Croatan Surf Break

Lat Long: 36.79° N 75.96° W

Croatan Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Issued: 1 am 08 Sep 2026 (local time)

Forecast update in  hr  min

Today's Croatan sea temperature is
27.2°C
2.8° 

Croatan surf forecast is for near shore open water. Breaking waves will often be smaller at less exposed spots.


Croatan surf forecast from 8 Sep 2026:

  • Best quality surf: Tuesday 8 Sep, 8AM (local time) - 2.5ft (0.7m), 9s period, ENE swell with glassy winds.
  • Most powerful swell: Tuesday 8 Sep, 8AM (local time) - 2.5ft (0.7m), 9s period, ENE swell with 90 kJ wave energy.
  • Next surfable swell (1★+): Tuesday 8 Sep, 8AM (local time) - 2.5ft (0.7m), 9s period with ENE 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 Tuesday (Sep 08) at 8AM. The primary swell is predicted to be 0.7m and 9s period with a secondary swell of 0.2m and 8s. The wind is predicted to be glassy as the swell arrives.

The most powerful waves expected at Croatan in the next 16 days are 0.7m 9s and forecast to arrive on Tuesday (Sep 08) at 8AM. Winds are predicted to be glassy at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 0.8m 4s period and expected on Thursday (Sep 10) at 5AM.

Wave TypeTime (EDT) & Date Wave Height & Period
Next good surf (1 star+) 8AM (Tue 8th Sep)2.5ft (0.7m) 9s
Best Surf 8AM (Tue 8th Sep)2.5ft (0.7m) 9s
Most Powerful 8AM (Tue 8th Sep)2.5ft (0.7m) 9s

Table - best surf conditions forecast for Croatan over the next 16 days.


The Lowdown

Alright, Rusty here. Let's take a look at what the next couple of weeks have in store for us around Croatan.

Well, I gotta be straight with you – this is a pretty bleak stretch of days. The first week and a half is mostly a write-off with tiny, weak slop and wind that’s all over the shop. We’re talking poor surf conditions day after day. The water is warm though, sitting at 81°, which is much warmer than normal for this time of year, so at least you won't be cold while you’re sitting there waiting for something to ride.

We start off the period on Tuesday the 8th in the morning with a clean sky but a light onshore ENE breeze at 3 mph. The swell is a paltry 2 ft from the ENE with a period of 9 seconds. Wave energy is weak, only 77, and the wave comment says it all: "poor surf conditions". The afternoon doesn't get any better, wind swings SE and picks up. Wednesday and Thursday are the same story – tiny, disorganised mush with cross-shore winds. Friday and Saturday follow suit. You get the picture.

Now, there’s a bit of a glimmer on Sunday the 13th in the morning. We get a glassy, dead-calm morning with a tiny 1 ft swell from the ESE with a 10-second period (51 energy). It’s surfable, just barely, but very ordinary. A possible dawn patrol for a longboard if you’re desperate. Then Monday the 14th morning sees a light offshore wind from the WNW at 3 mph and the same tiny 1 ft ESE swell (45 energy). Clean, but again, really small. These are the only two sessions that even rate a 1 out of 10.

After that, we’re back into small, messy junk until we finally get a pulse of energy on Saturday the 19th morning. Out of nowhere, the swell bumps up to 6 ft from the NE at 7 seconds. The combined energy jumps to 302 – that’s moderate wave energy finally. The wind is light from the N, so it’s a slight cross-shore. This is the biggest surf of the whole outlook, but it’s still a "marginal" call. The period is short (7 seconds), so it’ll be a bit fat and crumbly, not the cleanest. Definitely the pick of a bad bunch, but don't expect perfection.

After that spike, it fades back into the 4 ft to 5 ft range through the 20th and 23rd, but with onshore winds of 12 to 16 mph, it’s just choppy, blown-out crud.

The standout: Look, there's only one true standout, and it's a relative one. That's Saturday the 19th morning at Croatan. At 6 ft from the NE, it's the biggest swell we get, and with the light wind, it will be the least messy option. It might be a bit too much for a pure beginner at that size, but for the rest of you, that's the only day to circle. It’s over a week away (Saturday the 19th), so keep an eye on it.

