Croatan Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, Rusty here. Let's have a look at what's on the menu for Croatan.

Honestly, it's a pretty flat start. We're looking at a solid stretch of nothing much. The first few days are all tiny, weak waves with poor conditions. You’ll be waiting a while before anything even thinks about showing up. The first real window for a wave doesn't pop up until the morning of Sunday the 12th, but even then it's a messy 4 ft from the NE with a short period and a cross-onshore wind. Not the kind of thing you rush out for.

The water temp is sitting at a warm 80°, which is about a degree and a half warmer than usual for this time of year – it’s a nice, comfortable bath.

The whole first week is a bit of a write-off, with most days serving up small, weak, or wind-chopped junk. The combined energy stays low, barely cracking 100 (89) on the Sunday, and then only hitting moderate numbers when the wind is howling onshore. There's a brief moment on the morning of Wednesday the 15th where the wind goes cross-off and it's clean, but the swell is a pathetic 1 ft. It’s barely a ripple.

The most interesting period kicks off mid-week the following week. On Wednesday the 22nd, the swell starts to build. The morning shows 4 ft (186 energy) but it's onshore, so it's messy. The afternoon jumps to 6 ft from the SSE, with a combined energy of 457! That's a lot of power, but it's under a moderate cross-onshore, making it pretty choppy. That’s expert territory at that size, especially with the wind.

The standout for the whole forecast, if you can call it that, is the morning of Thursday, July 23rd. We’ve got a solid 5 ft of SSE swell with a period of 8 seconds and a combined energy of 270. The wind is a light cross-shore, so it won't be a total mess, just a little bumpy. It’s marginal, but it’s the best you’re going to get. It’s a beach/jetty setup, so it's exposed, and the optimum direction is ESE, so the SSE swell is a bit off. Plus, crowds are often there, so don't expect to have it to yourself. For the more experienced surfer, it's worth a look.

After that, Friday the 24th has clean cross-off winds but the swell drops to 4 ft, and the energy is down, so it’s more of a cruisy session. The whole second week is a bit of a mixed bag, with nothing that will blow your mind.

So, to sum it up: the first week is a dud. The second week has a little more pulse, but the quality is poor to marginal. The best bet is the morning of the 23rd, but keep your expectations in check.

Rusty.

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