Surf Forecasts:
Fort Fisher surf forecast from 22 Aug 2026:
- Most powerful swell: Thursday 27 Aug, 5PM (local time) - 1.5ft (0.4m), 10s period, ESE swell with 36 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 10s and forecast to arrive on Thursday (Aug 27) at 5PM. Winds are predicted to be cross-offshore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 1.2m 5s period and expected on Tuesday (Aug 25) at 2AM.
| Wave Type | Time (EDT) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | - | - |
| Best Surf | - | - |
| Most Powerful | 5PM (Thu 27th Aug) | 1.5ft (0.4m) 10s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Fort Fisher over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
Alright folks, Rusty here with a look at what’s on the cards for the next couple of weeks. Straight up, I gotta be honest with you – it’s looking pretty grim for a paddle. The surf forecast for this area is a real drought, and we’re looking at a long stretch of tiny, weak waves and generally poor conditions. Don’t expect much at all for the first week and a half. There’s a big gap of nothingness before we finally see a tiny flicker of life.
We start off on Saturday the 22nd of August with waves barely reaching 1 ft out of the ESE. That’s a weak 23 combined energy. It’s glassy in the morning with no wind, but the swell is just too small and weak to do anything. That poor run continues day after day. We’ve got a mix of cross-offshore and cross-shore winds through the end of August, but the swell is stuck around 0.7 ft to 1 ft with periods between 8 and 13 seconds. The wave energy is always below 60 – that’s weak, weak stuff. Honestly, if you’re desperate for a float, maybe, but for a proper surf? Forget it.
That dead spell stretches all the way through to the beginning of September. The water temperature is sitting at a warm 85°F, which is a touch warmer than normal for this time of year, so at least you won't freeze while you're sitting there waiting for a set that never comes.
Now, here’s the only glimmer of hope in the whole outlook. We finally see a bump on Tuesday the 1st of September. The swell picks up to 2 ft to 2 ft from the SE, with periods stretching out to 13-15 seconds. The combined energy jumps to 143 in the morning and 208 in the afternoon – that’s moderate energy, a real step up. Wednesday the 2nd of September keeps that going with 3 ft swell from the SE and an 11-second period, energy hitting 221. That’s the best we’re going to see.
But here’s the catch: Fort Fisher is an inconsistent beach and reef break, and even with this pulse, the conditions are still being called “poor.” The winds are cross-offshore, which helps keep things clean, but the waves are still tiny and the quality is not there. It's not a standout by any stretch. This is the only window where you might get a couple of rideable ones, but don’t get your hopes up for anything epic. After Thursday the 3rd of September, it drops right back down to nothing again. The forecast confidence on that little bump is reasonable since it’s in the first week, but the quality just isn’t there to make it a true standout.
So, bottom line: for the next 16 days, there are no good surf options. The setup is too small and weak for paddle surfing. If the wind holds, this whole stretch looks more interesting for kite surfing than for a surfboard. It’s a tough run, but that’s how it goes sometimes. Forecasts can always change, so keep an eye out, but for now, I’d say save your energy.
Rusty.
