Surf Forecasts:
Hatteras Light House surf forecast from 28 Jul 2026:
- Best quality surf: Wednesday 29 Jul, 2PM (local time) - 3ft (0.9m), 7s period, S swell with offshore winds.
- Most powerful swell: Monday 3 Aug, 2AM (local time) - 5ft (1.5m), 7s period, S swell with 246 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Wednesday 29 Jul, 2PM (local time) - 3ft (0.9m), 7s period with S swell.
Best Forecast Surf Conditions for Hatteras Light House this week:
The surf forecast for Hatteras Light House over the next 16 days: The first swell (rated 1 star or higher) is forecast to arrive on Wednesday (Jul 29) at 2PM. The primary swell is predicted to be 0.9m and 7s period with a secondary swell of 0.1m and 9s. The wind is predicted to be offshore as the swell arrives.
The most powerful waves expected at Hatteras Light House in the next 16 days are 1.5m 7s and forecast to arrive on Monday (Aug 03) at 2AM. Winds are predicted to be cross-offshore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 1.6m 6s period and expected on Wednesday (Jul 29) at 2AM.
| Wave Type | Time (EDT) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 2PM (Wed 29th Jul) | 3ft (0.9m) 7s |
| Best Surf | 2PM (Wed 29th Jul) | 3ft (0.9m) 7s |
| Most Powerful | 2AM (Mon 3rd Aug) | 5ft (1.5m) 7s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Hatteras Light House over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
Alright, folks, Rusty here again. Let’s talk about the Hatteras Light House area in feet and miles per hour, because that’s how we feel it. It’s a tough go, I won’t lie. The whole 16-day stretch is a struggle, with every single day tagged as "poor surf conditions." We’re looking at a long stretch of nothing.
The first few days, from Tuesday, July 28th, through the end of the month, the swell is tiny and weak. The combined energy is weak, with numbers like 35 and 90. The swell is from the SE or S, but it’s short-period, only 7 to 8 seconds—no energy. The wind is a mix of cross-off and cross-on, which is no good for clean waves. Water temp is 79°, which is a bit colder than usual for this time of year, about 2° cooler.
Into the first week of August, it’s more of the same. Saturday the 1st, Sunday the 2nd, Monday the 3rd—all bad. On Monday the 3rd morning, there’s a bump to 5 ft from the S, and the combined energy hits 220 (moderate energy). But the wind is a strong cross-off at 19 mph, and with that short period of 7 seconds, it’s just a messy, blown-out 5 ft. Too big for beginners, not good enough for anyone else. Looks like a kite-surfing day, not a paddle one.
Then from Tuesday, August 4th, all the way to Sunday, August 11th, the swell completely dies. We’re talking 0.6 ft to 2 ft of weak, short-period slop. The combined energy drops to single and double digits—14, 13, 10, 11. The wind does go glassy on Tuesday the 4th afternoon, with a 3 mph WNW breeze, and the water is clean, but there’s no wave to ride. It’s flat.
The only real standout in this whole 16-day window is a tiny, specific moment. On Wednesday, August 12th, the swell is still tiny at 1.0 ft from the SE, but the period stretches to 8 seconds, and the combined energy is a weak 14. The wind is a solid cross-off from the WSW at 16 mph, so it’s clean. But 1.0 ft is not surfable. It’s a promise of clean conditions with no swell.
So, to put it plain: there are no good surf options in this 16-day window. The whole forecast is a gap of poor conditions. For a spot like Hatteras Light House, which is very consistent, this is a real kick in the pants, but it happens. Don’t give up—forecasts can change. For now, the board’s staying in the truck.
Rusty.
