Surf Forecasts:
Fort Fisher surf forecast from 21 Aug 2026:
- Most powerful swell: Monday 24 Aug, 8AM (local time) - 1.5ft (0.4m), 12s period, SE swell with 35 kJ wave energy.
Best Forecast Surf Conditions for Fort Fisher this week:
The most powerful waves expected at Fort Fisher in the next 16 days are 0.4m 12s and forecast to arrive on Monday (Aug 24) at 8AM. Winds are predicted to be cross-offshore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 1.1m 6s period and expected on Saturday (Aug 22) at 11PM.
| Wave Type | Time (EDT) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | - | - |
| Best Surf | - | - |
| Most Powerful | 8AM (Mon 24th Aug) | 1.5ft (0.4m) 12s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Fort Fisher over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
Alright folks, let's have a proper look at the surf, and I’m gonna tell you straight up: it’s a tough stretch. We've got a whole lot of nothing-burger on the menu for the next ten days or so. The swell is just pitiful. There are some mornings with clean, offshore breezes, which is nice, but it’s all on top of practically flat waves. You’d need a microscope to find a rideable wave. It’s a long, boring gap.
The first actual shot of something rideable shows up around the 2nd of September. The morning of the 2nd, the swell bumps up to a knee-high 0.5m (2ft) from the SE, with a period of 12 seconds. There's finally a little bit of energy, with a combined swell energy of 104 (moderate), and you've got a gentle offshore wind making it look glassy. It’s the best of a bad bunch. It’s still small and the break, Fort Fisher, is an inconsistent beach and reef setup. It’s not a classic, but for the desperate, it could be a longboard session. The swell direction is SE, not quite its NE optimum, but it's something.
Later on the 2nd, it picks up slightly to 0.7m (2ft) in the afternoon, and the energy goes up a bit to 119 (moderate). But the wind goes cross-off and it gets a little lumpy. Not great, not terrible. The morning of the 3rd has another pulse, 0.6m (2ft) from the ESE, but it’s just as inconsistent and the energy fades. Again, surfable but only just.
For everyone else, there's no point wetting a suit for anything over the next week and a half. The water temp is about average for the season, so that's not even a talking point. It’s just one of those long, drawn-out flat spells. These long-range forecasts can be wrong, so I'm holding out a little hope, but as it stands, you’d be better off finding something else to do.
The only thing that might get remotely interesting is the wind picking up to 30 km/h on the afternoon of the 1st, but with waves that small and onshore, it’s a full-on kitesurfing zone, not for us.
So, it's a waiting game. Keep the quiver dry, and hopefully, the ocean gets its act together soon. This one’s a test of patience.
Rusty
Short Range ForecastHeavy rain (total 27mm), heaviest during Fri night. Warm (max 30°C on Thu night, min 26°C on Sat night). Wind will be generally light. | Days 5-7 Weather SummaryModerate rain (total 18mm), heaviest on Tue night. Warm (max 30°C on Mon afternoon, min 23°C on Tue night). Wind will be generally light. | ||||||||||||||||||
Friday 21 | Saturday 22 | Sunday 23 | Monday 24 | Tuesday 25 | Wednesday 26 | ||||||||||||||
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 | ESE 8 | ESE 9 | ESE 9 | ESE 13 | ESE 12 | ESE 12 | ESE 12 | ESE 12 | ESE 11 | SE 9 | SE 11 | SE 10 | SE 10 | SE 9 | SE 9 | SE 9 |
Wave Graph | |||||||||||||||||||
