Surf Forecasts:
Croatan surf forecast from 28 Jul 2026:
- Best quality surf: Tuesday 28 Jul, 8PM (local time) - 5ft (1.5m), 5s period, SSE swell with cross-offshore winds.
- Most powerful swell: Tuesday 28 Jul, 8PM (local time) - 5ft (1.5m), 5s period, SSE swell with 126 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Tuesday 28 Jul, 8PM (local time) - 5ft (1.5m), 5s 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 Tuesday (Jul 28) at 8PM. The primary swell is predicted to be 1.5m and 5s period with a secondary swell of 1.3m and 5s. Another secondary swell of 0.2m and 6s 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 1.5m 5s and forecast to arrive on Tuesday (Jul 28) at 8PM. Winds are predicted to be cross-offshore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 0.5m 4s period and expected on Wednesday (Jul 29) at 2AM.
| Wave Type | Time (EDT) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 8PM (Tue 28th Jul) | 5ft (1.5m) 5s |
| Best Surf | 8PM (Tue 28th Jul) | 5ft (1.5m) 5s |
| Most Powerful | 8PM (Tue 28th Jul) | 5ft (1.5m) 5s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Croatan over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
Alright, Rusty here. Let's take a look at what's on the table for the next couple of weeks.
Honestly, it's a quiet stretch. For the first week and a half, we're looking at tiny, weak swells and a lot of cross or onshore wind. The only spot with any real recommendations is Croatan. This is a beach/jetty setup that's fairly consistent, but for the first several days, the surf is just too small and messy to bother with. From Tuesday the 28th of July right through to the morning of Saturday the 1st of August, it's a total write-off – poor conditions, tiny 1ft to 3ft waves, and the combined energy is pitiful (31 to 16). The water temp is about average for the time of year, nothing unusual.
We finally get a tiny glimmer on Saturday morning, August 1st. The swell bumps up to a measly 1ft from the ESE with a short period of 7 seconds, and the combined energy is still weak (46). The wind goes light and cross-off, which will clean it up, but it's just "surfable but very ordinary." You'd be on a foamie at best.
The one and only standout window comes on Monday, August 3rd. In the afternoon, we get a weak 3ft swell from the SE with a period of 8 seconds (combined energy 83). The wind goes glassy – SW 5 km/h. That's about as good as it gets. For a beginner break like Croatan, that glassy, clean surface will make those tiny waves fun. The Tuesday morning, August 4th, also offers a clean 2ft swell with light NNW winds, but it's still very small.
After that, from the 5th of August onwards, it's a long, flat run of nothing. The swell drops back to 1.0ft to 2ft, with onshore or cross-shore winds and barely any energy (13 to 43). It's a wasteland for a paddle surfer. By the 12th of August, the swell is still 1.0ft. Honestly, if you're desperate for a splash, the early days of August are your only hope, but keep expectations low. If the wind is howling and the swell is bigger, this beach setup might look more interesting for a kite surfer than a surfer.
Stay patient, keep an eye on the charts. It won't stay this flat forever.
Rusty.