The reality: Honestly, if you're a kite surfer, the afternoons with 12-16 mph side-onshore winds and waist-high chop might look more interesting than anything we have for paddling. For surfers, this is a long, frustrating gap. Hang in there, tides and forecasts can change.

Rusty.

Short Range Forecast

Mostly dry. Warm (max 33°C on Thu afternoon, min 21°C on Thu morning). Wind will be generally light.

Days 4-6 Weather Summary

Moderate rain (total 13mm), heaviest on Sat night. Warm (max 29°C on Sun afternoon, min 23°C on Fri morning). Wind will be generally light.

Tuesday
8
Wednesday
9
Thursday
10
Friday
11
Saturday
12
Sunday
13
Monday
14
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
Rating
(10 max)
0
0
0
1
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
1
0
1
1
0
0
Swell
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Wave
Height (m)
Direction
Period (s)
0.6
ENE
9
0.5
ENE
9
0.4
NE
9
0.5
SE
7
0.2
ESE
9
1
S
4
0.4
SE
5
0.9
S
4
0.8
SSE
5
0.4
SE
6
0.8
NE
4
0.9
E
5
1.1
E
5
1.1
ESE
5
0.8
SE
5
0.4
ESE
10
0.4
ESE
9
0.4
ESE
9
0.4
ESE
9
0.4
ESE
9
0.4
ESE
9
Wave Graph
Metric surfscale
Energy kJ
65
46
20
21
8
35
9
26
31
12
29
34
51
50
26
36
32
31
31
31
25
Wind (km/h)
5
ENE
15
SE
15
SSW
10
SSW
25
SSE
25
SW
25
SW
20
SSW
20
WSW
10
N
20
ENE
15
ENE
20
ESE
20
ESE
10
SSE
5
SW
10
ESE
10
WSW
5
WNW
10
SE
5
WNW
Wind State
on
cross-on
cross-off
cross-off
cross
cross-off
cross-off
cross-off
cross-off
cross
cross-on
on
on
on
cross-on
glassy
cross-on
cross-off
off
cross-on
glassy
High Tide
6:20PM1.25m
6:45AM1.15m
7:10PM1.26m
7:35AM1.22m
7:56PM1.25m
8:22AM1.28m
8:39PM1.21m
9:07AM1.30m
9:21PM1.16m
9:51AM1.29m
10:02PM1.09m
10:33AM1.25m
10:43PM1.02m
Low Tide
11:51AM0.04m
00:41AM0.06m
12:50PM0.00m
1:28AM0.01m
1:44PM-0.02m
2:11AM-0.02m
2:33PM-0.01m
2:51AM-0.02m
3:18PM0.03m
3:30AM0.00m
4:03PM0.08m
4:09AM0.05m
4:48PM0.15m
4:49AM0.12m
clear
clear
clear
clear
clear
clear
clear
clear
clear
clear
clear
part cloud
part cloud
part cloud
thunderstorm
thunderstorm
thunderstorm
thunderstorm
clear
thunderstorm
thunderstorm
<span class="translation_missing" title="translation missing: en.weather_tables.sunrise">Sunrise</span>
6:39
6:39
6:41
6:41
6:43
6:43
6:43
<span class="translation_missing" title="translation missing: en.weather_tables.sunset">Sunset</span>
7:22
7:21
7:19
7:17
7:15
7:15
7:13
 mm
6
2
2
3
4
2
Temp °C
24
25
24
24
27
26
27
33
29
27
27
25
25
27
27
26
29
28
27
28
28
Feels °C
24
24
23
24
25
25
26
32
27
29
29
27
26
29
30
30
33
31
31
32
31
  • Map Icons:
  • Break
  • Live Wave Height (m)
  • Live Wind Speed (km/h)
  • Surf Rating (10 Max)
  • Ocean Swells (m)
  • Wind Speed (km/h)
Map placeholder
How to use the Wavefinder 
submit an eyeball surf report

Quick surf report for Croatan:

join our community of surf reporters

FREE! Surf-Forecast.com widget for your website

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.

Nearest locationNearest