Croatan Surf Break

Lat Long: 36.79° N 75.96° W

Issued: 7 pm 03 Jul 2026 (local time)

Forecast update in  hr  min

Today's Croatan sea temperature is
24.5° C

Normal for this time of year

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


Croatan surf forecast from 4 Jul 2026:

  • Best quality surf: Saturday 4 Jul, 2AM (local time) - 1.5ft (0.4m), 9s period, ESE swell with cross-offshore winds.
  • Most powerful swell: Friday 10 Jul, 5AM (local time) - 3.5ft (1.0m), 8s period, SSE swell with 122 kJ wave energy.
  • Next surfable swell (1★+): Saturday 4 Jul, 2AM (local time) - 1.5ft (0.4m), 9s 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 (Jul 04) at 2AM. The primary swell is predicted to be 0.4m and 9s period with a secondary swell of 0.6m and 4s. 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 1.0m 8s and forecast to arrive on Friday (Jul 10) at 5AM. Winds are predicted to be cross-offshore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 1.3m 5s period and expected on Friday (Jul 10) at 2AM.

Wave TypeTime (EDT) & Date Wave Height & Period
Next good surf (1 star+) 2AM (Sat 4th Jul)1.5ft (0.4m) 9s
Best Surf 2AM (Sat 4th Jul)1.5ft (0.4m) 9s
Most Powerful 5AM (Fri 10th Jul)3.5ft (1.0m) 8s

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


Updates in  hr  min  s Forecast update imminent

Alright, this is Rusty, and I’m looking at the next 16 days for your local surf. I’ve got to be straight with you—it’s a tough stretch. The whole 16-day forecast is basically a long flat spell with small, weak, poorly organised waves. There’s really no standout, no day you’d circle on the calendar. The combined energy of all swells is weak, with values mostly in the low hundreds, and only one reading just over a hundred on Monday the 13th of July, but the conditions are still poor.

The first real chance to get wet might be a couple of brief windows. Starting on Friday the 10th of July, Croatan (beach/jetty) might offer a very ordinary session. The morning swell is only 2ft from the SSE, with a short period of 8 seconds. The wind is a gentle offshore from the WSW, so it’ll be clean. But the energy is low and the surf is described as “surfable but very ordinary”. It’s the best of a bad bunch, but it’s not a recommendation.

The next morning, Saturday the 11th of July, looks similar. You’ve got a clean 2ft swell from the SE, again with a short 8-second period. The wind is a light offshore from the WNW—almost glassy. The energy is a bit better, but still weak. It’s the same story: ordinary, surfable, but nothing to get excited about.

After that, the swell tries to push a bit on Sunday the 12th of July. The afternoon brings a 3ft wave from the E, with a very short period of 4 seconds. The wind is a moderate offshore from the W, keeping it clean. Energy is moderate. It’s still just “surfable but very ordinary”.

Then there’s a bigger energy reading on Monday the 13th of July, but the morning shows a 4ft swell from the E with a 6-second period, and a strong cross-shore wind. The combined energy is moderate, but the conditions are poor, so it’s messy.

The only other session that’s even “surfable” is Friday the 17th of July morning. A 3ft swell from the ENE, 6-second period, with a gentle offshore wind from the WSW. Clean, but again, very ordinary.

Crowds: Croatan is exposed to the swell and often crowded. With so little surf on offer, you can bet it’ll be packed on those rare clean mornings.

The Bottom Line: Honestly, this is a bleak run. There’s no decent swell, and the periods are short. The water temp is about average for the time of year, so no surprises there. For a beginner, the max size is around 4ft, so it’s not too big, but the quality is so poor it’s hardly worth it. The setup is a beach/jetty, and with the small, weak, wind-affected waves, this looks more interesting for a kite surfer than a paddle surfer for most of the period. Keep your eye on the forecasts, but don’t hold your breath.

Rusty.

Short Range Forecast

Some drizzle, heaviest during Sat night. Warm (max 35°C on Sat afternoon, min 24°C on Sat night). Wind will be generally light.

Days 5-7 Weather Summary

Heavy rain (total 23mm), heaviest during Tue night. Warm (max 31°C on Tue afternoon, min 22°C on Mon night). Winds decreasing (fresh winds from the SSW on Mon night, light winds from the WSW by Tue afternoon).

