Hatteras Light House Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, let’s get into it. I’m Rusty, and this is the outlook for Cape Hatteras.

Right off the bat, I gotta be straight with you—this forecast is a real slow burner. For the first week or so, there’s almost nothing worth paddling out for. It’s a pretty big gap with no real recommendations, so if you’re itching for a wave, you’ll need some patience. The main spot on the menu is Hatteras Light House, and for days it’s just small, weak leftovers.

We start off Saturday the 12th with tiny surf, only about 1ft from the southeast. The wind is a light cross-onshore, so it’s bumpy. Combined wave energy is weak (29). Not your day. Sunday and Monday are similar—small 2ft to 2ft waves, clean-ish at times thanks to a cross-off wind, but the energy is still feeble (41-61). You could probably find a ripple to ride, but it’s ordinary.

Tuesday the 15th sees a jump in size to 4ft-5ft, but it’s a messy, short-period swell from the east-northeast (7 seconds). That onshore breeze is fresh, and the water gets lumpy. The energy climbs into moderate territory (136-172), but it’s not well-shaped. This trend holds through Wednesday and Thursday, with waves around 3ft-4ft, but the conditions are poor—either onshore or just messy. Don’t get excited.

We get a little breather on Friday the 18th with a clean 2ft wave and light wind, but it’s still just surfable, not good. Then Saturday the 19th sees a tiny 1.0ft pulse from the southeast, but the period jumps to 12 seconds—the first real hint of groundswell. Still, it’s too small to do much with.

Now, here’s where it gets interesting. The standout window is the final few days, from Wednesday the 23rd through Saturday the 27th. The swell really builds. Wednesday the 23rd brings 6ft-6ft from the east-southeast, but the wind is a strong cross-off, keeping the surf clean. Combined energy is strong (344-388). This is for experienced surfers only—that size with short period (7-8 seconds) can be punchy and closing out.

Thursday the 24th and Friday the 25th are the best on offer. You’ve got a solid 7ft swell from the east-southeast, with solid energy (510-613). The wind turns clean cross-off from the northwest and north-northwest. That means smooth faces, good shape, and some power. The swell is big—over 8ft on Friday morning—so this is strictly for the experts. The period is short (8 seconds), so expect dumpy, fast waves at the beach breaks. This spot is very consistent, so you’ll get waves, but the crowd situation here is “sometimes”—you might have company, especially on a clean day.

Saturday the 26th still has 6ft from the southeast, but the wind goes cross and onshore, so it gets a bit choppier. Still surfable for the brave. Then Sunday the 27th, the swell drops to 4ft, but the wind turns cross-off from the west-southwest, and conditions clean up nicely. A good wind-down day.

The standout is clearly Thursday the 24th and Friday the 25th—bigger swell, clean offshore wind, and the break is exposed and consistent. It’s a bit of a drive, but that’s when the cape shows its teeth.

Water temp is about average for this time of year, no big anomaly to report.

So, be patient, wait for that end-of-run swell, and if you’re a solid surfer, mark your calendar for the 24th and 25th of September.

Rusty.

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