Surf Forecasts:
Croatan surf forecast from 14 Jul 2026:
- Best quality surf: Sunday 19 Jul, 2PM (local time) - 2.5ft (0.8m), 8s period, SSE swell with offshore winds.
- Most powerful swell: Monday 20 Jul, 2AM (local time) - 3.5ft (1.1m), 8s period, SE swell with 151 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Sunday 19 Jul, 2PM (local time) - 2.5ft (0.8m), 8s period with SSE 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 Sunday (Jul 19) at 2PM. The primary swell is predicted to be 0.8m and 8s period with a secondary swell of 0.1m and 13s. The wind is predicted to be offshore as the swell arrives.
The most powerful waves expected at Croatan in the next 16 days are 1.1m 8s and forecast to arrive on Monday (Jul 20) at 2AM. Winds are predicted to be cross-offshore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 1.1m 4s period and expected on Sunday (Jul 19) at 8AM.
| Wave Type | Time (EDT) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 2PM (Sun 19th Jul) | 2.5ft (0.8m) 8s |
| Best Surf | 2PM (Sun 19th Jul) | 2.5ft (0.8m) 8s |
| Most Powerful | 2AM (Mon 20th Jul) | 3.5ft (1.1m) 8s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Croatan over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
Alright, folks, Rusty here. Let’s talk Croatan over the next couple of weeks. I’m not gonna sugarcoat it – this stretch looks dead quiet. We’ve got days and days of tiny, weak energy, so don’t be grabbing your board expecting fireworks.
The first week and a half is basically a total loss for any proper surfing. From Tuesday 14th July right through to the middle of the following week, we’re looking at mostly poor surf conditions. Swell heights barely hit 3 feet, and the combined energy is weak, sitting well under 100 (like 70, 44, 27). The wind is all over the shop with onshores and cross-onshore breezes trashing whatever little bump there is. The odd glassy morning on Thursday 16th July won’t save you with just 1 foot on offer – that’s a pond, not a break.
There’s a long gap here where you’d be smarter to take a nap. It’s not until late in the second week that things look slightly less hopeless, but it’s still nothing to get stoked about.
Now, there’s one tiny window worth a look. Skip ahead to Friday 23rd July morning. Croatan will see a small ESE swell around 3 feet with a 6-second period. The combined energy climbs to 112 (moderate) and, importantly, we get a cross-offshore wind from the SW. That should keep the surface clean, even if the waves are weak and lack any punch. It’s rideable, but just barely. After that, it’s back into a stretch of poor conditions with bumpy seas and onshore winds sticking around right through the 29th.
To be honest, for a beginner, this entire 16-day window is a near-total blank. The swell stays well under 5 feet, so it’s not dangerous, but there’s nothing to catch. Croatan is usually a fairly consistent spot, so this run of flat, weak energy feels like a proper downer. Hang tough, the forecasts can always change.
Rusty.
Short Range ForecastMostly dry. Warm (max 34°C on Thu afternoon, min 22°C on Tue night). Wind will be generally light. | Days 5-7 Weather SummaryMostly dry. Warm (max 35°C on Sat afternoon, min 26°C on Thu night). Winds increasing (light winds from the WNW on Fri morning, fresh winds from the S by Sat night). | ||||||||||||||||||||
Tuesday 14 | Wednesday 15 | Thursday 16 | Friday 17 | Saturday 18 | Sunday 19 | Mon 20 | |||||||||||||||
Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | |
Swell Height Map |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | |||||||||||||
