Croatan Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, Rusty here. Let’s have a look at what’s cookin’.

To be straight with you, this 16-day stretch at Croatan is looking pretty flat and quiet. The swell energy is weak, with the combined energy sitting at just 53 (weak) at best, and most days it’s down in the teens or even single digits. We’re talking small, weak, short-period wind swell – nothing with any grunt behind it. The water temperature is 79°, which is about normal for this time of year, no real anomaly there.

The first few days, from Tuesday the 4th through to the end of the first week, it’s all below 3 ft – mostly 2 ft to 3 ft from the south or southeast, with periods of 4 to 7 seconds. That’s just not gonna push through with any real shape. The wind is mostly cross-off or cross, which is okay for the tiny size, but the quality is consistently poor. There’s a thunderstorm risk on Tuesday and Wednesday, so keep an eye on the sky if you’re tempted.

Tuesday morning the 11th is a rare bright spot, with a brief window of offshore wind from the WSW at 15 km/h, but the swell is only 1 ft from the south at a short 4 seconds. Combined energy is just 8 (very weak). It’s clean, but there’s barely a wave to ride. That’s the only time in the whole run we see true offshore flow.

From the 12th onward, it’s even smaller – 1 ft or less – and mostly cross-on or onshore, especially from the 13th when the wind swings north and northeast. By the weekend of the 16th and 17th, we’ve got moderate cross-onshore from the NE at 12-16 mph, choppy and messy, with swell still under 2 ft. The combined energy on Monday the 17th morning bumps to 37, but it’s still weak and the direction is all over the place.

Honestly, there is no standout here. Not one day cracks a decent ride. For beginners, everything is small enough to be safe, but there’s hardly any surfable wave. The beach/jetty setup with these tiny, short-period swells won’t offer much. If you’re desperate, the cleanest moments are Tuesday morning the 11th with that offshore wind, but don’t expect much more than a knee-high dribble. The rest of the run is a long, flat gap with barely a ripple. Croatan is fairly consistent in general, so this is a poor run.

Signing off – Rusty.

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