Hatteras Light House Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, grab a coffee and settle in, ‘cause I’m gonna walk you through what’s happening at Hatteras Light House over the next couple of weeks. I’m Rusty, and I’ve been reading these charts longer than most. Let’s be straight with it: the first week and a half is a tough slog, but there’s a little flicker of hope toward the end.

Right now, we’re looking at a long stretch of small, weak surf. Starting Saturday July 4th through most of the second week, the swell is tiny – barely 1 ft from the southeast, with period around 8-9 seconds. The combined energy is in the weak zone (29 to 45 in the brackets), so you’re basically bobbing around on ankle-biters. Winds are cross-offshore most of the time, but it’s not enough to make it worth paddling out. The water temp is about average for this time of year, so no surprises there.

Then Monday July 7th afternoon brings a small bump – 4 ft swell from the south, but the period drops to a short 5 seconds, and the energy jumps to moderate (144). Problem is, it’s still rated poor, with fresh cross-off breezes and risk of thunderstorms. Not one for the logbook.

The next few days repeat the pattern: small south swells, periods around 6-8 seconds, cross-off or cross winds, and combined energy mostly under 100 (weak). A few sessions on July 10th and 12th mornings have offshore wind but the swell’s only 4 ft and 3 ft, respectively, with energy around 153 and 72. Still, the conditions are “fresh offshore and clean” on July 10th Friday morning – that’s a glimmer. But the scores are low, so I’d call it a desperate session for the dedicated.

The first really notable window comes on Sunday July 13th. Monday July 13th morning shows 3 ft swell from the east, but with a puny 4-second period – that’s windswell junk, not groundswell. Energy is weak (84). The afternoon gets a 4 ft east swell with 5 seconds and moderate energy (134), but cross-shore winds ruin it.

Then we hit a gap: from July 14th through 16th, there’s basically nothing rideable. Swell stays 1.0 ft to 2 ft, onshore or cross-on winds, energy in the 20s and 30s. Don’t bother.

Now, here’s where it gets interesting. On Saturday July 18th morning, we get a little pulse: 2 ft from the east, 6-second period, but the wind turns offshore from the WSW at 9 mph – gentle offshore and clean. The energy is weak (48), but it’s the first real surfable wave in over a week. It’s small, but for the patient surfer, you might find a waist-high peel out at Hatteras Light House. Consistency is very consistent here, so even small swells can produce. Crowds are sometimes present, but on a small day like this, you might have it mostly to yourself. The break is exposed to east swell, and the optimum direction is east – so that matches nicely.

That Saturday morning is the standout of the entire outlook. It’s not huge, but after all that flatness, clean offshore wind and a little east swell is a gift. Beginners will be fine with 2 ft, but it’s still small. The long 16-day window shows more of the same after that: Sunday July 19th drops back to 1.0 ft. So if you can get out Saturday morning July 18th, that’s it.

Overall, most of this forecast is a bust. The only real highlight is the morning of Saturday, July 18 – a clean, small east swell with gentle offshore wind. Don’t expect much else.

Stay patient. The ocean always comes back around.

- Rusty

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