Hatteras Light House Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, Rusty here. Let’s break down what we’ve got on the menu for the next couple of weeks at Hatteras Light House. It’s looking like we’ll need some patience, because the start is pretty flat.

The first proper surfable window doesn’t really kick in until the morning of Monday the 31st of August. Before that, from Monday the 24th through to Sunday the 30th, it’s essentially a write-off. Tiny 1ft to 2ft leftover SE swell with mediocre winds—mostly onshore or messy cross-shore—so the water’s a mess. A few of those afternoons look clean on paper, but with that tiny swell and winds cranking up to 19 mph, it’s not worth paddling out. You’re better off waiting for the next week.

Now, Monday the 31st of August morning shows a flicker of life. We get clean 1ft SE swell, but here’s the kicker—the period jumps to 19 seconds. That’s a very long period groundswell, loading a surprising 109 units of combined energy into the lineup for such a small height. The wind is light offshore from the W, so it would be glassy clean. This is the first real standout, but temper your expectations; it’s tiny. For a beginner-friendly wave at a very consistent break, you might snag a few fun ones.

The real star doesn’t arrive until the morning of Tuesday the 1st of September. That’s our top pick. We’ll see a clean 2ft swell from the SE, with a 15-second period and offshore WNW winds at a gentle 9 mph. That’s going to be smooth as glass. The combined energy jumps to 202 (moderate), and for a break that’s exposed to the E, this SE direction lines up nicely. It’s small, sure, but clean conditions at a beginner spot that’s very consistent mean there will be long, walled-up lines rolling in. If you’re a learner or just want easy rides, this is it. That afternoon gets a bit messy with cross-shore winds, so make the morning session.

The week after that gets bigger and more energetic, but the quality drops. Wednesday the 2nd of September sees a 4ft SE groundswell (14 seconds, energy 556) in the morning, but winds are cross-onshore from the ESE—it’ll be choppy. By Thursday the 3rd, the swell is still solid at 4ft but the wind swings NW at a strong 22 mph. The energy is 523. It’s clean but it’s gusty; not ideal for a beginner spot. This is more for the experienced crew who can handle a wild session.

Things get ugly from the 4th of September onward. Wind goes onshore from the ESE for days, and by the 5th-6th, the swell jumps to 6ft–7ft from the ESE, but with a paltry 6-7 second period and heavy cross-onshore winds. That is an absolute washing machine. Combined energy is still high (411-356), but with the short, choppy period and onshore wind, the ride will be closed out and bumpy. Honestly, that setup looks more interesting for kite surfing than paddle surfing. It’s too big and blown-out for beginners (over 5ft) and too messy for experts.

There’s a brief silver-lining on the morning of Monday the 7th of September: a 4ft ESE swell (6-second period) with clean cross-off winds from the SSW. It’s very ordinary, but at least clean. Then the 16-day run fades out on Tuesday the 8th with 3ft E swell and howling 22 mph SW cross-off winds. Not worth it.

Overall, the standout is *clearly* the Tuesday the 1st of September morning session. The Monday the 31st of August morning is a close second for that weird long-period tiny glass. Don’t sleep on them. The rest of the run is mostly filler.

Stay sharp,
Rusty

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