Surf Forecasts:
Hatteras Light House surf forecast from 20 Jul 2026:
- Best quality surf: Wednesday 22 Jul, 5PM (local time) - 6ft (1.9m), 7s period, S swell with offshore winds.
- Most powerful swell: Wednesday 22 Jul, 11AM (local time) - 6.5ft (2.0m), 8s period, S swell with 451 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Wednesday 22 Jul, 5PM (local time) - 6ft (1.9m), 7s period with S swell.
Best Forecast Surf Conditions for Hatteras Light House this week:
The surf forecast for Hatteras Light House over the next 16 days: The first swell (rated 1 star or higher) is forecast to arrive on Wednesday (Jul 22) at 5PM. The primary swell is predicted to be 1.9m and 7s period with a secondary swell of 0.5m and 9s. The wind is predicted to be offshore as the swell arrives.
The most powerful waves expected at Hatteras Light House in the next 16 days are 2.0m 8s and forecast to arrive on Wednesday (Jul 22) at 11AM. Winds are predicted to be cross-offshore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 1.9m 7s period and expected on Tuesday (Jul 21) at 8PM.
| Wave Type | Time (EDT) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 5PM (Wed 22nd Jul) | 6ft (1.9m) 7s |
| Best Surf | 5PM (Wed 22nd Jul) | 6ft (1.9m) 7s |
| Most Powerful | 11AM (Wed 22nd Jul) | 6.5ft (2.0m) 8s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Hatteras Light House over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
Alright folks, Rusty here. Let’s take a hard look at what’s coming for Hatteras Light House. It’s a bit of a rough stretch, honest. The water temp is sitting around 82°, which is pretty much normal for July, so no surprises there.
The whole 16-day window is a tough one. We’ve got a big gap of low-quality, small surf straight through the first week. The only real glimmer in the whole forecast is a brief window on Wednesday, July 22, late in the afternoon. That’s the standout. The swell picks up to 6 ft from the south with a short period of 7 seconds, and the wind goes offshore from the WSW at a gentle 9 mph. That’ll clean things up nicely. The combined energy is moderate at (418) so there’s some push. It’s a short window, but for a beginner-friendly spot like this, it’s the best you’ll get. The southwest wind is offshore here, so the break will be clean.
Other than that, the rest of the outlook is poor. The morning of July 22 has a bigger 7 ft south swell, but it’s hammered by a strong 31 mph wind, so it’s messy. The first week into the second week has a lot of onshore and cross-shore wind, with swell heights rarely getting over 3 ft. The energy is low, often under 100. There’s a small window on Tuesday morning, July 28, with a clean 2 ft swell from the southeast and a gentle offshore wind, but it’s barely surfable.
The second week into early August sees a bump on August 2, with a 6 ft south swell, but the wind is cross-off at 19 mph, not ideal. The swell period is short at 7 seconds, so it’ll be a bit lumpy. After that, it drops right back to almost nothing. This is a quiet stretch for Hatteras, no doubt about it.
Rusty, signing off.
