Surf Forecasts:
Croatan surf forecast from 12 Jul 2026:
- Best quality surf: Wednesday 15 Jul, 2AM (local time) - 2ft (0.6m), 7s period, ESE swell with cross-offshore winds.
- Most powerful swell: Monday 13 Jul, 2AM (local time) - 5ft (1.6m), 6s period, E swell with 188 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Wednesday 15 Jul, 2AM (local time) - 2ft (0.6m), 7s period with ESE 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 15) at 2AM. The primary swell is predicted to be 0.6m and 7s period with a secondary swell of 0.3m and 9s. The wind is predicted to be cross-offshore as the swell arrives.
The most powerful waves expected at Croatan in the next 16 days are 1.6m 6s and forecast to arrive on Monday (Jul 13) at 2AM. Winds are predicted to be onshore 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 (Jul 16) at 2AM.
| Wave Type | Time (EDT) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 2AM (Wed 15th Jul) | 2ft (0.6m) 7s |
| Best Surf | 2AM (Wed 15th Jul) | 2ft (0.6m) 7s |
| Most Powerful | 2AM (Mon 13th Jul) | 5ft (1.6m) 6s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Croatan over the next 16 days.
Alright, this is Rusty, and I’m looking at the outlook for Croatan. Gotta be straight with you – it’s a rough stretch ahead. The whole 16-day window is basically a flat spell with next to no real surf on offer. The numbers are grim, and the energy is just not there.
We start on Sunday the 12th with tiny, weak, onshore mush. Swell is a measly 1ft from the SE, with a combined energy of just 18 – that’s barely a ripple. The wind is blowing onshore from the ENE at 9 mph, and with a risk of thunderstorms, it’s a write-off. The water is sitting at 80°, which is a touch warmer than normal for this time of year, but that’s the only highlight.
Monday the 13th sees a slight bump to 5ft from the east, but the period is a short and weak 6 seconds, and the wind is still onshore at 12 mph. The energy climbs to 153, which is moderate, but the surf quality is described as poor. It’s lumpy, bumpy, and not worth getting excited about.
From Tuesday the 14th onward, it’s a slow bleed downwards. Swell heights drop back under 3ft, periods stay short, and the wind, while occasionally going light or cross-off, never really delivers clean, rideable waves. The combined energy drops into the teens and twenties – genuinely weak. There’s a brief moment of clean conditions on Wednesday the 15th morning with a light WSW wind, but the swell is only 2ft. It’s just not enough to push you into anything.
The pattern holds all the way through to Monday the 27th. There are no standout days, no building swells, no windows of magic. It’s just a long, flat, quiet period. For a beach/jetty setup like Croatan, this kind of blank run isn’t unusual, but it’s still a bummer. Forecasts can change, but right now, there’s nothing to chase.
Rusty.
