Surf Forecasts:
Croatan surf forecast from 18 Jul 2026:
- Best quality surf: Wednesday 22 Jul, 5PM (local time) - 4.5ft (1.3m), 8s period, SSE swell with offshore winds.
- Most powerful swell: Friday 24 Jul, 11AM (local time) - 6ft (1.8m), 6s period, ENE swell with 254 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Wednesday 22 Jul, 5PM (local time) - 4.5ft (1.3m), 8s 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 Wednesday (Jul 22) at 5PM. The primary swell is predicted to be 1.3m and 8s period. The wind is predicted to be offshore as the swell arrives.
The most powerful waves expected at Croatan in the next 16 days are 1.8m 6s and forecast to arrive on Friday (Jul 24) at 11AM. Winds are predicted to be cross-onshore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 1.0m 4s period and expected on Sunday (Jul 19) at 5AM.
| Wave Type | Time (EDT) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 5PM (Wed 22nd Jul) | 4.5ft (1.3m) 8s |
| Best Surf | 5PM (Wed 22nd Jul) | 4.5ft (1.3m) 8s |
| Most Powerful | 11AM (Fri 24th Jul) | 6ft (1.8m) 6s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Croatan over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
Alright, this is Rusty, and I’m looking at the next couple of weeks for our local surf. Honestly, I’ve been staring at the charts and it’s pretty grim. We’re in for a long, flat spell here. The first real sign of any surfable waves doesn't show up until late in the period, and even then it’s nothing to write home about.
The overall pattern is one of very weak, short-period, onshore slop that’s just not going to offer any quality. The combined energy of all swells coming our way is mostly in the low double digits, barely touching triple digits on a couple of days, but it’s all windswell with periods of 4 to 8 seconds – no power, no shape.
Let’s be straight: there’s a big gap of nothing. From now through the end of July, everything is rated as “poor surf conditions.” We’re looking at wind either on it, cross-on, or just enough to put a chop on it. Early on, like Friday 17th, it’s a tiny 0.7ft easterly windswell with a 9 mph onshore breeze. By Saturday the 18th, the swell bumps to 4ft but it’s a messy 5-second period with a 16 mph cross-shore wind. The water temperature is sitting at 79°, which is about 0.2° warmer than usual for this time of year, so pretty average. Nothing to get excited about there.
The only tiny window that might be worth a paddle is on Wednesday afternoon, July 22nd. The wind goes glassy, dropping to 3 mph from the northwest, and the swell is 3ft at 8 seconds from the SE. The combined energy hits 95, which is the highest we’ll see. Even then, the guidance calls it only “surfable waves but very ordinary conditions.” It’s not a standout, but it’s the only period where it’s not completely blown out. For a beginner spot like Croatan, that knee-high, glassy slop might be fun for a longboard, but there’s no power and no real push.
The rest of the run is flat. From the 24th of July right through to the 1st of August, we’re looking at tiny surf, usually under 2ft, with onshore or cross-shore winds. The combined energy is mostly in the teens or twenties. It’s a total blank run.
Given the lack of any real swell, a clean 3ft glassy wave on the 22nd is the best on offer, but it’s for beginners only. For anyone else, it’s a week and a half of flat water. The forecasts can change, but right now, it’s a tough outlook.