Short Range ForecastHeavy rain (total 138mm), heaviest during Mon night. Warm (max 30°C on Sun afternoon, min 24°C on Mon night). Winds increasing (light winds from the W on Sun night, near gales from the SSW by Tue night). | Days 5-7 Weather SummaryHeavy rain (total 76mm), heaviest during Wed night. Warm (max 28°C on Wed afternoon, min 24°C on Fri morning). Winds decreasing (strong winds from the SW on Wed afternoon, light winds from the W by Thu morning). | |||||||||||||||||||
Sun 19 | Monday 20 | Tuesday 21 | Wednesday 22 | Thursday 23 | Friday 24 | Saturday 25 | ||||||||||||||
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 13 | SE 12 | S 7 | E 12 | E 12 | SE 8 | E 12 | S 7 | S 8 | S 7 | S 7 | S 7 | S 6 | SSE 5 | SSE 6 | SE 8 | SE 8 | SE 7 | SE 7 | SE 8 |
Wave Graph  | ||||||||||||||||||||
 kJ | 6 | 6 | 74 | 6 | 6 | 10 | 3 | 387 | 451 | 381 | 158 | 294 | 199 | 102 | 101 | 51 | 46 | 44 | 33 | 48 |
Wind (km/h) | ||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | cross | off | off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | off | cross-off | cross | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | cross | cross | cross | cross |
High Tide | 00:24AM0.92m | 1:09PM0.96m | 1:15AM0.82m | 2:06PM0.95m | 2:09AM0.73m | 3:03PM0.95m | 3:06AM0.68m | 3:59PM0.96m | 4:05AM0.65m | 4:52PM0.98m | 5:00AM0.65m | 5:41PM1.01m | ||||||||
Low Tide | 6:21PM0.08m | 6:41AM-0.00m | 7:22PM0.16m | 7:28AM0.05m | 8:27PM0.21m | 8:16AM0.09m | 9:33PM0.24m | 9:06AM0.12m | 10:36PM0.24m | 9:58AM0.13m | 11:31PM0.23m | 10:49AM0.13m | 00:19AM0.20m | |||||||
 |  | | | |  | | | | | | | | | |  |  |  | | | |
 | — | — | 6:01 | — | — | 6:01 | — | — | 6:03 | — | — | 6:03 | — | — | 6:03 | — | — | 6:05 | — | — |
 | 8:15 | — | — | 8:14 | — | — | 8:13 | — | — | 8:13 | — | — | 8:12 | — | — | 8:12 | — | — | 8:10 | — |
mm | 24 | 6 | 15 | 26 | 39 | 6 | 4 | 8 | 10 | 13 | 23 | 8 | 9 | 6 | 11 | 4 | 2 | — | — | 2 |
Temp °C | 30 | 27 | 28 | 28 | 27 | 28 | 28 | 28 | 29 | 28 | 26 | 25 | 25 | 25 | 24 | 25 | 25 | 24 | 25 | 22 |
Feels °C | 30 | 24 | 27 | 28 | 26 | 26 | 25 | 24 | 25 | 24 | 25 | 27 | 26 | 24 | 25 | 24 | 24 | 25 | 20 | 22 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SE 13 | SE 12 | S 7 | E 12 | E 12 | SE 8 | E 10 | SE 8 | SE 9 | SE 9 | SE 8 | SE 8 | SE 8 | NE 7 | NE 6 | SE 8 | SE 8 | SSW 6 | SE 7 | SE 8 |
| kJ | 6 | 6 | 74 | 3 | 3 | 10 | 2 | 23 | 28 | 37 | 38 | 32 | 31 | 2 | 1 | 51 | 46 | 34 | 33 | 48 |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | SE 12 | SE 12 | SE 12 | SE 12 | E 10 | E 12 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | NNE 6 | NE 6 | NE 5 | SE 7 | S 6 | SSW 6 |
| kJ | — | 6 | 6 | 6 | 6 | 2 | 3 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 7 | 1 | 1 | 44 | 18 | 11 |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | E 8 | — | — | — | — | E 12 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | NE 5 | NNE 6 | NNE 5 |
| kJ | 1 | — | — | — | — | 3 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 1 | 6 | 22 |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SSW 7 | SSW 7 | W 4 | SSW 6 | SSW 6 | SSW 6 | SSW 7 | S 7 | S 8 | S 7 | S 7 | S 7 | S 6 | SSE 5 | SSE 6 | S 6 | SSW 6 | — | — | NE 5 |
| kJ | 168 | 217 | 6 | 97 | 118 | 160 | 232 | 387 | 451 | 381 | 158 | 294 | 199 | 102 | 101 | 91 | 94 | — | — | 6 |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | ||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 448 | 12 | 14 | 1095 | 706 | 802 | 1040 | 370 | 177 | 0 | 236 | 115 | 115 | 115 | 393 | 295 | 115 | 12 | 176 | 12 |
Best forecast wave conditions in North Carolina | ||||||||||||||||||||
Best forecast wave conditions in United States | ||||||||||||||||||||
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Information about the Hatteras Light House Surf forecast
The above surf forecast table for Hatteras Light House provides essential information for determining whether the surfing conditions will be good over the next 16 days. A general guide to surfing at Hatteras Light House can be found by selecting the local surf guide option on the grey menu. Our Hatteras Light House 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 (Hatteras Light House) 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 Hatteras Light House 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 Hatteras Light House, camping, hotels and condos and appartments in North Carolina, consider staying in Cape Hatteras which is 14 km (9 miles) away.
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