Surf Forecasts:
Croatan surf forecast from 18 Jul 2026:
- Best quality surf: Wednesday 22 Jul, 5AM (local time) - 5ft (1.5m), 8s period, S swell with cross-offshore winds.
- Most powerful swell: Wednesday 22 Jul, 5AM (local time) - 5ft (1.5m), 8s period, S swell with 255 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Wednesday 22 Jul, 5AM (local time) - 5ft (1.5m), 8s period with S 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 Wednesday (Jul 22) at 5AM. The primary swell is predicted to be 1.5m and 8s period with a secondary swell of 0.1m and 9s. 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 1.5m 8s and forecast to arrive on Wednesday (Jul 22) 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 0.9m 4s period and expected on Sunday (Jul 19) at 8AM.
| Wave Type | Time (EDT) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 5AM (Wed 22nd Jul) | 5ft (1.5m) 8s |
| Best Surf | 5AM (Wed 22nd Jul) | 5ft (1.5m) 8s |
| Most Powerful | 5AM (Wed 22nd Jul) | 5ft (1.5m) 8s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Croatan over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
Alright, let’s talk about this stretch. Rusty here.
Right out of the gate, it’s a rough 16 days for Croatan. The first few are dead flat. From Saturday the 18th through Tuesday the 22nd of July, it’s all poor surf – tiny, weak waves. Not worth getting your board wet.
The first real bump comes on Wednesday the 22nd of July. Wednesday morning sees a jump in the combined swell energy (208) with a 4ft south swell, period around 8 seconds. The wind is cross-off from the SW, so the surface will be clean. That afternoon, the energy is similar (207), still clean. This is the best on offer so far, but it’s still not great – the waves are short-period and a bit messy. Later that week, Thursday the 23rd and Friday the 24th have some moderate energy (132 and 161), but the wind is cross-on and choppy, so it’s a struggle.
The following week is no picnic. Saturday the 26th of July through Tuesday the 29th is mostly small, with weak energy and onshore or cross winds. There’s a moment on Tuesday the 28th of July afternoon that gets a "surfable" tag, with a 3ft swell from the NE and moderate offshore wind, but it’s very ordinary. Not a standout.
The last few days of the month and into August have a couple of pulses. Thursday the 30th of July has a 5ft to 5ft swell from the SE, but the wind is onshore, making it messy. The combined energy is moderate (175). Friday the 31st of July has similar energy (214) but again, cross-on wind. The swell is 4ft from the ESE with a short period of 6 seconds. Not ideal.
The absolute best chance in this whole window is a toss-up between Wednesday the 22nd of July morning and the Friday the 31st of July morning, but neither is a true standout. The 22nd has cleaner conditions, but the swell is smaller. The 31st has more energy, but the wind is messy. I’d give the edge to Wednesday the 22nd of July morning for the cleanest conditions. The swell is 4ft from the south, which is a bit small for a big day, but the offshore wind makes it rideable. The water temperature is 79°, which is bang on average for July, so no surprises there.
Overall, it’s a lean spell. The breaks are inconsistent, and the quality is poor. If you’re desperate to get wet, Wednesday the 22nd of July morning is your best bet, but don’t expect much. For the rest of the time, it’s a waiting game.
Rusty.
