Surf Forecasts:
Croatan surf forecast from 31 Jul 2026:
- Best quality surf: Monday 3 Aug, 11PM (local time) - 2ft (0.6m), 7s period, SE swell with cross-offshore winds.
- Most powerful swell: Wednesday 5 Aug, 5PM (local time) - 4ft (1.2m), 5s period, E swell with 71 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Monday 3 Aug, 11PM (local time) - 2ft (0.6m), 7s period with SE 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 Monday (Aug 03) at 11PM. The primary swell is predicted to be 0.6m and 7s period. 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 1.2m 5s and forecast to arrive on Wednesday (Aug 05) at 5PM. Winds are predicted to be cross-shore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 0.3m 3s period and expected on Saturday (Aug 01) at 8AM.
| Wave Type | Time (EDT) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 11PM (Mon 3rd Aug) | 2ft (0.6m) 7s |
| Best Surf | 11PM (Mon 3rd Aug) | 2ft (0.6m) 7s |
| Most Powerful | 5PM (Wed 5th Aug) | 4ft (1.2m) 5s |
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 coming up for Croatan.
Well, I gotta be straight with you – this is a tough one to call. The whole 16-day window is looking pretty bleak, with every single day flagged as poor surf conditions. Right from the start, we’re looking at a long stretch of nothing much. The first record is for Thursday, July 30th, and honestly, the outlook doesn't get any better right through until Friday, August 14th. That’s over two weeks of flat to tiny waves.
The only break on the radar is Croatan, a beach and jetty setup that’s exposed to the swell. The water temperature is sitting at 77°F, which is a bit colder than normal for this time of year.
The combined swell energy is just a whisper, with values like 21, 25, and 19, all well under 100 – that’s weak energy, no way around it. Swell heights are tiny, bouncing between 0.7 ft and 4 ft, but the periods are short and messy, mostly under 8 seconds, which means these are weak, local wind swells, not the kind of groundswell that gets you excited. The wind is a problem too; it’s constantly cross-shore or cross-onshore, swinging from North to South, with speeds picking up to 19 mph. There’s a bit of glassy wind on the morning of Friday, July 31st, and again on the morning of Friday, August 14th, but the swell is so small (1 ft and 0.7 ft respectively) that it doesn’t matter.
There is a tiny bump in the wave height on Wednesday, August 5th, with 4 ft to 4 ft from the East, but the period is only 5 seconds and the wind is messy. The combined energy hits 77, which is still weak. For a beginner spot, anything over 5 ft can be too much, but we’re not even getting close to that. The whole setup looks more interesting for a kite surfer than a paddle surfer, given the poor shape and consistent wind.
So plain and simple: there are no good surf options in this 16-day window. This is one of those blank runs that happens sometimes. The forecasts can change, but for now, I’d leave the board in the car and go do something else.
Rusty.
