Croatan Surf Break

Lat Long: 36.79° N 75.96° W

Croatan Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Issued: 1 am 09 Jul 2026 (local time)

Forecast update in  hr  min

Today's Croatan sea temperature is
26.3° C
0.9° 

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


Croatan surf forecast from 9 Jul 2026:

  • Best quality surf: Thursday 9 Jul, 8PM (local time) - 1.5ft (0.4m), 8s period, ENE swell with cross-offshore winds.
  • Most powerful swell: Monday 13 Jul, 8AM (local time) - 4.5ft (1.4m), 7s period, E swell with 215 kJ wave energy.
  • Next surfable swell (1★+): Thursday 9 Jul, 8PM (local time) - 1.5ft (0.4m), 8s 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 Thursday (Jul 09) at 8PM. The primary swell is predicted to be 0.4m and 8s period with a secondary swell of 0.3m and 9s. Another secondary swell of 0.6m and 4s is also forecast. 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 1.4m 7s and forecast to arrive on Monday (Jul 13) at 8AM. Winds are predicted to be onshore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 0.6m 3s period and expected on Wednesday (Jul 15) at 5AM.

Wave TypeTime (EDT) & Date Wave Height & Period
Next good surf (1 star+) 8PM (Thu 9th Jul)1.5ft (0.4m) 8s
Best Surf 8PM (Thu 9th Jul)1.5ft (0.4m) 8s
Most Powerful 8AM (Mon 13th Jul)4.5ft (1.4m) 7s

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


Alright, this is Rusty. Let's look at what we've got coming up for Croatan over the next couple of weeks.

Honestly, I'm looking at this forecast and it's a bit of a tough one to get excited about. The whole 16-day window is pretty flat and underwhelming. There's a big gap of nothing worthwhile from the start until mid-July. We're looking at a solid 6 days of tiny, poor surf that won't get a recommendation from me. The first flicker of something that's even *surfable* doesn't show up until the morning of the 15th of July.

That morning, Wednesday the 15th, is the closest thing to a highlight, and it's a real marginal one. Croatan will see a tiny 2ft wave from the east, with a period of 8 seconds. The big thing here is that we get a clean 5 mph offshore wind from the west. The water is sitting at 79°, which is about average for the time of year. The energy is really weak, reading only 42. It's a small, clean wave for a beginner to mess around on. The crowds are marked as "often", so expect a few others out for the same small crumb. After that, it's straight back to poor conditions for the rest of the week.

The next real chance comes on Monday the 20th of July. The morning session looks best with a 4ft swell from the southeast, a 5-second period, and a clean 15 mph offshore wind from the WSW. The wave energy is still moderate at 71. It's a very ordinary setup, but it's the cleanest we're going to get with a bit of size. It's still small enough for beginners, but the short period will make it a bit lumpy. The afternoon sees the swell bump up to 5ft from the SE, with a 6-second period and a light cross-shore wind. The energy jumps to 142, but the conditions are poor and choppy.

The week of the 21st sees a bit more consistent energy, but the quality just isn't there. The morning of Tuesday the 22nd has a 4ft swell from the southeast with a clean cross-offshore wind, but even that only gets a "very ordinary" grade. The wind is always cross or onshore, or the swell is too small and short-period. It's not a good run for paddle surfing, to be honest. With those onshore winds and short-period, choppy waves, the setup looks more interesting for kite surfing than a traditional surf.

So, to sum it up: the best of a bad bunch is the morning of Wednesday the 15th for a tiny, clean beginner wave, and the morning of Monday the 20th for a slightly bigger but still very ordinary clean wave. Everything else is a write-off. I'm not holding my breath for this one.

Rusty.

Short Range Forecast

Light rain (total 7mm), mostly falling on Sat night. Warm (max 33°C on Thu afternoon, min 23°C on Sat night). Wind will be generally light.

Days 4-6 Weather Summary

Moderate rain (total 10mm), heaviest on Mon morning. Warm (max 25°C on Tue morning, min 23°C on Tue night). Winds decreasing (fresh winds from the ENE on Mon morning, calm by Tue night).

Thursday
9
Friday
10
Saturday
11
Sunday
12
Monday
13
Tuesday
14
Wednesday
15
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
1
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
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
SE
9
0.5
NE
8
0.7
SSE
6
0.4
SE
8
0.2
ESE
9
0.2
ESE
9
0.4
SE
8
0.2
ESE
9
0.2
ESE
9
0.7
ENE
4
1.4
ENE
6
1.5
E
7
1.4
ENE
7
1.3
ENE
7
1.1
E
7
0.9
E
7
0.8
E
7
0.8
E
8
0.6
E
8
0.6
E
8
0.4
ESE
8
Wave Graph
Metric surfscale
Energy kJ
64
29
34
21
8
8
23
8
7
13
119
200
214
181
114
85
65
72
42
42
19
Wind (km/h)
15
SSE
10
S
15
WSW
15
W
15
SE
10
WSW
10
W
10
NW
10
WSW
25
NE
20
NE
25
ENE
30
ENE
30
ENE
20
ENE
20
NE
15
ENE
5
S
5
W
15
SE
10
SW
Wind State
cross-on
cross
off
off
cross-on
off
off
cross-off
cross-off
cross-on
cross-on
on
on
on
on
cross-on
on
glassy
off
cross-on
cross-off
High Tide
3:43PM1.15m
4:05AM0.86m
4:45PM1.21m
5:10AM0.88m
5:46PM1.27m
6:12AM0.92m
6:44PM1.32m
7:11AM0.97m
7:40PM1.34m
8:07AM1.02m
8:34PM1.34m
9:02AM1.07m
9:26PM1.30m
Low Tide
9:12AM-0.01m
10:16PM0.09m
10:09AM-0.02m
11:19PM0.05m
11:09AM-0.05m
00:21AM-0.00m
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
thunderstorm
clear
clear
clear
part cloud
part cloud
part cloud
part cloud
thunderstorm
thunderstorm
cloud
thunderstorm
light rain
rain showers
part cloud
part cloud
part cloud
clear
clear
clear
clear
<span class="translation_missing" title="translation missing: en.weather_tables.sunrise">Sunrise</span>
5:52
5:52
5:52
5:54
5:54
5:54
5:56
<span class="translation_missing" title="translation missing: en.weather_tables.sunset">Sunset</span>
8:24
8:23
8:23
8:23
8:22
8:22
8:22
 mm
1
6
2
2
4
2
Temp °C
28
33
32
30
32
31
29
30
26
24
24
24
24
24
24
25
25
24
27
29
27
Feels °C
31
35
34
30
33
32
30
32
26
25
24
23
22
21
23
25
25
26
29
31
27
  • Map Icons:
  • Break
  • Live Wave Height (m)
  • Live Wind Speed (km/h)
  • Surf Rating (10 Max)
  • Ocean Swells (m)
  • Wind Speed (km/h)
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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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