Short Range ForecastHeavy rain (total 33mm), heaviest during Tue night. Warm (max 30°C on Tue afternoon, min 21°C on Tue night). Winds decreasing (fresh winds from the S on Tue night, calm by Wed night). | Days 5-7 Weather SummaryModerate rain (total 11mm), heaviest on Sun morning. Warm (max 28°C on Sat afternoon, min 23°C on Thu night). Wind will be generally light. | ||||||||||||||||||
Tuesday 28 | Wednesday 29 | Thursday 30 | Friday 31 | Saturday 1 | Sunday 2 | ||||||||||||||
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 | SSE 4 | SSE 6 | SE 7 | SE 7 | SE 8 | SE 8 | SE 8 | SE 8 | SE 7 | SE 8 | SE 8 | ESE 7 | NE 6 | SE 4 | SE 8 | SE 8 | ESE 8 |
Wave Graph  | |||||||||||||||||||
 kJ | 22 | 24 | 22 | 68 | 43 | 26 | 20 | 20 | 20 | 20 | 9 | 9 | 17 | 21 | 10 | 7 | 15 | 49 | 101 |
Wind (km/h) | |||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross | off | cross-off | cross | cross-off | cross | cross-on | cross | cross-off | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | cross | cross-off |
High Tide | 7:40AM0.86m | 8:00PM1.12m | 8:21AM0.91m | 8:39PM1.13m | 9:02AM0.95m | 9:17PM1.12m | 9:42AM0.99m | 9:55PM1.11m | 10:21AM1.02m | 10:33PM1.08m | 11:02AM1.06m | 11:13PM1.04m | |||||||
Low Tide | 1:45AM0.13m | 1:34PM0.13m | 2:22AM0.09m | 2:17PM0.11m | 2:57AM0.06m | 2:58PM0.10m | 3:32AM0.03m | 3:40PM0.11m | 4:08AM0.02m | 4:22PM0.12m | 4:45AM0.02m | 5:09PM0.14m | |||||||
 |  | |  |  | | | | |  | | |  | |  | |  | |  | |
 | — | 6:05 | — | — | 6:05 | — | — | 6:07 | — | — | 6:07 | — | — | 6:09 | — | — | 6:09 | — | — |
 | 8:15 | — | 8:14 | — | — | 8:13 | — | — | 8:12 | — | — | 8:10 | — | — | 8:09 | — | — | 8:08 | — |
mm | 4 | — | — | 28 | — | — | 1 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 1 | 6 | 4 | 8 |
Temp °C | 23 | 27 | 30 | 22 | 25 | 28 | 26 | 24 | 27 | 26 | 25 | 26 | 24 | 27 | 28 | 26 | 26 | 27 | 27 |
Feels °C | 25 | 28 | 30 | 21 | 25 | 28 | 29 | 23 | 27 | 27 | 26 | 27 | 24 | 28 | 28 | 27 | 27 | 27 | 31 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | ESE 8 | ESE 8 | ESE 8 | SSE 6 | SE 7 | SE 7 | SE 8 | SE 8 | SE 8 | SE 8 | SE 7 | SE 8 | NE 6 | NE 6 | NE 6 | NE 6 | SE 8 | NE 6 | NE 5 |
| kJ | 22 | 24 | 12 | 68 | 43 | 26 | 20 | 20 | 20 | 20 | 9 | 9 | 8 | 9 | 9 | 5 | 15 | 5 | 4 |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | NE 6 | NE 6 | ENE 6 | ENE 6 | E 9 | N 3 | E 9 | NE 6 | E 8 | NE 8 | NE 7 | ENE 7 | SE 8 | ESE 9 | ESE 9 | ESE 8 | NE 6 | NE 6 | NE 5 |
| kJ | 9 | 5 | 4 | 4 | 7 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 5 | 17 | 8 | 7 | 7 | 5 | 5 | 4 |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | — | — | — | NE 6 | E 9 | NE 6 | E 8 | NE 6 | — | E 10 | E 10 | — | ESE 9 | — | SSE 6 | SSE 7 | — | — |
| kJ | — | — | — | — | 2 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 1 | — | 2 | 2 | — | 8 | — | 4 | 9 | — | — |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | S 3 | S 3 | SSE 4 | SW 4 | N 3 | — | — | N 3 | N 3 | — | N 3 | — | SE 3 | ESE 7 | ESE 3 | SE 4 | SE 4 | SE 8 | ESE 8 |
| kJ | 3 | 2 | 22 | 7 | 5 | — | — | 6 | 4 | — | 1 | — | 1 | 21 | 10 | 6 | 2 | 49 | 101 |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 95 | 1170 | 1143 | 0 | 86 | 175 | 78 | 175 | 175 | 138 | 138 | 484 | 175 | 0 | 593 | 594 | 1231 | 927 | 0 |
Best forecast wave conditions in Virginia | |||||||||||||||||||
Best forecast wave conditions in United States | |||||||||||||||||||
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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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