Surf Forecasts:
Hatteras Light House surf forecast from 31 Aug 2026:
- Best quality surf: Tuesday 1 Sep, 2PM (local time) - 1ft (0.3m), 13s period, SE swell with cross-offshore winds.
- Most powerful swell: Monday 7 Sep, 5AM (local time) - 4.5ft (1.4m), 8s period, ENE swell with 231 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Tuesday 1 Sep, 2PM (local time) - 1ft (0.3m), 13s period with SE 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 Tuesday (Sep 01) at 2PM. The primary swell is predicted to be 0.5m and 7s period with a secondary swell of 0.3m and 13s. The wind is predicted to be cross-offshore as the swell arrives.
The most powerful waves expected at Hatteras Light House in the next 16 days are 1.4m 8s and forecast to arrive on Monday (Sep 07) at 5AM. Winds are predicted to be cross-onshore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 1.3m 5s period and expected on Friday (Sep 04) at 8PM.
| Wave Type | Time (EDT) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 2PM (Tue 1st Sep) | 1ft (0.3m) 13s |
| Best Surf | 2PM (Tue 1st Sep) | 1ft (0.3m) 13s |
| Most Powerful | 5AM (Mon 7th Sep) | 4.5ft (1.4m) 8s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Hatteras Light House over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
Alright folks, ol' Rusty here, checkin' the charts for the Cape. Gonna give you the straight-up, no-bull outlook for the next couple of weeks around the Lighthouse. Let's get into it.
Right now, it's looking like a long, flat spell. We're staring down the barrel of a big dry patch right through the first week of September. The water's sitting at a warm 82°F, which is a touch above average for this time of year, but there's just no punch to the waves. You'll see a few tiny bumps, swells around 1ft to 3ft from the southeast, but the energy readings are just pathetic, mostly in the 30s and 40s, so honestly, don't even bother waxing up.
There's a flicker of hope on Tuesday, September 8th. The morning session is looking like the best bet for the whole run. We've got a clean 3ft swell from the east, and, here's the kicker, the wind goes totally glassy. That's rare and it's a major positive for the Lighthouse. The combined energy is moderate at 126, so it'll be weak, but you'll get some clean little 8-second rollers. The afternoon stays clean with a light cross-offshore breeze, so if you're a beginner or just want to stretch your arms, that's your window. Don't expect much, but it's the closest we get to a good paddle.
After that, things get mixed up. Wednesday the 9th morning has a fresh offshore wind from the west at 19 mph and a 3ft SE swell with a longer 11-second period, pushing the energy up to 184. It'll be clean, but that wind might be blowing a bit hard to make those small waves hold shape. The rest of that second week just fades back into small, messy, or onshore junk. We see a pulse of 5ft to 5ft NE swell roll in around September 14th and 15th, but the period is short and choppy with cross-onshore wind, so it's gonna be a lumpy, blown-out mess. Honestly, that setup looks more interesting for kite surfing than a proper paddle.
So here’s the deal: this is a quiet period for Hatteras. The best on offer is that glassy morning on September 8th. It's nothing epic, but it's clean and you'll have the place to yourself mostly. For the rest, keep the board in the car and wait for the next system.
Rusty.
