Surf Forecasts:
Croatan surf forecast from 5 Sep 2026:
- Best quality surf: Wednesday 9 Sep, 2AM (local time) - 1.5ft (0.4m), 9s period, ENE swell with cross-offshore winds.
- Most powerful swell: Tuesday 8 Sep, 2AM (local time) - 2.5ft (0.7m), 9s period, ENE swell with 78 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Wednesday 9 Sep, 2AM (local time) - 1.5ft (0.4m), 9s 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 Wednesday (Sep 09) at 2AM. The primary swell is predicted to be 0.4m and 9s period with a secondary swell of 0.3m and 5s. Another secondary swell of 0.5m and 3s 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 0.7m 9s and forecast to arrive on Tuesday (Sep 08) at 2AM. Winds are predicted to be onshore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 1.1m 4s period and expected on Thursday (Sep 10) at 8AM.
| Wave Type | Time (EDT) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 2AM (Wed 9th Sep) | 1.5ft (0.4m) 9s |
| Best Surf | 2AM (Wed 9th Sep) | 1.5ft (0.4m) 9s |
| Most Powerful | 2AM (Tue 8th Sep) | 2.5ft (0.7m) 9s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Croatan over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
Alright, Rusty here, giving you the lowdown for Croatan.
To be straight with you, the next 16 days are mostly a bust. There’s a long stretch of flat, weak, or messy surf that’s gonna test your patience. The first real chance of anything decent doesn't roll around until mid-September, with a lot of days before that where the waves are either too small, too short-period, or just blown out.
The first somewhat notable window arrives on Sunday the 13th and Monday the 14th. Swell bumps up to around 3ft to 4ft from the ESE with a period of 7 seconds, giving a moderate combined energy. But the wind is onshore or cross-onshore, making it a lumpy, uninviting mess. Not worth the effort.
The single standout, and I mean the *only* one, is Thursday the 17th. Early morning, we get glassy conditions with a light SSW breeze. The swell is 3ft from the ESE with an 8-second period, and the combined energy is moderate. The water temp is about average for this time of year. It’s not a big swell, but for Croatan, that’s clean, small-wave fun. It’s a beginner-friendly beach/jetty spot, and with those conditions, it’ll be your best shot.
A couple of other mornings around the 18th and 20th offer cleaner cross-offshore winds, but the swell is tiny. So, the bottom line: wait for the 17th. That morning is your best bet. The rest of the period is a wash unless you’re just looking to get wet. Forecasts can shift, but for now, keep your expectations low.
Rusty.
Short Range ForecastModerate rain (total 17mm), heaviest on Sat afternoon. Warm (max 28°C on Fri night, min 23°C on Sat night). Wind will be generally light. | Days 5-7 Weather SummaryMostly dry. Warm (max 32°C on Thu afternoon, min 22°C on Tue night). Wind will be generally light. | ||||||||||||||||||
Saturday 5 | Sunday 6 | Monday 7 | Tuesday 8 | Wednesday 9 | Thursday 10 | ||||||||||||||
