Croatan Surf Forecast and Surf Report

G’day, Rusty here, and I’ve gotta be straight with you—this run coming up is about as flat as it gets. We’re looking at a long, drawn-out stretch of tiny, gutless swell with wind that’s mostly working against us. There’s no real punch in the whole 16-day window, so don’t be holding your breath for anything worth getting wet for. The short board and the step-up can stay in the car for a while.

Let’s start at Croatan—our only real option here, and that’s not saying much. It’s an exposed beach and jetty setup, which means it catches whatever’s out there, but what’s out there is next to nothing. The water temp is about average for this time of year, so no surprises there.

We kick off Saturday the 15th and Sunday the 16th with nothing but junk. Winds are cross-onshore from the NE and SE, bumping up a tiny 0.7ft to 3ft of wind-slop with periods so short (4 to 5 seconds) it’s just chop. Combined energy is barely registering (16 to 46)—this is strictly a sit-on-the-beach day.

Monday the 17th morning is the first faint glimmer. We get a clean 2ft from the east with a 7-second period and offshore wind from the WNW. It’s small, but the surface will be clean. Combined energy is still weak (49). If you’re a beginner or you just want to get wet without a fight, it’s *surfable but very ordinary*. The afternoon turns messy again.

Tuesday the 18th through Thursday the 20th is a write-off. Cross and cross-onshore winds, tiny swell (1ft to 3ft), and periods all over the place. The energy stays in the 20s and 30s, peaking at 56 on Wednesday afternoon, but the wind’s chopping it up.

Friday the 21st to Sunday the 23rd? More of the same. A morning of glassy conditions on the 23rd with a 1ft, 8-second swell and light ENE breeze (39 combined energy) is about as good as it gets, which tells you everything.

The following week, from Monday the 24th to Sunday the 30th, the swell tries to push period a little—up to 13 seconds by Wednesday the 26th—but the height stays tiny (0.7ft to 2ft). The mornings of the 26th, 27th, 28th, and 29th all have clean conditions with offshore or glassy wind, but we’re looking at 1ft to 2ft of groundswell. The energy finally climbs into the 80s on Thursday the 27th (87), which is the highest we see, but it’s still a weak, slow-moving bump. Combined energy reaches 94 on Thursday afternoon, but that’s with cross-onshore wind messing it up.

The best bet? Honestly, if you’re desperate, the morning of Thursday the 27th. Croatan will have 2ft from the ESE (10-second period) with light offshore wind from the W, clean conditions, and the most energy of the whole run (87). It’s small, but it’s the cleanest wave on offer. Saturday morning the 29th is another call with glassy conditions and a 1ft, 9-second ESE swell (47 energy), but it’s a long wait for very little.

There’s nothing here for anyone beyond a beginner on a foamie. The crowd at Croatan is listed as “often,” but with this lack of swell, you’ll have the place to yourself. No standouts, no punch, just a long flat spell.

Rusty.

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