Short Range ForecastLight rain (total 2mm), mostly falling on Mon morning. Warm (max 28°C on Wed afternoon, min 26°C on Mon morning). Winds increasing (light winds from the ENE on Mon afternoon, fresh winds from the SW by Wed night). | Days 4-6 Weather SummaryModerate rain (total 10mm), heaviest on Fri night. Warm (max 28°C on Fri night, min 24°C on Sat night). Winds decreasing (strong winds from the SW on Thu night, light winds from the NNW by Fri night). | ||||||||||||||||||||
Monday 31 | Tuesday 1 | Wednesday 2 | Thursday 3 | Friday 4 | Saturday 5 | Sunday 6 | |||||||||||||||
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) | SE 8 | SE 7 | SE 7 | SE 7 | SE 12 | SE 11 | SE 10 | SE 10 | SE 9 | SE 9 | SE 9 | SE 8 | SE 8 | SE 8 | SE 8 | NE 5 | NE 5 | ENE 6 | NE 4 | NE 7 | ENE 8 |
Wave Graph  | |||||||||||||||||||||
 kJ | 36 | 34 | 32 | 25 | 53 | 142 | 141 | 94 | 52 | 50 | 36 | 24 | 23 | 16 | 10 | 25 | 18 | 24 | 25 | 131 | 186 |
Wind (km/h) | |||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | cross-on | cross-on | cross | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | off | off | cross-off | off | cross-off | cross | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on |
High Tide | 10:05AM1.11m | 10:19PM0.99m | 10:50AM1.13m | 11:02PM0.93m | 11:40AM1.14m | 11:52PM0.87m | 12:38PM1.14m | 00:49AM0.81m | 1:43PM1.14m | 1:56AM0.79m | 2:53PM1.15m | 3:10AM0.80m | 4:03PM1.17m | 4:21AM0.84m | |||||||
Low Tide | 4:18PM0.07m | 4:25AM0.02m | 5:09PM0.11m | 5:07AM0.04m | 6:05PM0.16m | 5:56AM0.05m | 7:08PM0.20m | 6:53AM0.07m | 8:19PM0.23m | 7:59AM0.09m | 9:32PM0.22m | 9:12AM0.08m | 10:38PM0.18m | ||||||||
 |  |  | | | | | | | | | | | |  | | |  |  | | | |
 | 6:33 | — | — | 6:33 | — | — | 6:33 | — | — | 6:35 | — | — | 6:35 | — | — | 6:37 | — | — | 6:37 | — | — |
 | — | 7:30 | — | — | 7:29 | — | — | 7:28 | — | — | 7:25 | — | — | 7:24 | — | — | 7:23 | — | — | 7:22 | — |
mm | 2 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 10 | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Temp °C | 26 | 27 | 27 | 26 | 27 | 27 | 27 | 28 | 28 | 26 | 27 | 27 | 26 | 27 | 28 | 25 | 26 | 25 | 24 | 24 | 24 |
Feels °C | 28 | 31 | 31 | 30 | 30 | 27 | 28 | 28 | 28 | 27 | 27 | 25 | 25 | 26 | 27 | 25 | 25 | 20 | 19 | 18 | 19 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SE 8 | SE 7 | SE 7 | SE 7 | SE 7 | SE 11 | SE 10 | SE 10 | SE 9 | SE 9 | SE 9 | SE 8 | SE 8 | SE 8 | SE 8 | SSW 6 | SSW 6 | SE 8 | SE 9 | SSE 9 | SE 9 |
| kJ | 36 | 34 | 32 | 25 | 26 | 142 | 141 | 94 | 52 | 50 | 36 | 24 | 23 | 16 | 10 | 12 | 6 | 11 | 12 | 8 | 3 |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | E 9 | NE 5 | — | SE 14 | SE 12 | — | — | — | E 8 | ENE 7 | ENE 7 | ENE 6 | ENE 6 | ENE 7 | E 7 | SE 8 | SE 8 | S 5 | E 8 | SW 5 | — |
| kJ | 2 | 1 | — | 7 | 53 | — | — | — | 1 | 5 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 10 | 4 | 9 | 9 | 2 | 4 | 1 | — |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | — | E 8 | — | SE 9 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | E 8 | — | — | E 7 | SE 9 | E 9 | SW 5 | — | — |
| kJ | — | — | 1 | — | 22 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 1 | — | — | 4 | 3 | 2 | 1 | — | — |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | — | — | — | — | SW 3 | SW 3 | SSW 3 | SW 4 | SW 3 | SW 4 | SW 4 | SW 4 | SSW 5 | SW 6 | NE 5 | NE 5 | ENE 6 | NE 4 | NE 7 | ENE 8 |
| kJ | — | — | — | — | — | 5 | 3 | 8 | 13 | 4 | 16 | 34 | 10 | 46 | 86 | 25 | 18 | 24 | 25 | 131 | 186 |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 904 | 1043 | 43 | 35 | 267 | 54 | 73 | 415 | 100 | 84 | 100 | 177 | 299 | 335 | 157 | 125 | 872 | 536 | 415 | 872 | 355 |
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.
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