Croatan Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, Rusty here. Let’s take a long, hard look at what’s coming our way for the next couple of weeks. I’m gonna be straight with you—this is a rough patch.

The overall pattern is grim. We’re looking at a long stretch of tiny, weak swell with poor to average conditions. There isn’t a single standout session in the entire 16-day window. The first couple of days are a write-off, with nothing worth paddling out for on Friday the 31st of July. The surf stays flat and weak for the next several days, with only a few fleeting moments of "surfable" but very ordinary conditions.

The first time we see anything even surfable is on the afternoon of Wednesday the 5th of August. The swell is a pathetic 1.0 ft from the SSE with a short period of 6 seconds. The combined energy is weak (70). The wind is a light cross-offshore from the SSW, keeping the surface clean, but the waves are just too small and weak to get excited about. It’s a tiny, ordinary wave for a beginner.

That little window closes fast. The next hint of something better is on the morning of Saturday the 8th of August. The swell is still only 2 ft from the SE with an 8-second period, and the combined energy is weak (48). The wind is light cross-off from the SW, so it’s clean, but the waves are just not there. It’s a "surfable" but very ordinary day.

After that, it’s back to mostly poor conditions. The only other surfable moment is on the morning of Tuesday the 11th of August. We get a tiny 1 ft swell from the ENE, but the period jumps to 12 seconds. That’s a long period, so it’s a groundswell, but it’s so small it’s barely a ripple. The combined energy is still weak (74). The wind is light and cross-off from the NNW, so it’s clean, but don’t expect much.

The worst part is the gap. From the 5th of August onward, there’s no real recommendation until the 11th, and even then it’s nothing to write home about. After the 11th, we’re back to tiny, weak, and poor conditions all the way through to the 15th of August.

The only break worth mentioning is Croatan. It’s a beach/jetty setup, which means it’s exposed and picks up any swell, but with this tiny, weak energy, it’s a beginner’s playground at best. The water temp is 76°F on the 31st of July, which is a bit colder than normal for this time of year (a 2°F anomaly). The swell is mostly from the SE and SSE, which isn’t its optimum direction (ESE), so the waves are never going to be well-shaped.

For a spot that’s fairly consistent, this is a real bummer of a forecast. It’s a long, bleak run. With such small, weak, and often period-poor swell, and the wind being mostly cross or cross-on, this is a stretch to forget. The sets will be tiny, weak, and the longer period on the 11th won’t save the day with such a small wave.

Signing off, Rusty.

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