Croatan Surf Break

Lat Long: 36.79° N 75.96° W

Croatan Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Issued: 7 pm 08 Jul 2026 (local time)

Forecast update in  hr  min

Today's Croatan sea temperature is
26.2° C
0.9° 

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


Croatan surf forecast from 9 Jul 2026:

  • Best quality surf: Thursday 9 Jul, 8PM (local time) - 1.5ft (0.4m), 8s period, ENE swell with cross-offshore winds.
  • Most powerful swell: Monday 13 Jul, 2PM (local time) - 6.5ft (2.0m), 7s period, ENE swell with 383 kJ wave energy.
  • Next surfable swell (1★+): Thursday 9 Jul, 8PM (local time) - 1.5ft (0.4m), 8s period with ENE 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 Thursday (Jul 09) at 8PM. The primary swell is predicted to be 0.4m and 8s period with a secondary swell of 0.3m and 9s. Another secondary swell of 0.8m 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 2.0m 7s and forecast to arrive on Monday (Jul 13) at 2PM. Winds are predicted to be cross-onshore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 0.6m 4s period and expected on Thursday (Jul 16) at 2AM.

Wave TypeTime (EDT) & Date Wave Height & Period
Next good surf (1 star+) 8PM (Thu 9th Jul)1.5ft (0.4m) 8s
Best Surf 8PM (Thu 9th Jul)1.5ft (0.4m) 8s
Most Powerful 2PM (Mon 13th Jul)6.5ft (2.0m) 7s

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


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

Honestly, it’s a pretty grim run for the foreseeable future. We’re looking at a long stretch of tiny, weak, and mostly messy surf. The first real chance we get is Friday morning, July 10th, but it’s nothing to get excited about.

The overall pattern is small, with a lot of cross-onshore wind messing up what little energy there is. The swell is mostly short-period, wind-driven junk, and even the cleaner windows are ridiculously small. For the first solid week, the best you’ll find is small, weak waves. There’s a pulse of more energy from the 12th through the 14th, but it comes with strong onshore or cross-onshore winds, making it a total chop-fest. That energy is moderate (279 - 365), but the quality is shot.

For a spot on the east coast, the water temp is about average for the time of year.

The only break in the game is Croatan, a beach/jetty setup that’s exposed to the swell. It’s a beginner-friendly spot, and it’s fairly consistent, but that doesn’t mean much when the conditions are this poor.

Let’s call out the only real window of opportunity. Friday morning, July 10th is your best bet. We’ve got a tiny 1 ft swell coming from the SSE, but the key is a gentle offshore wind from the W. It’ll be clean and glassy, but the waves are tiny. It’s surfable, but very ordinary.

From Saturday, July 11th through Thursday, July 17th, the story is mostly messy, choppy, or just plain tiny. There’s a small window on Wednesday morning, July 15th with a bit of a clean-up, but it’s still only 3 ft and weak. The bigger swell from the 12th to the 14th is a write-off due to strong onshore winds, making it a kite-surfing kind of setup rather than a paddle-surfing one.

The second week, from the 18th onward, is even more of a letdown. The swell drops right off again, with heights barely cracking 2 ft. It’s weak and inconsistent, with most days offering nothing.

The bottom line: There’s no standout swell here. The best you’ll get is a tiny, clean wave on Friday morning, July 10th. If you’re desperate for a paddle, that’s your window. For the rest of the 16 days, it’s a long, quiet spell. Keep an eye on the charts, because it can’t stay this poor for long.

Rusty.

Short Range Forecast

Light rain (total 2mm), mostly falling on Sat afternoon. Warm (max 33°C on Thu night, min 23°C on Wed night). Wind will be generally light.

Days 5-7 Weather Summary

Heavy rain (total 22mm), heaviest during Sat night. Warm (max 25°C on Sat night, min 23°C on Sat night). Winds increasing (light winds from the SW on Sat night, fresh winds from the ENE by Mon afternoon).

Thursday
9
Friday
10
Saturday
11
Sunday
12
Monday
13
Tuesday
14
Wed
15
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Rating
(10 max)
0
0
0
1
1
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
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
SE
9
0.6
SE
9
0.5
NE
8
0.8
SSE
5
0.4
SSE
7
0.3
ENE
7
0.4
SSE
7
0.4
SE
8
0.3
SE
8
0.2
ESE
9
0.8
ENE
4
1.9
ENE
6
1.6
ENE
6
1.9
ENE
7
1.9
ENE
7
1.6
E
8
1.6
E
8
1.4
E
8
1.1
E
8
0.9
E
7
0.7
E
7
Wave Graph
Metric surfscale
Energy kJ
22
64
29
32
21
11
21
16
9
8
20
266
188
319
365
300
323
253
142
88
48
Wind (km/h)
10
SE
15
SE
20
SSE
15
W
15
W
10
SE
10
WNW
15
W
15
SSE
10
W
20
NE
15
ENE
25
ENE
30
ENE
30
ENE
30
ENE
25
NE
20
NE
5
ENE
5
NW
15
SSE
Wind State
cross-on
cross-on
cross-on
off
off
cross-on
cross-off
off
cross-on
off
cross-on
on
on
cross-on
cross-on
cross-on
cross-on
cross-on
cross-on
cross-off
cross-on
High Tide
3:00AM0.86m
3:43PM1.15m
4:05AM0.86m
4:45PM1.21m
5:10AM0.88m
5:46PM1.27m
6:12AM0.92m
6:44PM1.32m
7:11AM0.97m
7:40PM1.34m
8:07AM1.02m
8:34PM1.34m
9:02AM1.07m
Low Tide
9:14PM0.13m
9:12AM-0.01m
10:16PM0.09m
10:09AM-0.02m
11:19PM0.05m
11:09AM-0.05m
00:21AM-0.00m
12:10PM-0.09m
1:19AM-0.05m
1:10PM-0.12m
2:12AM-0.10m
2:07PM-0.14m
3:02AM-0.12m
3:02PM-0.13m
clear
clear
part cloud
clear
clear
part cloud
part cloud
part cloud
rain showers
thunderstorm
thunderstorm
thunderstorm
rain showers
part cloud
rain showers
rain showers
clear
clear
clear
clear
clear
<span class="translation_missing" title="translation missing: en.weather_tables.sunrise">Sunrise</span>
5:52
5:52
5:52
5:54
5:54
5:54
5:56
<span class="translation_missing" title="translation missing: en.weather_tables.sunset">Sunset</span>
8:24
8:24
8:23
8:23
8:23
8:22
8:22
8:22
 mm
2
10
4
5
1
1
1
Temp °C
24
28
31
33
31
33
30
28
30
25
25
23
24
24
25
24
25
25
24
26
28
Feels °C
26
30
32
34
32
34
31
28
32
27
27
22
24
22
23
21
23
23
24
27
29
  • 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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