Hatteras Light House Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, Rusty here. Let’s have a look at what’s in store for the Hatteras Lighthouse area. I gotta be straight with you: the next week and a half is a real struggle. We’ve got a long stretch of tiny, wind-affected waves that just aren’t worth paddling out for. The first real, rideable surf doesn’t show up until Monday, August 31st, and even that’s just barely surfable.

From now through the end of August, it’s grim. The swell is puny, mostly 1 ft to 2 ft, and the wind is either cross, cross-off, or just plain messy. The combined swell energy is weak, barely cracking 50 (55) at best, and the period is short. It’s just not doing anything for us. Even the days with offshore winds are wasted on that tiny, gutless swell.

Then, early next week, things start to get interesting. On the morning of Monday, August 31st, we see a pulse of long-period groundswell sneaking in. The swell is still tiny at 1 ft, but the period jumps to 18 seconds, and the energy climbs to 106 (moderate). That energy keeps building into the afternoon, hitting 123 (moderate). The wind is offshore from the WSW, which is a huge plus. The waves at Hatteras Light House (United States) will be tiny, clean lines, but with that kind of period, it’s going to be a weird, slow, straight-looking wave. It’s a tease, but at least it’s a start.

The real standout window is Tuesday, September 1st, and into Wednesday. Tuesday morning the swell picks up to 2 ft from the SE at 14 seconds, with the energy jumping to 242 (moderate). The wind is light from the NNE, just a little cross-shore ripple. Then Tuesday afternoon is the absolute best of the run. The wind goes glassy—dead calm, 5 mph from the NE. The swell holds at 2 ft, 14 seconds, with 233 (moderate) energy. That’s a clean, glassy session for the patient surfer. The tide will be a factor with that long period, but it’s a beautiful, quiet window.

Wednesday morning, September 2nd, keeps the momentum going. The swell bumps up to 3 ft from the SE, 12 seconds, and the energy is 299 (moderate). The wind is a solid offshore from the WSW at 16 mph. That’s a clean, fun-sized wave. Be aware, the afternoon gets a bit dicey with a jump to 5 ft from the ESE and a building wind, but that morning is the pick of the entire forecast.

After that, the wind turns on us again. Thursday, September 3rd, brings a fresh cross-shore that chops up the 5 ft swell, and it’s a downhill slide from there into the second week. The weekend of September 5th and 6th has some 4 ft swell, but it’s all cross-shore and cross-onshore wind, making it a choppy, lumpy mess. The energy is there (352 on Saturday morning), but the quality is shot.

So, to wrap it up: the first week is a washout. The only two real highlights are the glassy Tuesday afternoon session on September 1st, and the clean, offshore morning on Wednesday, September 2nd. Those are your best bets. The rest of the 16-day window is a waiting game.

Stay patient, and keep your eye on the horizon.

Rusty.

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