Short Range ForecastModerate rain (total 10mm), heaviest on Sun afternoon. Warm (max 26°C on Sun morning, min 22°C on Tue night). Wind will be generally light. | Days 4-6 Weather SummaryMostly dry. Warm (max 34°C on Thu afternoon, min 22°C on Wed morning). Wind will be generally light. | ||||||||||||||||||||
Sunday 12 | Monday 13 | Tuesday 14 | Wednesday 15 | Thursday 16 | Friday 17 | Saturday 18 | |||||||||||||||
AM | PM | 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) | SE 9 | SE 10 | E 6 | E 6 | E 6 | E 6 | E 6 | E 6 | ESE 7 | ESE 7 | E 8 | ESE 8 | ESE 8 | SSE 4 | ESE 7 | NNE 5 | NNE 5 | ESE 8 | NE 4 | NE 5 | ENE 5 |
Wave Graph  | |||||||||||||||||||||
 kJ | 13 | 16 | 188 | 153 | 132 | 89 | 52 | 31 | 36 | 27 | 29 | 19 | 19 | 15 | 10 | 41 | 19 | 7 | 31 | 21 | 8 |
Wind (km/h) | |||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | on | on | on | on | on | on | on | on | cross-off | cross-off | cross-on | cross-off | cross-off | on | cross | cross | cross | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | cross-off |
High Tide | 6:44PM1.32m | 7:11AM0.97m | 7:40PM1.34m | 8:07AM1.02m | 8:34PM1.34m | 9:02AM1.07m | 9:26PM1.30m | 9:56AM1.10m | 10:15PM1.24m | 10:48AM1.11m | 11:03PM1.16m | 11:39AM1.11m | 11:49PM1.06m | ||||||||
Low Tide | 12:10PM-0.09m | 1:19AM-0.05m | 1:10PM-0.12m | 2:12AM-0.10m | 2:07PM-0.14m | 3:02AM-0.12m | 3:02PM-0.13m | 3:50AM-0.12m | 3:56PM-0.09m | 4:38AM-0.10m | 4:50PM-0.03m | 5:25AM-0.06m | 5:46PM0.04m | ||||||||
 | |  |  |  |  | | |  | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
 | 5:54 | — | — | 5:54 | — | — | 5:54 | — | — | 5:56 | — | — | 5:56 | — | — | 5:56 | — | — | 5:58 | — | — |
 | — | 8:23 | — | — | 8:22 | — | — | 8:22 | — | — | 8:22 | — | — | 8:22 | — | — | 8:21 | — | — | 8:21 | — |
mm | 3 | 4 | 3 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Temp °C | 26 | 25 | 25 | 25 | 26 | 25 | 25 | 25 | 24 | 28 | 32 | 29 | 31 | 34 | 32 | 25 | 27 | 26 | 26 | 26 | 25 |
Feels °C | 28 | 26 | 25 | 24 | 24 | 25 | 25 | 25 | 25 | 30 | 32 | 29 | 32 | 35 | 33 | 23 | 24 | 24 | 26 | 25 | 24 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SE 9 | SE 10 | — | — | — | SSE 5 | — | E 6 | ESE 7 | ESE 7 | E 8 | ESE 8 | ESE 8 | ESE 7 | S 4 | E 8 | E 8 | NE 4 | ESE 8 | ESE 8 | ESE 7 |
| kJ | 13 | 14 | — | — | — | 10 | — | 31 | 36 | 27 | 29 | 19 | 19 | 11 | 10 | 5 | 5 | 3 | 6 | 6 | 5 |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | E 8 | SSE 7 | — | — | — | ESE 9 | — | ESE 9 | ESE 9 | ESE 9 | E 7 | E 16 | — | E 15 | ESE 7 | SE 8 | ESE 9 | ESE 8 | E 7 | E 13 | SSE 5 |
| kJ | 1 | 4 | — | — | — | 9 | — | 15 | 16 | 8 | 1 | 5 | — | 5 | 10 | 2 | 7 | 7 | 1 | 3 | 2 |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | E 8 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | E 8 | E 8 | — | — | — | — | E 15 | S 7 | S 7 | E 7 | E 14 | E 7 | E 13 |
| kJ | 1 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 1 | 1 | — | — | — | — | 4 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 4 | 1 | 3 |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | ENE 3 | ENE 4 | E 6 | E 6 | E 6 | E 6 | E 6 | — | — | — | SSE 4 | S 4 | SSW 4 | SSE 4 | N 3 | NNE 5 | NNE 5 | — | NE 4 | NE 5 | ENE 5 |
| kJ | 3 | 16 | 188 | 153 | 132 | 89 | 52 | — | — | — | 16 | 21 | 5 | 15 | 8 | 41 | 19 | — | 31 | 21 | 8 |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 176 | 1365 | 242 | 484 | 2301 | 201 | 137 | 378 | 0 | 14 | 178 | 280 | 197 | 594 | 294 | 242 | 242 | 1239 | 242 | 571 | 481 |
Best forecast wave conditions in Virginia | |||||||||||||||||||||
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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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