Short Range ForecastHeavy rain (total 33mm), heaviest during Tue night. Warm (max 28°C on Wed afternoon, min 24°C on Tue night). Winds increasing (light winds from the SSW on Tue morning, strong winds from the W by Tue night). | Days 4-6 Weather SummaryModerate rain (total 13mm), heaviest on Sun night. Warm (max 27°C on Sat afternoon, min 25°C on Fri morning). Winds increasing (calm on Sat morning, strong winds from the SSW by Sun night). | ||||||||||||||||||||
Tuesday 28 | Wednesday 29 | Thursday 30 | Friday 31 | Saturday 1 | Sunday 2 | Monday 3 | |||||||||||||||
AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | |
Swell Height Map |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | ||||||||||||||
Wave Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SE 8 | SE 8 | E 10 | S 7 | S 7 | SSE 7 | SSE 7 | SSE 7 | SSE 7 | SSE 7 | SSE 8 | S 7 | S 6 | SSE 8 | SSE 7 | SSE 7 | SSE 7 | S 7 | S 7 | S 7 | S 6 |
Wave Graph  | |||||||||||||||||||||
 kJ | 32 | 23 | 7 | 86 | 59 | 67 | 69 | 54 | 54 | 49 | 63 | 36 | 20 | 27 | 64 | 57 | 68 | 246 | 216 | 159 | 95 |
Wind (km/h) | |||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | on | cross | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off |
High Tide | 7:46PM1.09m | 7:57AM0.77m | 8:22PM1.09m | 8:36AM0.80m | 8:57PM1.09m | 9:14AM0.84m | 9:32PM1.07m | 9:53AM0.88m | 10:07PM1.03m | 10:33AM0.92m | 10:45PM0.98m | 11:16AM0.96m | 11:26PM0.93m | ||||||||
Low Tide | 1:07PM0.06m | 2:16AM0.10m | 1:48PM0.04m | 2:50AM0.08m | 2:28PM0.04m | 3:23AM0.05m | 3:08PM0.04m | 3:54AM0.04m | 3:49PM0.06m | 4:27AM0.03m | 4:34PM0.08m | 5:01AM0.02m | 5:23PM0.11m | ||||||||
 |  |  | |  | |  | |  | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
 | 6:07 | — | — | 6:07 | — | — | 6:09 | — | — | 6:09 | — | — | 6:09 | — | — | 6:11 | — | — | 6:11 | — | — |
 | — | 8:08 | — | — | 8:07 | — | — | 8:07 | — | — | 8:06 | — | — | 8:05 | — | — | 8:04 | — | — | 8:02 | — |
mm | — | — | 31 | — | — | 1 | 1 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 1 | 4 | 8 | 7 | 3 | 13 |
Temp °C | 26 | 27 | 27 | 26 | 28 | 28 | 27 | 25 | 25 | 25 | 26 | 26 | 26 | 27 | 26 | 27 | 27 | 27 | 27 | 27 | 28 |
Feels °C | 29 | 28 | 26 | 26 | 28 | 30 | 29 | 25 | 24 | 26 | 27 | 27 | 28 | 27 | 25 | 28 | 30 | 25 | 26 | 26 | 28 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SE 8 | SE 8 | NE 6 | S 7 | S 7 | SSE 7 | SSE 7 | SSE 7 | SSE 7 | SSE 7 | SSE 8 | S 7 | S 6 | SSE 6 | NE 6 | SSE 9 | SSE 7 | E 6 | — | — | — |
| kJ | 32 | 23 | 1 | 86 | 59 | 67 | 69 | 54 | 54 | 49 | 63 | 36 | 20 | 21 | 2 | 8 | 68 | 1 | — | — | — |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | ENE 6 | ENE 6 | E 10 | E 9 | E 9 | E 6 | E 6 | E 8 | — | NE 7 | ENE 7 | ENE 7 | SE 9 | SSE 8 | NE 6 | NE 6 | NE 6 | — | E 13 | NE 5 | E 13 |
| kJ | 3 | 3 | 7 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 1 | — | 2 | 4 | 4 | 12 | 27 | 6 | 2 | 1 | — | 4 | 1 | 4 |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SW 6 | E 10 | — | NE 6 | E 6 | — | SE 9 | NE 6 | E 6 | ENE 7 | — | SE 9 | ENE 7 | ENE 7 | NE 6 | — | NE 6 | — | — | E 13 | E 9 |
| kJ | 1 | 2 | — | 2 | 1 | — | 19 | 1 | 1 | 5 | — | 3 | 4 | 4 | 6 | — | 1 | — | — | 4 | 2 |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SSW 5 | SSW 3 | SSW 6 | WNW 3 | — | SSW 6 | NNE 3 | NE 3 | — | — | — | — | — | — | SSE 7 | SSE 7 | SSW 7 | S 7 | S 7 | S 7 | S 6 |
| kJ | 3 | 6 | 154 | 2 | — | 26 | 1 | 2 | — | — | — | — | — | — | 64 | 57 | 35 | 246 | 216 | 159 | 95 |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 1331 | 935 | 176 | 12 | 122 | 0 | 115 | 205 | 115 | 12 | 677 | 100 | 630 | 1090 | 724 | 724 | 802 | 768 | 73 | 415 | 157 |
Best forecast wave conditions in North Carolina | |||||||||||||||||||||
Best forecast wave conditions in United States | |||||||||||||||||||||
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Information about the Hatteras Light House Surf forecast
The above surf forecast table for Hatteras Light House provides essential information for determining whether the surfing conditions will be good over the next 16 days. A general guide to surfing at Hatteras Light House can be found by selecting the local surf guide option on the grey menu. Our Hatteras Light House surf forecast is unique since it includes wave energy (power) that defines the real feel of the surf rather than just the height or the period. If you surf the same spot (Hatteras Light House) regularly then make a mental note of the wave energy from the surf forecast table each time you go. Very soon you may start to choose your surf days based on the wave energy alone combined with our forecast of favourable offshore wind conditions. Our star ratings will help here and of course you will also find the usual wave height and period predictions on our surf forecasts as well as a full break down of the swell components under our advanced users option (to reveal that, click the little Einstein character under the tide times).
Further information to help with frequently asked questions about our surf forecast for Hatteras Light House may be found under the help tab on the top menu and also by moving your mouse over the question marks on the surf forecast table itself. Please always bear in mind that the forecast is for near-shore open water and local factors at each surf break influence the actual breaking wave height, such as the beach / reef profile, water depths offshore and shelter.
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