Croatan Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, Rusty here. Let’s be straight with you – this outlook is a tough one.

The overall pattern for the next 16 days is a real flat spell. There are no standouts, and I’m not even going to try and pretend there’s a session on the horizon worth getting excited about. We’re staring at a long stretch of tiny, weak swell and messy wind.

Let’s start with the first recommendation, which is Croatan. This is a beach/jetty setup, exposed to the swell. The water temp is sitting around 80°, which is basically spot on for this time of year – nothing unusual there.

The entire forecast period is a write-off. From Thursday the 23rd of July right through to Friday the 7th of August, every single session is rated as "poor surf conditions." The swell is tiny, never getting above 3 ft, and the periods are short – mostly between 4 and 8 seconds, meaning weak, choppy waves. The combined energy is weak, with values like 38, 56, and 104 (moderate) being the best on offer, but it’s all junk.

The wind is a mess too. Most of the time it’s cross-on or onshore, which just adds to the chop. There are a few windows of cleaner, cross-off winds on the 28th, 29th, and 31st of July, and even into the 2nd of August, but the swell is so small – 1 ft to 2 ft – that it’s barely rideable. You might get a knee-high dribbler on the morning of the 2nd of August, where the comment says "surfable waves but very ordinary conditions," but that’s scraping the barrel.

The bottom line is there’s nothing here. No standout, no big swell, no clean conditions. If you’re a kiter, this setup with light wind and small waves might be more interesting than for a surfer. For the rest of us, it’s a long, flat gap. Don’t hold your breath. Forecasts can change, but this one is looking grim.

Rusty.

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