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 | ESE 8 | ESE 8 | E 4 | E 4 | E 4 | E 5 | E 5 | E 5 | ENE 9 | ENE 10 | ENE 9 | ENE 9 | NE 9 | SSE 4 | SE 5 | S 5 | ESE 9 | NNE 4 |
Wave Graph  | |||||||||||||||||||
 kJ | 6 | 6 | 6 | 10 | 28 | 30 | 36 | 64 | 31 | 78 | 52 | 35 | 32 | 20 | 20 | 22 | 11 | 8 | 13 |
Wind (km/h) | |||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | off | cross | cross | glassy | on | on | on | on | on | on | on | cross-on | cross-off | cross-off | cross | cross-off | off | cross-on | cross |
High Tide | 2:22AM0.91m | 3:06PM1.19m | 3:34AM0.92m | 4:18PM1.20m | 4:45AM0.98m | 5:24PM1.23m | 5:49AM1.06m | 6:20PM1.25m | 6:45AM1.15m | 7:10PM1.26m | 7:35AM1.22m | 7:56PM1.25m | |||||||
Low Tide | 8:40PM0.21m | 8:34AM0.12m | 9:45PM0.20m | 9:40AM0.10m | 10:49PM0.17m | 10:47AM0.08m | 11:48PM0.12m | 11:51AM0.04m | 00:41AM0.06m | 12:50PM0.00m | 1:28AM0.01m | 1:44PM-0.02m | 2:11AM-0.02m | ||||||
 |  |  |  |  |  | | | | | | | | | | | | |  | |
 | — | 6:37 | — | — | 6:37 | — | — | 6:39 | — | — | 6:39 | — | — | 6:39 | — | — | 6:41 | — | — |
 | 7:28 | — | 7:25 | — | — | 7:24 | — | — | 7:23 | — | — | 7:22 | — | — | 7:21 | — | — | 7:19 | — |
mm | — | — | 8 | 7 | 2 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Temp °C | 28 | 28 | 26 | 25 | 25 | 26 | 25 | 24 | 25 | 24 | 25 | 25 | 24 | 24 | 29 | 26 | 29 | 32 | 28 |
Feels °C | 30 | 30 | 26 | 27 | 24 | 25 | 25 | 23 | 22 | 23 | 23 | 23 | 23 | 24 | 27 | 25 | 27 | 32 | 29 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | ESE 8 | SSE 6 | ENE 7 | ESE 8 | ESE 8 | ESE 8 | ESE 9 | ESE 8 | ENE 7 | ENE 9 | ENE 10 | ENE 9 | ENE 9 | SE 5 | ENE 8 | SE 5 | S 5 | SE 6 | SE 6 |
| kJ | 6 | 3 | 4 | 6 | 6 | 6 | 8 | 7 | 19 | 78 | 52 | 35 | 32 | 7 | 7 | 22 | 11 | 6 | 6 |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SSE 5 | ENE 6 | ESE 8 | ENE 6 | S 6 | S 6 | E 10 | ESE 8 | ENE 10 | ESE 8 | SE 5 | ESE 7 | SE 5 | NE 9 | ESE 8 | ENE 8 | ESE 9 | S 5 | ESE 8 |
| kJ | 6 | 4 | 6 | 4 | 1 | 1 | 8 | 7 | 19 | 6 | 7 | 5 | 4 | 20 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 2 | 7 |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | ENE 5 | ESE 8 | S 6 | E 9 | — | — | S 5 | S 6 | ESE 8 | ESE 8 | ESE 7 | ESE 8 | ESE 8 | ESE 8 | ESE 9 | ESE 9 | ESE 6 | ESE 9 | E 10 |
| kJ | 3 | 6 | 1 | 2 | — | — | 1 | 1 | 7 | 6 | 5 | 7 | 6 | 6 | 9 | 8 | 3 | 8 | 2 |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SSW 3 | — | NNE 3 | E 4 | E 4 | E 4 | E 5 | E 5 | E 5 | SE 5 | — | SE 5 | S 3 | SW 3 | SSE 4 | SSW 4 | W 4 | NNE 3 | NNE 4 |
| kJ | 1 | — | 3 | 10 | 28 | 30 | 36 | 64 | 31 | 12 | — | 13 | 5 | 1 | 20 | 38 | 10 | 2 | 13 |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 294 | 138 | 913 | 176 | 469 | 745 | 317 | 255 | 418 | 137 | 137 | 481 | 0 | 78 | 1132 | 352 | 137 | 356 | 299 |
Best forecast wave conditions in Virginia | |||||||||||||||||||
Best forecast wave conditions in United States | |||||||||||||||||||
Header Global | |||||||||||||||||||
- Map Icons:
Break
Live Wave Height (m)
Live Wind Speed (km/h)
Surf Rating (10 Max)
Ocean Swells (m)- Wind Speed (km/h)
FREE! Surf-Forecast.com widget for your website
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.
Nearest