Rusty
Short Range ForecastLight rain (total 4mm), mostly falling on Sun night. Warm (max 34°C on Sat afternoon, min 24°C on Sun night). Wind will be generally light. | Days 5-7 Weather SummaryHeavy rain (total 25mm), heaviest during Wed night. Warm (max 34°C on Tue afternoon, min 21°C on Thu morning). Winds increasing (light winds from the SSE on Mon night, fresh winds from the N by Wed night). | ||||||||||||||||||
Saturday 18 | Sunday 19 | Monday 20 | Tuesday 21 | Wednesday 22 | Thursday 23 | ||||||||||||||
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 5 | SSE 5 | SSE 8 | SSE 8 | SE 8 | SE 8 | E 5 | ESE 5 | ESE 5 | SE 5 | S 6 | SSE 8 | SSE 8 | SE 8 | NE 6 | NE 6 | ENE 6 |
Wave Graph  | |||||||||||||||||||
 kJ | 6 | 6 | 57 | 47 | 23 | 24 | 32 | 17 | 34 | 66 | 25 | 17 | 194 | 153 | 202 | 95 | 150 | 97 | 101 |
Wind (km/h) | |||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | cross | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | off | cross-on | glassy | on | on | cross-on | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | off | cross | cross-off | cross | cross-on |
High Tide | 11:03PM1.16m | 11:39AM1.11m | 11:49PM1.06m | 12:29PM1.10m | 00:34AM0.96m | 1:19PM1.08m | 1:21AM0.87m | 2:10PM1.05m | 2:11AM0.79m | 3:05PM1.03m | 3:08AM0.74m | 4:02PM1.02m | 4:12AM0.72m | ||||||
Low Tide | 5:25AM-0.06m | 5:46PM0.04m | 6:11AM-0.02m | 6:44PM0.11m | 6:58AM0.03m | 7:42PM0.17m | 7:44AM0.09m | 8:39PM0.22m | 8:30AM0.13m | 9:36PM0.24m | 9:18AM0.17m | 10:33PM0.25m | |||||||
 | |  |  | | |  | | |  | | | | |  | | | | | |
 | — | 5:58 | — | — | 5:58 | — | — | 5:58 | — | — | 6:00 | — | — | 6:01 | — | — | 6:01 | — | — |
 | 8:21 | — | 8:21 | — | — | 8:20 | — | — | 8:20 | — | — | 8:19 | — | — | 8:17 | — | — | 8:17 | — |
mm | — | — | — | — | — | — | 4 | — | — | — | — | — | 7 | — | 6 | 12 | — | — | — |
Temp °C | 28 | 31 | 34 | 31 | 30 | 32 | 25 | 26 | 26 | 25 | 27 | 34 | 27 | 30 | 34 | 28 | 22 | 25 | 24 |
Feels °C | 32 | 32 | 34 | 30 | 32 | 34 | 26 | 25 | 25 | 25 | 28 | 33 | 25 | 29 | 34 | 30 | 18 | 22 | 21 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | NE 3 | ESE 8 | ESE 8 | SSE 5 | SSE 8 | SSE 8 | SE 8 | SE 8 | SE 8 | E 10 | ESE 5 | SE 8 | — | SSE 8 | SSE 8 | SE 8 | SE 8 | SE 8 | SE 7 |
| kJ | 2 | 6 | 6 | 47 | 23 | 24 | 32 | 17 | 10 | 2 | 25 | 10 | — | 153 | 202 | 95 | 32 | 16 | 18 |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | ESE 8 | — | E 13 | E 8 | SSW 4 | — | E 12 | E 12 | — | E 12 | ESE 8 | NE 5 | — | E 6 | WSW 4 | — | SSE 7 | SSE 7 | S 7 |
| kJ | 6 | — | 3 | 1 | 3 | — | 3 | 3 | — | 3 | 6 | 3 | — | 1 | 2 | — | 10 | 5 | 4 |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | E 14 | E 13 | E 9 | E 13 | E 13 | E 13 | — | E 10 | — | — | NE 5 | S 7 | — | — | E 6 | — | — | — | — |
| kJ | 4 | 4 | 2 | 3 | 3 | 3 | — | 2 | — | — | 1 | 1 | — | — | 1 | — | — | — | — |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | S 3 | SSE 5 | WSW 4 | WSW 4 | N 3 | ENE 3 | E 4 | E 5 | ESE 5 | — | SE 5 | S 6 | SW 4 | WSW 5 | NE 4 | NE 6 | NE 6 | ENE 6 |
| kJ | — | 5 | 57 | 8 | 5 | 4 | 4 | 9 | 34 | 66 | — | 17 | 194 | 25 | 10 | 35 | 150 | 97 | 101 |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 1231 | 1239 | 1689 | 283 | 0 | 78 | 175 | 242 | 78 | 178 | 0 | 890 | 918 | 694 | 443 | 0 | 0 | 242 | 242 |
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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