Saturday
4
Sunday
5
Monday
6
Tuesday
7
Wednesday
8
Thursday
9
Fri
10
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Rating
(10 max)
1
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
1
0
0
0
0
0
0
1
0
Swell
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Wave
Height (m)
Direction
Period (s)
0.4
ESE
9
0.4
ESE
9
0.3
ESE
9
0.3
ESE
8
0.3
ESE
8
0.9
SSE
4
0.7
SSE
4
0.3
ESE
9
0.8
SE
4
0.3
ESE
10
0.3
ESE
10
0.9
SSE
5
1.2
S
5
0.4
SE
8
0.5
SE
9
0.4
SE
9
0.4
SE
9
0.9
SSE
4
0.2
ENE
11
0.6
SSE
8
0.5
SE
8
Wave Graph
Metric surfscale
Energy kJ
32
32
15
14
13
30
21
15
16
18
18
37
67
21
38
21
28
23
11
44
31
Wind (km/h)
15
SW
10
WSW
25
SSE
20
SSE
15
SSW
25
SSE
10
SW
15
SSE
20
SSE
20
WSW
15
WSW
10
E
10
SW
20
NNW
10
NNE
15
S
15
SSE
25
SSE
25
SW
15
WSW
15
SW
Wind State
cross-off
cross-off
cross
cross-on
cross-off
cross-on
cross-off
cross
cross
cross-off
off
on
cross-off
cross-off
cross-on
cross
cross
cross-on
cross-off
off
cross-off
High Tide
11:00PM1.03m
11:31AM0.92m
11:39PM1.00m
12:14PM0.95m
00:22AM0.96m
12:59PM1.00m
1:08AM0.92m
1:48PM1.05m
2:00AM0.89m
2:43PM1.10m
3:00AM0.86m
3:43PM1.15m
4:05AM0.86m
4:45PM1.21m
Low Tide
5:19AM0.05m
5:31PM0.17m
6:00AM0.04m
6:22PM0.18m
6:43AM0.03m
7:17PM0.18m
7:29AM0.02m
8:15PM0.16m
8:19AM0.01m
9:14PM0.13m
9:12AM-0.01m
10:16PM0.09m
10:09AM-0.02m
clear
clear
clear
rain showers
clear
clear
clear
clear
part cloud
rain showers
part cloud
part cloud
thunderstorm
clear
clear
clear
clear
part cloud
thunderstorm
clear
part cloud
<span class="translation_missing" title="translation missing: en.weather_tables.sunrise">Sunrise</span>
5:48
5:50
5:50
5:50
5:50
5:52
5:52
<span class="translation_missing" title="translation missing: en.weather_tables.sunset">Sunset</span>
8:25
8:25
8:25
8:25
8:24
8:24
8:24
8:23
 mm
1
12
11
25
Temp °C
32
33
35
32
30
33
29
29
32
23
28
31
25
24
28
26
28
30
28
29
34
Feels °C
34
34
36
32
30
32
29
31
33
22
30
33
27
24
28
27
29
31
28
31
34
Swell 1
Height (m)
Direction
Period (s)
0.4
ESE
9
0.4
ESE
9
0.3
ESE
9
0.5
SSE
4
0.3
ESE
8
0.3
ESE
8
0.3
ESE
8
0.3
ESE
9
0.3
ESE
9
0.3
ESE
10
0.3
ESE
10
0.3
ESE
10
0.3
ESE
9
0.4
SSE
5
0.5
SE
9
0.4
SE
9
0.4
SE
9
0.3
ESE
8
0.2
ESE
8
0.6
SSE
8
0.5
SE
8
Energy kJ
32
32
15
12
13
13
13
15
16
18
18
18
15
8
38
21
28
14
7
44
31
Swell 2
Height (m)
Direction
Period (s)
0.2
S
4
0.3
ESE
8
0.2
NNE
4
0.1
NE
6
0.2
ENE
6
0.4
SE
8
0.2
ENE
7
0.2
ENE
8
0.3
ENE
8
0.2
ENE
6
0.2
ENE
11
0.1
E
10
0.1
E
10
Energy kJ
1
14
1
1
4
21
4
6
12
4
11
2
2
Swell 3
Height (m)
Direction
Period (s)
0.1
SE
4
0.1
E
10
0.1
E
10
0.2
W
3
0.1
E
12
0.1
E
11
0.1
E
11
0.1
E
11
Energy kJ
1
2
2
1
3
2
2
2
Wind waves
Height (m)
Direction
Period (s)
0.6
S
4
0.2
WSW
3
0.5
S
3
0.4
S
4
0.9
SSE
4
0.7
SSE
4
0.4
SE
4
0.8
SE
4
0.6
SSE
4
0.5
SSE
5
0.9
SSE
5
1.2
S
5
0.4
WSW
4
0.2
NNE
2
0.4
SE
3
0.5
S
6
0.9
SSE
4
1.3
S
5
0.3
WSW
3
0.3
S
2
Energy kJ
10
1
5
6
30
21
4
16
13
14
37
67
5
1
2
19
23
74
2
1
Nearest Offshore or Glassy
Rating
(10 max)
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
Distance (km)
0
299
391
526
1952
1260
1689
1140
1140
138
95
292
0
176
235
294
78
944
175
0
78
Best forecast wave conditions in Virginia
Rating
(10 max)
1
1
1
1
Best forecast wave conditions in United States
Rating
(10 max)
2
2
2
2
2
2
2
3
2
2
4
2
3
3
2
3
4
3
2
4
1
Header Global
Rating
(10 max)
7
5
5
5
9
7
7
5
8
7
5
6
9
8
9
8
5
5
5
4
9
  • 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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