17 | 17 | 17 | 12 | 16 | 17 | 17 | 15 | 15 | 14 | 13 | 13 | 13 | 29 | 28 | 28 | 22 | 22 | 22 | |
Wind (km/h) | |||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | cross-off | cross-off | cross | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | off | cross-off | cross-off |
High Tide | 2:38AM1.32m | 3:19PM1.52m | 3:29AM1.31m | 4:11PM1.53m | 4:21AM1.32m | 5:03PM1.54m | 5:14AM1.34m | 5:53PM1.56m | 6:04AM1.36m | 6:40PM1.57m | 6:51AM1.39m | 7:21PM1.58m | |||||||
Low Tide | 8:26PM0.34m | 8:14AM0.23m | 9:20PM0.34m | 9:08AM0.22m | 10:13PM0.32m | 10:01AM0.21m | 11:02PM0.29m | 10:53AM0.18m | 11:49PM0.25m | 11:44AM0.16m | 00:34AM0.21m | 12:33PM0.14m | 1:17AM0.16m | ||||||
— | 6:37 | — | — | 6:37 | — | — | 6:37 | — | — | 6:39 | — | — | 6:39 | — | — | 6:41 | — | — | |
7:52 | — | 7:52 | — | — | 7:50 | — | — | 7:49 | — | — | 7:47 | — | — | 7:46 | — | — | 7:45 | — | |
mm | — | 2 | — | 11 | 7 | 1 | 5 | 1 | — | 2 | — | — | 3 | — | — | 10 | 1 | 2 | 5 |
Temp °C | 30 | 30 | 30 | 29 | 28 | 29 | 29 | 29 | 30 | 29 | 29 | 30 | 29 | 29 | 30 | 28 | 26 | 28 | 28 |
Feels °C | 33 | 34 | 32 | 32 | 29 | 31 | 30 | 31 | 31 | 30 | 30 | 30 | 31 | 29 | 30 | 29 | 28 | 29 | 30 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SE 8 | SE 8 | SE 8 | ESE 8 | ESE 9 | ESE 9 | ESE 8 | ESE 12 | ESE 12 | S 6 | S 6 | S 6 | S 5 | S 5 | SE 10 | SSW 5 | SSW 5 | SE 9 | SE 9 |
17 | 17 | 17 | 12 | 16 | 15 | 14 | 15 | 15 | 21 | 17 | 16 | 13 | 7 | 28 | 20 | 14 | 22 | 22 | |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | E 6 | SSW 3 | SE 15 | SE 14 | SE 14 | ESE 13 | ESE 13 | ESE 8 | ESE 8 | ESE 12 | ESE 12 | ESE 11 | SE 9 | SE 11 | E 7 | SE 10 | SE 9 | E 16 | E 15 |
1 | 2 | 8 | 8 | 7 | 17 | 17 | 7 | 7 | 14 | 13 | 13 | 12 | 29 | 1 | 28 | 22 | 5 | 4 | |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | E 6 | E 6 | SE 10 | E 7 | ESE 13 | E 8 | E 8 | E 8 | ESE 8 | SE 8 | ESE 9 | ESE 11 | E 7 | — | E 7 | E 16 | E 7 | — |
— | 1 | 1 | 4 | 1 | 17 | 5 | 1 | 1 | 6 | 2 | 8 | 12 | 1 | — | 1 | 5 | 1 | — | |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SSW 3 | — | SSW 3 | S 4 | S 5 | S 5 | S 6 | S 6 | S 6 | — | — | — | S 5 | — | S 5 | SW 5 | — | SSW 5 | SSW 4 |
3 | — | 3 | 17 | 31 | 39 | 64 | 73 | 56 | — | — | — | 13 | — | 16 | 43 | — | 22 | 11 | |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 505 | 659 | 2329 | 130 | 70 | 13 | 35 | 13 | 505 | 70 | 124 | 659 | 16 | 341 | 551 | 73 | 559 | 292 | 73 |
Best forecast wave conditions in North Carolina | |||||||||||||||||||
Best forecast wave conditions in United States | |||||||||||||||||||
Header Global | |||||||||||||||||||
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Information about the Fort Fisher Surf forecast
The above surf forecast table for Fort Fisher provides essential information for determining whether the surfing conditions will be good over the next 16 days. A general guide to surfing at Fort Fisher can be found by selecting the local surf guide option on the grey menu. Our Fort Fisher 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 (Fort Fisher) 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 Fort Fisher 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.
Are you planning a vacation in North Carolina? If you are looking for accommodation near Fort Fisher, camping, hotels and condos and appartments in North Carolina, consider staying in Wilmington which is 41 km (25 miles) away. Alternatively, find information about places to stay and car hire in Myrtle Beach which is 90 km (56 miles) away











