Surf Forecasts:
Croatan surf forecast from 17 Aug 2026:
- Best quality surf: Saturday 22 Aug, 11PM (local time) - 2.5ft (0.8m), 4s period, S swell with cross-offshore winds.
- Most powerful swell: Thursday 20 Aug, 8PM (local time) - 2.5ft (0.7m), 8s period, ESE swell with 61 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Saturday 22 Aug, 11PM (local time) - 2.5ft (0.8m), 4s period with S 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 Saturday (Aug 22) at 11PM. The primary swell is predicted to be 0.8m and 4s period with a secondary swell of 0.3m and 8s. Another secondary swell of 0.1m 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 0.7m 8s and forecast to arrive on Thursday (Aug 20) at 8PM. Winds are predicted to be cross-shore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 0.4m 3s period and expected on Monday (Aug 17) at 8AM.
| Wave Type | Time (EDT) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 11PM (Sat 22nd Aug) | 2.5ft (0.8m) 4s |
| Best Surf | 11PM (Sat 22nd Aug) | 2.5ft (0.8m) 4s |
| Most Powerful | 8PM (Thu 20th Aug) | 2.5ft (0.7m) 8s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Croatan over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
Alright folks, Rusty here. Let's have a look at what's on offer over the next couple of weeks.
To be straight with you, the forecast is looking pretty grim for a solid stretch. The first wave of any real note doesn't show up until late in the period, so we’re looking at a long run of flat or near-flat, gutless conditions. From now right through to the end of August, every single session is rated as poor surf. You’ll see tiny ripples, but nothing worth paddling out for. It’s a dead zone, plain and simple.
The first glimpse of something half-decent arrives on the morning of Monday, the 31st of August at Croatan (beach/jetty). The swell is a modest 4 ft from the ENE, with a short, weak period of 7 seconds. The energy is still low at 160 (combined energy), but what makes this session stand out is the wind. It’s a dead calm, glassy morning. That’s a rare treat and will have the surface looking like a pond. The water temperature is sitting at 80°, which is a touch warmer than normal for this time of year, so you can leave the thick suit at home. The set waves will be weak and crumbly, but for a beginner-level spot, this is the only window in the whole forecast where you’ll get a clean, rideable wave. It’s not a standout for the history books, but in this barren stretch, it’s the best we’ve got.
For the rest of that week and into September, it’s back to the same story. The swell picks up a bit by the 30th of August, with heights touching 6 ft and the energy climbing to 339 (combined energy), but the wind is a mess – cross-onshore, choppy, and ugly. That’s more of a kite-surfing angle than a paddle-surfing one. The whole setup is just messy.
So, to sum it up: if you’re desperate for a paddle, mark your calendar for the morning of Monday the 31st of August at Croatan. It’s the only glassy, clean window in a sea of mediocrity. The rest of the 16 days? Save your energy.
Rusty.
Short Range ForecastMostly dry. Warm (max 33°C on Mon afternoon, min 24°C on Mon morning). Wind will be generally light. | Days 4-6 Weather SummaryHeavy rain (total 53mm), heaviest during Fri night. Warm (max 31°C on Thu afternoon, min 22°C on Sat night). Wind will be generally light. | ||||||||||||||||||||
