Hatteras Light House Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, folks, Rusty here. Let me break down what the next couple of weeks are looking like for this stretch of coast.

Right off the bat, I gotta be straight with you: the next two weeks are a real tough pill to swallow. We’re looking at a long, drawn-out period of flat to tiny, messy conditions. The first solid week, from the 17th through the 24th, is a total write-off. We’re talking ankle-biters and knee-high slop, mostly 1 ft to 2 ft, with a couple of days popping up to 4 ft but with a terrible wind. The combined swell energy is weak, usually under 100, and it’s just a frustrating mix of short-period windswell and cross-offshore breezes that never quite clean it up. There’s a few mornings with a tiny pulse of 2 ft and a 12-second period on the 18th, but that's just a tease. The water is warm, sitting at 83°, which is about 2° warmer than average for this time of year, so at least you won't be cold while you're staring at the flat ocean.

The one faint glimmer—and I mean *faint*—comes late in the window. Around the 25th of August, we start to see some more significant energy pulse in. The morning of the 25th shows a 2 ft SE swell with an 11-second period, and the combined energy hits 114 (moderate). But the wind is a cross-offshore from the SSW at 9 mph, and the report calls it "surfable waves but very ordinary conditions." It’s not bad, but it’s not good.

The real standout, if you can call it that, is looking like the 26th of August. The morning sees a 2 ft SE swell, but the period jumps to a very long 16 seconds. That’s proper groundswell energy. The combined energy is 166 (moderate), but the wind is a strong cross-offshore from the SSW at 12 mph. By the afternoon, the swell drops slightly to 2 ft but the period is still a solid 14 seconds, and the energy is up to 216 (moderate). The water temp is still warm. The problem? The wind is howling at 16 mph from the SSW, creating a cross-offshore mess. The wave comment says "poor surf conditions." This is a case of a long-period swell that will be breaking straight and fast, and with that wind, it’s going to be a choppy, bumpy, and likely frustrating session. It’s really only for the experts who are willing to battle the elements for a rare, shifty peak.

Then the 27th of August rolls in with a 4 ft SE swell, 11-second period, and a combined energy of 288 (moderate). That’s the biggest push of the whole forecast. But again, the wind is a fresh 19 mph cross-offshore from the SSW. At 4 ft, it’s small enough for a beginner, but with that wind and the short period, it’s going to be a messy, blown-out day. The setup is a beach, so with that much wind and that kind of swell, it’s honestly looking more interesting for a kite surfer than a paddle surfer.

For the rest of the window, from the 28th of August into early September, it’s back to the same story: tiny, weak swell (1 ft to 2 ft) with strong, cross-shore winds that just ruin any chance of a clean wave. The 1st of September shows a 4 ft, 5-second E swell, but that’s just windswell junk.

So, to sum it up: the best of a very bad bunch is the 26th and 27th of August. The 26th has the best quality potential with that 16-second period, but the wind is a killer. The 27th has the biggest size, but it’s also messy. If you’re an expert and you’re desperate, you might get a few grinders on the 26th morning if you can find a spot that’s a little more sheltered. For everyone else, save your energy. This is a blank run, and it's pretty normal for this area to have these long, flat spells in the summer.

Rusty, signing off.

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