Wave Height (m) Direction Period (s) | E 6 | E 6 | E 6 | ESE 9 | ESE 9 | ESE 8 | ESE 8 | ESE 8 | ESE 8 | S 4 | ESE 8 | ESE 8 | NE 4 | ESE 8 | SSE 4 | S 5 | SSE 7 | SE 8 | SE 8 | SE 8 | SE 8 |
Wave Graph  | |||||||||||||||||||||
 kJ | 76 | 41 | 17 | 15 | 15 | 22 | 12 | 11 | 11 | 25 | 6 | 7 | 6 | 6 | 44 | 83 | 74 | 48 | 151 | 54 | 32 |
Wind (km/h) | |||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | on | on | cross-on | cross-off | off | cross | cross-off | glassy | cross-on | cross-off | cross-on | on | cross | cross-off | cross | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-on |
High Tide | 8:07AM1.02m | 8:34PM1.34m | 9:02AM1.07m | 9:26PM1.30m | 9:56AM1.10m | 10:15PM1.24m | 10:48AM1.11m | 11:03PM1.16m | 11:39AM1.11m | 11:49PM1.06m | 12:29PM1.10m | 00:34AM0.96m | 1:19PM1.08m | ||||||||
Low Tide | 2:12AM-0.10m | 2:07PM-0.14m | 3:02AM-0.12m | 3:02PM-0.13m | 3:50AM-0.12m | 3:56PM-0.09m | 4:38AM-0.10m | 4:50PM-0.03m | 5:25AM-0.06m | 5:46PM0.04m | 6:11AM-0.02m | 6:44PM0.11m | 6:58AM0.03m | 7:42PM0.17m | |||||||
 |  | |  | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |  | | | |
 | — | 5:54 | — | — | 5:56 | — | — | 5:56 | — | — | 5:56 | — | — | 5:58 | — | — | 5:58 | — | — | 5:58 | — |
 | 8:22 | — | 8:22 | — | — | 8:22 | — | — | 8:22 | — | — | 8:21 | — | — | 8:21 | — | — | 8:20 | — | — | 8:20 |
mm | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 22 | — | — |
Temp °C | 25 | 25 | 25 | 24 | 27 | 33 | 31 | 30 | 34 | 32 | 29 | 30 | 28 | 31 | 35 | 30 | 32 | 35 | 28 | 25 | 25 |
Feels °C | 26 | 26 | 25 | 25 | 27 | 33 | 30 | 31 | 33 | 32 | 33 | 33 | 32 | 31 | 34 | 29 | 32 | 35 | 29 | 26 | 25 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SSE 5 | E 6 | E 6 | E 6 | SE 5 | ESE 8 | SE 4 | ESE 8 | ESE 8 | ESE 8 | SSE 4 | ESE 8 | NE 4 | ESE 8 | E 9 | E 9 | SSE 7 | SE 8 | SE 8 | SE 8 | SE 8 |
| kJ | 11 | 41 | 17 | 10 | 4 | 22 | 9 | 11 | 11 | 6 | 4 | 7 | 4 | 6 | 2 | 2 | 74 | 48 | 151 | 54 | 32 |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | ESE 9 | ESE 9 | SE 6 | SE 5 | E 7 | E 8 | ESE 8 | SSW 3 | E 15 | E 15 | ESE 8 | SSE 4 | ESE 8 | — | E 13 | E 13 | E 8 | E 13 | — | — | — |
| kJ | 17 | 8 | 11 | 10 | 8 | 1 | 12 | 1 | 5 | 4 | 6 | 2 | 6 | — | 3 | 3 | 1 | 3 | — | — | — |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | SE 9 | ESE 9 | ESE 9 | ESE 9 | — | E 16 | SE 5 | — | — | — | E 14 | E 10 | E 9 | — | — | E 13 | E 8 | — | — | — |
| kJ | — | 21 | 16 | 15 | 15 | — | 5 | 1 | — | — | — | 4 | 2 | 2 | — | — | 3 | 1 | — | — | — |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | E 6 | — | — | — | WSW 2 | SE 5 | SW 4 | SW 3 | SSE 3 | S 4 | — | NE 3 | SE 4 | SSE 3 | SSE 4 | S 5 | WSW 4 | SSW 4 | NE 3 | NNE 3 | NE 4 |
| kJ | 76 | — | — | — | 1 | 14 | 10 | 3 | 5 | 25 | — | 6 | 1 | 3 | 44 | 83 | 9 | 11 | 8 | 5 | 16 |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 242 | 137 | 1359 | 46 | 138 | 578 | 540 | 540 | 391 | 526 | 1147 | 1242 | 619 | 1231 | 2672 | 224 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 79 | 255 |
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The surf report / weather widget below is available to embed on third party websites free of charge and provides a summary of our Croatan surf forecast. Simply grab the html code snippet that we provide and paste it into your own site. You can choose your preferred language and metric/imperial units for the surf forecast feed to suit users of your site. Click here to get the code.
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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