Croatan Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, Rusty here. Let’s be straight with you. It’s a tough stretch on the calendar for surf around Croatan. The next couple of weeks are looking pretty flat and mostly blown out. We’re staring down a long, quiet run with only a glimmer of something rideable coming through, and it’s a long way off.

For the first several days, starting now through the middle of next week, there’s basically nothing worth paddling out for. The swell is tiny, mostly under 1.6 feet, and the energy is weak. The wind is all over the place, often onshore or cross-onshore, leaving the water choppy and messy. Even when the wind is offshore, there just isn’t enough swell to push a wave. It’s a real flat spell.

We finally get a bit of a pulse around the 21st of July. That Tuesday morning, a small bump of swell from the south pushes up to about 5.2 feet, but the period is a very short 5 seconds, so it’s disorganized and weak in shape. The energy climbs to moderate. The wind goes light offshore and glassy, which is a big positive. The waves are surfable, but it’s not going to be a standout session. The afternoon stays clean with a light cross-off breeze and 4.9 feet of swell, but again, it’s short period slop. Nothing special.

The best chance for a proper surf comes on the morning of Wednesday the 22nd of July. The swell drops back to about 3 feet from the southeast, but the wind goes completely calm, glassy. The period is 7 seconds, so it’s not a long groundswell, but the absolute lack of wind will make it look better than it is. The energy is weak. For a beginner break like Croatan, this is about as good as it gets in a dead patch – small, clean, and forgiving. But it’s not a standout.

After that, the wind picks up again and the swell fades. The rest of the week into the 25th is back to poor conditions, small and choppy or blown out with strong cross-off winds. That last day, the 25th, has a fresh breeze at 19 mph, which is kite-surfing weather, not paddle surfing.

Overall, the water temp is about average for the time of year, so no worries there.

Look, it’s a quiet period. The only real light in the tunnel is the glassy morning on the 22nd of July. That’s your best bet, but keep your expectations low. It’s a long wait for tiny, clean waves.

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