Short Range ForecastLight rain (total 6mm), mostly falling on Sun night. Warm (max 34°C on Sat afternoon, min 24°C on Mon night). Wind will be generally light. | Days 4-6 Weather SummaryHeavy rain (total 74mm), heaviest during Wed night. Warm (max 32°C on Tue afternoon, min 22°C on Tue night). Winds decreasing (fresh winds from the SSW on Tue night, light winds from the S by Wed night). | ||||||||||||||||||||
Saturday 18 | Sunday 19 | Monday 20 | Tuesday 21 | Wednesday 22 | Thursday 23 | Friday 24 | |||||||||||||||
AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | |
Swell Height Map |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | ||||||||||||||
Wave Height (m) Direction Period (s) | ESE 8 | SSE 4 | SSE 6 | SE 8 | SSE 8 | SE 8 | SE 8 | E 5 | E 5 | SE 7 | S 4 | S 7 | S 8 | SSE 8 | SSE 8 | SSE 7 | SE 7 | SSE 6 | SSE 6 | SSE 6 | SE 8 |
Wave Graph  | |||||||||||||||||||||
 kJ | 6 | 43 | 67 | 31 | 24 | 32 | 17 | 21 | 22 | 12 | 18 | 226 | 208 | 207 | 154 | 41 | 52 | 91 | 93 | 43 | 95 |
Wind (km/h) | |||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | off | cross-on | on | on | on | cross | cross-off | cross | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | off | cross | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | on |
High Tide | 11:39AM1.11m | 11:49PM1.06m | 12:29PM1.10m | 00:34AM0.96m | 1:19PM1.08m | 1:21AM0.87m | 2:10PM1.05m | 2:11AM0.79m | 3:05PM1.03m | 3:08AM0.74m | 4:02PM1.02m | 4:12AM0.72m | 4:58PM1.03m | ||||||||
Low Tide | 5:46PM0.04m | 6:11AM-0.02m | 6:44PM0.11m | 6:58AM0.03m | 7:42PM0.17m | 7:44AM0.09m | 8:39PM0.22m | 8:30AM0.13m | 9:36PM0.24m | 9:18AM0.17m | 10:33PM0.25m | 10:10AM0.20m | 11:29PM0.24m | ||||||||
 |  |  |  |  |  | | |  | | | | | |  | | | | | | | |
 | 5:58 | — | — | 5:58 | — | — | 5:58 | — | — | 6:00 | — | — | 6:01 | — | — | 6:01 | — | — | 6:01 | — | — |
 | — | 8:21 | — | — | 8:20 | — | — | 8:20 | — | — | 8:19 | — | — | 8:17 | — | — | 8:17 | — | — | 8:16 | — |
mm | — | — | — | — | 1 | 4 | 1 | — | — | 1 | — | 10 | — | 5 | 58 | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Temp °C | 31 | 34 | 32 | 29 | 32 | 27 | 26 | 26 | 25 | 28 | 32 | 26 | 29 | 31 | 23 | 22 | 24 | 24 | 23 | 24 | 24 |
Feels °C | 33 | 34 | 33 | 31 | 35 | 29 | 26 | 26 | 25 | 30 | 33 | 24 | 28 | 30 | 25 | 18 | 21 | 22 | 21 | 22 | 24 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | ESE 8 | ESE 8 | SSE 6 | SE 8 | SSE 8 | SE 8 | SE 8 | SE 8 | E 5 | ENE 4 | ENE 4 | E 9 | — | — | SSE 8 | SSE 7 | SE 7 | SE 6 | SE 6 | ESE 8 | SE 8 |
| kJ | 6 | 6 | 67 | 31 | 24 | 32 | 17 | 10 | 22 | 6 | 2 | 2 | — | — | 154 | 41 | 52 | 46 | 47 | 23 | 95 |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | E 13 | E 13 | SSE 5 | — | NNE 3 | E 12 | E 12 | ESE 8 | SE 7 | E 10 | — | — | — | — | ESE 8 | NNE 5 | NE 5 | NE 5 | NE 5 | NE 5 |
| kJ | — | 3 | 3 | 3 | — | 1 | 3 | 3 | 6 | 12 | 2 | — | — | — | — | 26 | 31 | 14 | 6 | 5 | 3 |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | E 13 | E 9 | E 9 | E 13 | E 13 | E 12 | E 10 | — | SSE 5 | ESE 8 | NE 5 | — | — | — | — | NNW 4 | ESE 8 | ESE 8 | SE 8 | — | — |
| kJ | 4 | 2 | 2 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 2 | — | 3 | 6 | 1 | — | — | — | — | 5 | 25 | 11 | 15 | — | — |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | S 3 | SSE 4 | SW 4 | SW 4 | N 3 | — | E 4 | E 5 | — | SSW 2 | S 4 | S 7 | S 8 | SSE 8 | SW 4 | N 4 | NE 5 | SSE 6 | SSE 6 | SSE 6 | — |
| kJ | 1 | 43 | 15 | 9 | 4 | — | 14 | 21 | — | 1 | 18 | 226 | 208 | 207 | 27 | 7 | 24 | 91 | 93 | 43 | — |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 1689 | 283 | 0 | 14 | 78 | 78 | 176 | 176 | 138 | 878 | 1132 | 0 | 234 | 0 | 0 | 176 | 242 | 292 | 255 | 622 | 185 |
Best forecast wave conditions in Virginia | |||||||||||||||||||||
Best forecast wave conditions in United States | |||||||||||||||||||||
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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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