late afternoon glass-off session with tiny, clean lines. It’s not big, but it’s the only time the conditions come together for a proper, clean surf.

After that, it’s back to the same old story. Thursday the 3rd and Friday the 4th are onshore and messy, and Saturday the 5th of September is dead calm with a 0.7ft bump. A real dud of a run.

If you’re a kite surfer, the constant onshore wind and tiny, weak surf might look more interesting than it does for a paddle surfer. The setup just isn’t delivering for us.

Rusty.

Short Range Forecast

Heavy rain (total 30mm), heaviest during Fri night. Warm (max 29°C on Sun afternoon, min 22°C on Fri night). Wind will be generally light.

Days 4-6 Weather Summary

Light rain (total 2mm), mostly falling on Mon night. Warm (max 31°C on Mon afternoon, min 23°C on Mon morning). Wind will be generally light.

Friday
21
Saturday
22
Sunday
23
Monday
24
Tuesday
25
Wednesday
26
Thursday
27
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
Rating
(10 max)
0
0
0
0
1
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
Swell
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Wave
Height (m)
Direction
Period (s)
0.3
ESE
8
0.3
ESE
9
0.3
ESE
9
0.7
ENE
4
0.2
E
13
0.2
E
13
0.3
E
8
0.2
E
12
0.2
E
12
0.3
ESE
12
0.3
ESE
12
0.3
ESE
11
0.3
ESE
11
0.3
ESE
11
0.3
ESE
11
0.3
ESE
11
0.3
ESE
9
0.3
ESE
9
0.6
E
5
0.6
E
6
0.6
E
6
Wave Graph
Metric surfscale
Energy kJ
13
16
16
15
14
13
10
11
11
27
26
23
22
22
22
22
17
16
20
25
25
Wind (km/h)
15
NNE
15
ENE
5
NNW
10
SSE
15
SSW
15
SW
15
WNW
5
SSW
10
SW
20
WSW
5
WSW
5
SSW
25
NNE
15
NE
10
E
15
E
15
E
15
ESE
10
ESE
20
ESE
10
SE
Wind State
cross-on
on
cross-off
cross
cross-off
cross-off
off
glassy
cross-off
cross-off
glassy
cross-off
cross-on
cross-on
on
on
on
cross-on
on
on
cross-on
High Tide
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
7:11AM0.96m
7:30PM1.15m
7:51AM1.03m
8:09PM1.17m
Low Tide
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
1:10PM0.16m
1:46AM0.11m
1:54PM0.12m
2:21AM0.06m
part cloud
part cloud
rain showers
thunderstorm
thunderstorm
thunderstorm
clear
clear
clear
clear
part cloud
rain showers
thunderstorm
clear
clear
clear
clear
clear
clear
clear
thunderstorm
<span class="translation_missing" title="translation missing: en.weather_tables.sunrise">Sunrise</span>
6:24
6:26
6:26
6:26
6:28
6:28
6:30
<span class="translation_missing" title="translation missing: en.weather_tables.sunset">Sunset</span>
7:47
7:45
7:45
7:44
7:42
7:40
7:38
 mm
16
4
6
4
1
1
4
Temp °C
23
24
23
25
27
26
26
29
27
26
31
29
24
24
24
25
25
24
26
27
25
Feels °C
24
25
23
28
29
28
26
30
28
23
31
28
21
21
24
24
23
24
28
28
27
  • Map Icons:
  • Break
  • Live Wave Height (m)
  • Live Wind Speed (km/h)
  • Surf Rating (10 Max)
  • Ocean Swells (m)
  • Wind Speed (km/h)
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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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