Croatan Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, Rusty here. Let’s have a look at what’s on the cards for the next couple of weeks.

To be straight with you, the next two weeks are looking pretty flat and ordinary for the most part. We’ve got a long stretch of small, weak swell and average conditions, with only a flicker of hope right at the tail end. The water temp is sitting at 75°F, which is pretty much normal for this time of year, so no worries there.

The next sixteen days start off with a real whimper. From Thursday, July 2nd through until mid-July, there’s nothing worth getting excited about. We’re looking at a solid stretch of small waves, mostly under 2ft. The combined wave energy is weak for days on end – we're talking numbers in the teens, 20s and 30s (combined energy of all swells directed here) – just not enough push for a proper surf. Winds are all over the shop, mostly cross or onshore, keeping things choppy and messy.

There are a few moments where it cleans up, like Saturday morning, July 4th with a light offshore, but the swell is only 1ft. Or Tuesday morning, July 7th with an offshore wind, but again, it’s only 2ft. You could get a knee-high, clean little wave, but it’s not going to get the heart racing. The swell period is short, mostly 7 to 9 seconds, so it's weak, crumbly windswell.

We finally see a bit of a pulse right near the end of the period. Friday, July 17th, things pick up. The morning is looking at a 3ft swell from the SSE, with a light cross-offshore breeze, keeping it clean. The combined energy jumps into the moderate zone at 95. Then that afternoon, it bumps up again: 4ft from the SSE, still clean with light cross-offshore winds, and the energy hits 119 – a bit more grunt. The period is still a short 7 seconds, so it’s a bit lumpy and maybe a little disorganised, but it’s something to paddle for after all that flatness.

If you’re going to pick a time, that Friday afternoon, July 17th, is your best bet. It’s the biggest swell on offer, the winds are off, and the break should be clean. The crowds at Croatan can be an issue, but on this kind of borderline swell, it might not be too bad.

Honestly, for most of this run, the setup looks more interesting for kite surfing than paddle surfing – there’s just not enough wave energy to work with. The wind is often there, but the waves aren't.

Keep an eye on the long-range for that Friday, but don't be surprised if the forecasts shift. It’s been a quiet spell, and it’s going to stay that way for a while.

Rusty.

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