Hatteras Light House Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, Rusty here. Let's be straight with you: the next couple of weeks are looking pretty grim for a proper surf. If you're hanging for a wave, you're going to be waiting a while, and even then, it's a slim chance. But that's the nature of this stretch of coast sometimes; it can fire up again as quick as it goes quiet.

Looking at the bigger picture, we've got a long run of small, weak surf and mostly messy winds. The first real pulse of energy doesn't even show up until the morning of Monday the 7th, and even that's a bit of a tease. The swell pushes up to about 3ft but it's from the east with a short, weak 8-second period, and it's accompanied by onshore winds. That's not a surf day; that's a day to look at the ocean from the beach. The wave energy does tick up, hitting a moderate reading of 154 on Monday morning, but the quality just isn't there. That little bump is gone by the next day, fading back to dribble.

So, what's the best of a bad bunch? Honestly, if you're desperate and the stars align, you might get a couple of hours on the morning of Tuesday the 8th. The swell drops back to about 2ft with a slightly better 10-second period, and the wind goes more cross-shore. It’s not going to be inspiring, but it's the most surfable it's going to get. Don't expect any power. The rest of the run into the second week is dominated by tiny, short-period leftovers that won't be worth the paddle. There's a glassy morning on Monday the 14th, but with only about 1ft on offer, it's more of a swim than a surf. The long-period energy arriving on the 17th is too far out to call, and with strong cross-onshore winds, it'll be a mess anyway.

For the one day that has a pulse, Hatteras Light House is your only option. It's a very consistent break, but that doesn't help when the swell is this small and the wind is all over the shop. It's a beach break, so those short-period swells will just close out and won't offer any kind of wall. The water is sitting at a warm 82°, which is a touch warmer than normal for this time of year, a small comfort I guess.

The bottom line is there are no good surf options in this 16-day window. It's a proper flat spell. But with a break this consistent, it usually doesn't stay poor for long. Forecasts can and do change, so keep an eye out. Look, on a positive note, the morning of Monday the 14th will be absolutely glassy. If there was any swell at all, it would be perfect. But there isn't. If the wind stays strong and the swell builds from the east like the models hint, this setup could get interesting for the kiteboarders, but for us paddle surfers, it's a definite dry spell.

Rusty out.

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