Short Range ForecastMostly dry. Warm (max 29°C on Thu afternoon, min 23°C on Sat morning). Wind will be generally light. | Days 5-7 Weather SummaryHeavy rain (total 85mm), heaviest during Wed morning. Warm (max 30°C on Sun afternoon, min 22°C on Tue morning). Winds decreasing (fresh winds from the S on Mon morning, light winds from the S by Tue afternoon). | |||||||||||||||||||
Thu 30 | Friday 31 | Saturday 1 | Sunday 2 | Monday 3 | Tuesday 4 | Wednesday 5 | ||||||||||||||
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 8 | SE 8 | SE 8 | SE 9 | SE 8 | SE 6 | SSE 4 | SE 8 | SE 7 | SE 4 | SE 7 | SE 7 | SE 7 | SE 7 | SE 7 | SE 7 | E 5 | E 5 | E 5 | ENE 5 |
Wave Graph  | ||||||||||||||||||||
 kJ | 20 | 20 | 15 | 19 | 23 | 7 | 18 | 15 | 34 | 16 | 25 | 51 | 52 | 39 | 16 | 16 | 40 | 57 | 71 | 21 |
Wind (km/h) | ||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | cross | cross-off | glassy | cross-on | cross-off | cross | cross-on | cross | cross-on | cross | cross | cross | cross | cross | cross | cross-off | cross | cross | cross | cross-off |
High Tide | 9:17PM1.12m | 9:42AM0.99m | 9:55PM1.11m | 10:21AM1.02m | 10:33PM1.08m | 11:02AM1.06m | 11:13PM1.04m | 11:44AM1.09m | 11:56PM0.99m | 12:29PM1.12m | 00:42AM0.94m | 1:20PM1.14m | 1:35AM0.90m | |||||||
Low Tide | 2:58PM0.10m | 3:32AM0.03m | 3:40PM0.11m | 4:08AM0.02m | 4:22PM0.12m | 4:45AM0.02m | 5:09PM0.14m | 5:25AM0.02m | 5:59PM0.15m | 6:09AM0.03m | 6:54PM0.16m | 6:58AM0.04m | 7:53PM0.17m | |||||||
 |  | | | | | |  | |  |  |  |  | |  |  |  | | | | |
 | — | — | 6:07 | — | — | 6:09 | — | — | 6:09 | — | — | 6:09 | — | — | 6:11 | — | — | 6:11 | — | — |
 | 8:12 | — | — | 8:10 | — | — | 8:09 | — | — | 8:08 | — | — | 8:07 | — | — | 8:07 | — | — | 8:06 | — |
mm | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 1 | 1 | 3 | 3 | 5 | 21 | 10 | 41 | 40 | 4 |
Temp °C | 29 | 26 | 27 | 28 | 25 | 27 | 29 | 26 | 27 | 30 | 27 | 29 | 29 | 26 | 23 | 24 | 24 | 23 | 23 | 25 |
Feels °C | 28 | 26 | 28 | 28 | 25 | 27 | 27 | 25 | 28 | 30 | 28 | 28 | 27 | 27 | 25 | 27 | 25 | 22 | 23 | 27 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SE 8 | SE 8 | SE 8 | SE 9 | SE 8 | SE 6 | ENE 6 | SE 8 | SE 7 | NE 6 | SE 7 | SE 7 | SE 7 | SE 7 | SE 7 | SE 7 | ESE 8 | — | E 12 | ENE 5 |
| kJ | 20 | 20 | 15 | 19 | 23 | 6 | 4 | 15 | 34 | 1 | 25 | 51 | 52 | 39 | 16 | 16 | 6 | — | 3 | 21 |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | N 4 | NE 8 | NE 7 | NE 6 | NE 5 | NE 6 | ESE 8 | NE 6 | NE 6 | — | SE 4 | E 5 | — | E 13 | ESE 8 | ESE 8 | E 12 | — | E 12 | SE 6 |
| kJ | 1 | 2 | 2 | 6 | 1 | 6 | 7 | 1 | 1 | — | 3 | 1 | — | 4 | 7 | 7 | 3 | — | 3 | 17 |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | NE 6 | — | ESE 9 | — | NE 6 | ESE 8 | — | S 8 | — | — | E 6 | — | — | — | — | ESE 8 | — | — | — | E 8 |
| kJ | 1 | — | 8 | — | 2 | 7 | — | 1 | — | — | 1 | — | — | — | — | 7 | — | — | — | 1 |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | — | — | — | SSE 3 | — | SSE 4 | SSE 4 | SE 5 | SE 4 | — | — | — | — | ENE 2 | ENE 3 | E 5 | E 5 | E 5 | — |
| kJ | — | — | — | — | 1 | — | 18 | 13 | 8 | 16 | — | — | — | — | 1 | 4 | 40 | 57 | 71 | — |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | ||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 462 | 138 | 138 | 622 | 175 | 593 | 1129 | 808 | 1132 | 927 | 808 | 918 | 878 | 210 | 593 | 878 | 897 | 878 | 2837 | 882 |
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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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