Monday 17 | Tuesday 18 | Wednesday 19 | Thursday 20 | Friday 21 | Saturday 22 | Sunday 23 | |||||||||||||||
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 4 | SE 7 | SE 7 | SE 6 | SE 11 | ESE 10 | ESE 9 | ESE 9 | ESE 9 | ESE 8 | ESE 8 | SE 4 | S 5 | E 9 | ESE 9 | ESE 9 | ESE 9 | SSE 5 | E 8 | E 12 | E 12 |
Wave Graph  | |||||||||||||||||||||
 kJ | 6 | 9 | 31 | 21 | 59 | 40 | 34 | 31 | 15 | 13 | 13 | 18 | 13 | 14 | 16 | 15 | 15 | 21 | 5 | 11 | 11 |
Wind (km/h) | |||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | off | glassy | glassy | cross | on | cross-on | on | on | cross-off | cross-off | cross-on | off | glassy | cross-on | cross | cross-off | cross | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | off |
High Tide | 11:53AM1.16m | 11:58PM0.95m | 12:38PM1.12m | 00:42AM0.87m | 1:26PM1.07m | 1:30AM0.81m | 2:19PM1.03m | 2:26AM0.76m | 3:19PM1.01m | 3:33AM0.75m | 4:22PM1.01m | 4:43AM0.77m | 5:19PM1.04m | ||||||||
Low Tide | 6:10PM0.17m | 6:14AM0.11m | 7:04PM0.23m | 7:00AM0.18m | 8:00PM0.28m | 7:49AM0.23m | 8:57PM0.31m | 8:42AM0.27m | 9:54PM0.32m | 9:38AM0.28m | 10:51PM0.31m | 10:36AM0.27m | 11:43PM0.27m | ||||||||
 | |  |  | | | | |  | |  |  | | | |  | | | | | | |
 | 6:22 | — | — | 6:22 | — | — | 6:22 | — | — | 6:24 | — | — | 6:24 | — | — | 6:26 | — | — | 6:26 | — | — |
 | — | 7:52 | — | — | 7:51 | — | — | 7:50 | — | — | 7:49 | — | — | 7:47 | — | — | 7:45 | — | — | 7:45 | — |
mm | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 1 | 12 | — | 5 | 32 | — | — | 3 | — | 2 | 4 |
Temp °C | 28 | 33 | 29 | 28 | 30 | 28 | 28 | 29 | 27 | 29 | 31 | 26 | 26 | 28 | 24 | 23 | 28 | 28 | 26 | 30 | 28 |
Feels °C | 30 | 36 | 32 | 30 | 32 | 31 | 31 | 31 | 29 | 33 | 34 | 30 | 29 | 32 | 27 | 26 | 30 | 31 | 28 | 31 | 31 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SE 4 | SE 7 | SE 7 | SE 6 | SE 11 | ESE 10 | ESE 9 | ESE 9 | ESE 9 | SE 5 | ESE 8 | SE 4 | SE 4 | E 9 | SE 5 | ESE 9 | ESE 9 | SSE 5 | S 4 | E 12 | ESE 8 |
| kJ | 5 | 9 | 31 | 21 | 59 | 40 | 34 | 31 | 15 | 7 | 13 | 18 | 4 | 14 | 5 | 15 | 15 | 21 | 2 | 11 | 6 |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | ESE 8 | SSE 4 | E 5 | ESE 9 | SSE 6 | SSE 5 | SSE 6 | SE 5 | SE 5 | ESE 8 | SSE 5 | ESE 8 | ESE 8 | SE 5 | ESE 9 | SSE 4 | NNE 4 | ESE 8 | SSE 6 | ESE 8 | E 12 |
| kJ | 6 | 2 | 1 | 8 | 12 | 2 | 6 | 7 | 1 | 13 | 2 | 14 | 13 | 6 | 16 | 2 | 1 | 13 | 3 | 7 | 11 |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | S 4 | E 5 | E 13 | SE 12 | — | — | — | — | — | E 3 | — | E 16 | E 15 | E 15 | E 9 | NNE 4 | SSE 4 | NE 4 | E 8 | NE 5 | NE 4 |
| kJ | 1 | 2 | 4 | 6 | — | — | — | — | — | 1 | — | 5 | 4 | 4 | 6 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 5 | 1 | 1 |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | WSW 3 | — | — | — | N 3 | — | NE 2 | NE 3 | ESE 4 | — | SE 3 | — | S 5 | NE 3 | NE 3 | — | — | SW 3 | WSW 3 | SE 6 | SSE 5 |
| kJ | 4 | — | — | — | 1 | — | 1 | 1 | 7 | — | 3 | — | 11 | 2 | 3 | — | — | 1 | 2 | 9 | 5 |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 137 | 324 | 292 | 106 | 172 | 137 | 176 | 138 | 138 | 768 | 1271 | 14 | 540 | 349 | 176 | 138 | 95 | 137 | 175 | 197 | 356 |
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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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