Surf Forecasts:
Croatan surf forecast from 28 Aug 2026:
- Best quality surf: Friday 28 Aug, 2AM (local time) - 1.5ft (0.5m), 9s period, E swell with cross-offshore winds.
- Most powerful swell: Wednesday 2 Sep, 11AM (local time) - 1.5ft (0.5m), 11s period, ESE swell with 68 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Friday 28 Aug, 2AM (local time) - 1.5ft (0.5m), 9s period with E 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 Friday (Aug 28) at 2AM. The primary swell is predicted to be 0.5m and 9s period with a secondary swell of 0.2m and 12s. Another secondary swell of 0.7m and 5s 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 0.5m 11s and forecast to arrive on Wednesday (Sep 02) at 11AM. Winds are predicted to be cross-shore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 0.5m 3s period and expected on Thursday (Sep 03) at 2AM.
| Wave Type | Time (EDT) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 2AM (Fri 28th Aug) | 1.5ft (0.5m) 9s |
| Best Surf | 2AM (Fri 28th Aug) | 1.5ft (0.5m) 9s |
| Most Powerful | 11AM (Wed 2nd Sep) | 1.5ft (0.5m) 11s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Croatan over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
Alright folks, Rusty here. Let's talk about what's shaking on our local sandbars. We're looking at a bit of a quiet stretch ahead for Croatan. There's nothing on the immediate horizon, so don't be in a rush to grab your board just yet. We're looking at a full week of pretty ordinary conditions before we see a glimmer of something worth paddling out for.
The first hint of anything worthwhile shows up on Sunday, the 6th of September. You're looking at some small 2ft groundswell sneaking in from the ENE with a period hitting 11 seconds. The combined energy is moderate at 101, and with a light offshore wind from the west in the morning, it’ll be clean. It's not a standout by any means, just a little bump for a longboard on that morning session.
The real potential, and the best bet in this whole outlook, is on Monday the 7th of September. The swell picks up a touch to 3ft from the ENE, still holding that long 11-second period. The combined energy jumps to a moderate 178, which is the strongest we see. The morning sees a solid cross-offshore breeze from the NNW. That combo – longer period groundswell and a clean wind – could line up some fun, walled-up waves on the jetty. It's still a small day, but it's the best the forecast has to offer for Croatan. Remember, this is a week and a half out, so keep an eye on it, but the signs are promising for a few decent runners.
After that, things taper off again. You get a few more small, clean mornings through the 8th and 9th of September. The 9th even shows some glassy conditions in the afternoon, which is a rare treat for the beach, though the swell is still minimal at 2ft. After that, the energy drops right off into the second week, leaving us with tiny, often choppy surf that's not really worth the effort.
This is just one of those blank runs that Croatan sees. It looks like the kites might have more fun on some of those windy afternoons than we will with a paddle board. Forecasts can always change, but as it stands, pencil in the morning of the 7th for your best shot.
Stay salty,
Rusty
Short Range ForecastModerate rain (total 19mm), heaviest on Fri afternoon. Warm (max 27°C on Thu night, min 24°C on Fri morning). Wind will be generally light. | Days 5-7 Weather SummaryMostly dry. Warm (max 36°C on Tue afternoon, min 25°C on Sun night). Wind will be generally light. | ||||||||||||||||||
Friday 28 | Saturday 29 | Sunday 30 | Monday 31 | Tuesday 1 | Wednesday 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) | E 9 | E 8 | ESE 8 | SE 8 | ESE 8 | NE 5 | ESE 8 | SE 8 | SE 8 | SE 8 | ESE 8 | ESE 7 | ESE 7 | SE 7 | SE 7 | SE 9 | ESE 11 | ESE 10 | ESE 10 |
Wave Graph  | |||||||||||||||||||
 kJ | 39 | 36 | 23 | 32 | 25 | 25 | 24 | 17 | 17 | 16 | 22 | 20 | 19 | 12 | 11 | 29 | 68 | 57 | 52 |
Wind (km/h) | |||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | cross-off | cross-off | cross | cross-off | cross-on | cross-on | on | cross-on | cross-on | cross-off | off | cross-on | cross-off | off | cross-off | cross-off | cross | on | cross-on |
High Tide | 8:09PM1.17m | 8:31AM1.09m | 8:47PM1.17m | 9:10AM1.15m | 9:26PM1.15m | 9:50AM1.19m | 10:06PM1.12m | 10:32AM1.22m | 10:49PM1.07m | 11:16AM1.23m | 11:34PM1.02m | 12:04PM1.23m | 00:23AM0.97m | ||||||
Low Tide | 2:21AM0.06m | 2:35PM0.09m | 2:57AM0.03m | 3:17PM0.08m | 3:34AM0.02m | 4:01PM0.09m | 4:12AM0.02m | 4:47PM0.11m | 4:54AM0.04m | 5:38PM0.14m | 5:40AM0.06m | 6:35PM0.17m | |||||||
 |  |  | |  | |  |  | | | | |  | | | | | | | |
 | — | 6:31 | — | — | 6:31 | — | — | 6:31 | — | — | 6:33 | — | — | 6:33 | — | — | 6:35 | — | — |
 | 7:38 | — | 7:37 | — | — | 7:37 | — | — | 7:35 | — | — | 7:34 | — | — | 7:31 | — | — | 7:30 | — |
mm | 5 | — | 8 | 4 | 1 | — | — | — | 1 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Temp °C | 27 | 25 | 26 | 24 | 25 | 26 | 25 | 26 | 27 | 26 | 30 | 32 | 30 | 31 | 36 | 34 | 29 | 27 | 26 |
Feels °C | 28 | 28 | 29 | 26 | 27 | 27 | 28 | 29 | 29 | 27 | 32 | 35 | 32 | 31 | 37 | 35 | 32 | 29 | 31 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | E 9 | E 8 | ESE 8 | SE 8 | ESE 8 | ESE 8 | NE 5 | SE 8 | SE 8 | SE 8 | ESE 8 | ESE 7 | ESE 7 | SE 7 | SE 7 | SE 9 | ESE 11 | ESE 10 | ESE 10 |
| kJ | 39 | 36 | 23 | 32 | 24 | 24 | 8 | 17 | 17 | 16 | 22 | 20 | 19 | 12 | 11 | 20 | 68 | 57 | 52 |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | E 12 | SSE 5 | SE 5 | E 10 | S 6 | E 10 | ESE 8 | NE 5 | NE 5 | NE 5 | S 3 | NE 5 | — | SE 9 | ESE 8 | ESE 12 | SE 7 | — | SSE 3 |
| kJ | 11 | 9 | 3 | 8 | 3 | 2 | 24 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | — | 3 | 7 | 29 | 11 | — | 2 |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | E 8 | E 11 | E 11 | — | ENE 10 | — | E 9 | E 9 | E 9 | E 9 | NE 5 | E 9 | E 8 | — | E 13 | NE 4 | — | — | — |
| kJ | 1 | 9 | 2 | — | 10 | — | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 1 | — | 4 | 1 | — | — | — |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SE 5 | — | — | — | NE 4 | NE 5 | SE 3 | SE 3 | SE 3 | S 3 | — | — | S 3 | — | N 3 | S 3 | WSW 2 | — | S 3 |
| kJ | 30 | — | — | — | 25 | 25 | 3 | 1 | 5 | 3 | — | — | 3 | — | 1 | 1 | 1 | — | 5 |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 0 | 0 | 78 | 0 | 78 | 86 | 572 | 242 | 138 | 418 | 138 | 1368 | 1140 | 1140 | 1258 | 0 | 46 | 141 | 92 |
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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