Short Range ForecastHeavy rain (total 27mm), heaviest during Sat morning. Warm (max 31°C on Mon afternoon, min 26°C on Sat morning). Wind will be generally light. | Days 4-6 Weather SummaryHeavy rain (total 30mm), heaviest during Thu night. Warm (max 29°C on Tue afternoon, min 25°C on Tue night). Winds increasing (calm on Tue night, fresh winds from the SSW by Thu afternoon). | ||||||||||||||||||||
Saturday 22 | Sunday 23 | Monday 24 | Tuesday 25 | Wednesday 26 | Thursday 27 | Friday 28 | |||||||||||||||
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) | ESE 9 | ESE 9 | ESE 13 | ESE 12 | ESE 12 | ESE 12 | SE 12 | ESE 11 | SE 11 | SE 11 | SE 10 | SE 10 | SE 9 | SE 9 | SE 9 | SE 9 | ESE 10 | ESE 9 | ESE 9 | ESE 8 | ESE 8 |
Wave Graph | |||||||||||||||||||||
16 | 17 | 17 | 15 | 15 | 14 | 35 | 13 | 30 | 29 | 28 | 28 | 22 | 22 | 19 | 21 | 36 | 33 | 30 | 28 | 27 | |
Wind (km/h) | |||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | glassy | cross-off | off | off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off |
High Tide | 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 | 7:33AM1.42m | 7:58PM1.58m | 8:11AM1.45m | 8:29PM1.57m | ||||||||
Low Tide | 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 | 1:20PM0.12m | 1:58AM0.12m | 2:06PM0.11m | 2:36AM0.08m | |||||||
6:37 | — | — | 6:37 | — | — | 6:39 | — | — | 6:39 | — | — | 6:41 | — | — | 6:41 | — | — | 6:41 | — | — | |
— | 7:50 | — | — | 7:49 | — | — | 7:47 | — | — | 7:46 | — | — | 7:45 | — | — | 7:44 | — | — | 7:43 | — | |
mm | 15 | 1 | 6 | — | — | 3 | 1 | — | 1 | — | — | 12 | — | — | 1 | 2 | — | 15 | 3 | 1 | 6 |
Temp °C | 26 | 29 | 28 | 28 | 30 | 29 | 30 | 31 | 30 | 28 | 29 | 28 | 27 | 29 | 28 | 29 | 29 | 28 | 29 | 29 | 28 |
Feels °C | 29 | 32 | 30 | 30 | 30 | 30 | 30 | 31 | 31 | 29 | 30 | 31 | 27 | 30 | 30 | 30 | 29 | 29 | 28 | 29 | 31 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | ESE 9 | ESE 9 | ESE 8 | S 5 | ESE 12 | ESE 12 | SE 12 | ESE 11 | SE 11 | SE 11 | SE 10 | SE 10 | S 5 | SE 9 | SE 9 | SE 9 | ESE 10 | ESE 9 | ESE 9 | ESE 8 | ESE 8 |
16 | 15 | 14 | 19 | 15 | 14 | 35 | 13 | 30 | 29 | 28 | 28 | 12 | 22 | 19 | 21 | 36 | 33 | 30 | 28 | 27 | |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | S 4 | SSW 4 | ESE 13 | ESE 8 | ESE 8 | ESE 8 | E 7 | ESE 9 | E 8 | E 7 | E 7 | E 7 | SE 9 | E 16 | E 15 | E 14 | E 13 | E 12 | E 12 | E 11 | E 11 |
3 | 3 | 17 | 7 | 7 | 6 | 1 | 8 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 22 | 5 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 2 | |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SE 14 | ESE 13 | E 8 | ESE 12 | E 8 | E 8 | — | E 8 | — | — | — | — | E 6 | — | — | — | S 6 | — | — | — | — |
7 | 17 | 5 | 15 | 1 | 1 | — | 1 | — | — | — | — | 1 | — | — | — | 1 | — | — | — | — | |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | SE 4 | SSW 5 | SW 5 | S 5 | SSW 5 | SSW 5 | SSW 5 | SSW 5 | S 5 | SSW 5 | SSW 4 | SSW 5 | SSW 5 | SSW 5 | S 5 | S 5 | S 5 | S 6 | S 6 | S 5 |
— | 3 | 17 | 43 | 25 | 34 | 51 | 49 | 78 | 29 | 39 | 29 | 25 | 44 | 32 | 23 | 24 | 75 | 88 | 88 | 71 | |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 292 | 368 | 70 | 38 | 564 | 114 | 73 | 70 | 13 | 114 | 257 | 73 | 73 | 1114 | 368 | 292 | 1235 | 13 | 320 | 367 | 35 |
Best forecast wave conditions in North Carolina | |||||||||||||||||||||
Best forecast wave conditions in United States | |||||||||||||||||||||
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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











