Surf Forecasts:
Holden Beach surf forecast from 12 Jul 2026:
- Best quality surf: Tuesday 14 Jul, 5PM (local time) - 2ft (0.6m), 7s period, E swell with cross-offshore winds.
- Most powerful swell: Saturday 18 Jul, 2PM (local time) - 4.5ft (1.3m), 6s period, ESE swell with 130 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Tuesday 14 Jul, 5PM (local time) - 2ft (0.6m), 7s period with E swell.
Best Forecast Surf Conditions for Holden Beach this week:
The surf forecast for Holden Beach over the next 16 days: The first swell (rated 1 star or higher) is forecast to arrive on Tuesday (Jul 14) at 5PM. The primary swell is predicted to be 0.6m and 7s period with a secondary swell of 0.5m and 7s. Another secondary swell of 0.4m and 9s is also forecast. The wind is predicted to be cross-offshore as the swell arrives.
The most powerful waves expected at Holden Beach in the next 16 days are 1.3m 6s and forecast to arrive on Saturday (Jul 18) at 2PM. Winds are predicted to be cross-shore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 1.5m 5s period and expected on Saturday (Jul 18) at 11AM.
| Wave Type | Time (EDT) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 5PM (Tue 14th Jul) | 2ft (0.6m) 7s |
| Best Surf | 5PM (Tue 14th Jul) | 2ft (0.6m) 7s |
| Most Powerful | 2PM (Sat 18th Jul) | 4.5ft (1.3m) 6s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Holden Beach over the next 16 days.
Alright folks, Rusty here. Let’s have a look at what’s shaking on the water for Holden Beach over the next couple of weeks.
To be straight up with you, this is a pretty flat and quiet outlook. The wave energy is weak for the entire 16-day window, with the combined swell energy at Holden Beach rarely getting out of the double digits. We’re looking at a long stretch of small, mostly messy surf. The water’s sitting at 85°F, which is a touch warmer than normal for this time of year, but that’s about the only thing that’s firing.
The first real chance to get wet comes up on Tuesday, July 14th in the afternoon. Even then, it’s only 2 ft of swell from the east with a short 7-second period, so it’s gonna be weak and peaky. The wind is cross-offshore from the ENE at 9 mph, which keeps it clean, but the energy is low (79). The forecaster calls it “surfable waves but very ordinary conditions” – that’s about right. It’s just a little knee-high something to mess around on.
Things stay pretty dead through the rest of that week and into the next. By Saturday, July 18th, the afternoon shows a bump in height to 4 ft from the ESE, and the combined energy finally climbs to 136 (moderate). But the wind is a cross-shore 16 mph from the ESE, which will chop it up. It’s not clean, but if you’re desperate, there might be a few bigger, crumbly ones.
The closest thing to a standout – and I’m using that word loosely – is Sunday, July 19th in the morning. Swell is 3 ft from the ESE, energy is still low at 62, but the wind goes light and cross-offshore from the NE at 3 mph. It’ll be clean, but the swell is weak and inconsistent. For a long period of nothing, this is about as good as it gets.
After that, we’re into a dead zone. From Monday, July 20th all the way through to Monday, July 27th, every single session is marked “poor surf conditions.” Swell barely moves, winds are mostly onshore or choppy cross-onshore, and the energy stays in the 20s to 40s. It’s just not worth paddling out for.
So, bottom line: if you’ve got a foamboard and just want to sit in the water, Tuesday the 14th afternoon or Sunday the 19th morning are your best bets. For the rest of it, you might be better off checking the kite setup with that cross-shore wind on the 18th. Otherwise, hang tight. Forecasts can change, but this one’s looking pretty dry.
Rusty.
Short Range ForecastModerate rain (total 16mm), heaviest on Sun night. Warm (max 31°C on Sun afternoon, min 23°C on Sun night). Wind will be generally light. | Days 4-6 Weather SummaryLight rain (total 7mm), mostly falling on Wed afternoon. Warm (max 32°C on Fri afternoon, min 24°C on Wed morning). Wind will be generally light. | ||||||||||||||||||||
Sunday 12 | Monday 13 | Tuesday 14 | Wednesday 15 | Thursday 16 | Friday 17 | Saturday 18 | |||||||||||||||
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) | SW 5 | SE 10 | SE 10 | SE 9 | SE 9 | SE 9 | E 7 | E 7 | SE 9 | SE 9 | SE 8 | SE 8 | SW 5 | SSW 4 | SSW 6 | SSW 6 | SSW 6 | SSW 6 | SSW 6 | ESE 7 | ESE 6 |
Wave Graph  | |||||||||||||||||||||
 kJ | 49 | 23 | 23 | 21 | 20 | 19 | 33 | 33 | 25 | 20 | 11 | 10 | 18 | 35 | 37 | 21 | 17 | 55 | 25 | 117 | 87 |
Wind (km/h) | |||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | cross | cross-on | glassy | off | cross-off | off | cross-off | cross-off | cross | glassy | on | cross | cross | cross-on | cross-on | cross-off | cross-on | cross | cross | cross | cross-on |
High Tide | 6:30PM1.77m | 6:41AM1.35m | 7:26PM1.82m | 7:38AM1.40m | 8:19PM1.83m | 8:34AM1.44m | 9:11PM1.79m | 9:30AM1.46m | 10:01PM1.72m | 10:24AM1.47m | 10:50PM1.62m | 11:19AM1.46m | 11:39PM1.50m | ||||||||
Low Tide | 11:55AM0.01m | 1:01AM0.18m | 12:52PM-0.04m | 1:53AM0.13m | 1:47PM-0.06m | 2:44AM0.11m | 2:41PM-0.04m | 3:33AM0.10m | 3:35PM0.02m | 4:21AM0.11m | 4:29PM0.11m | 5:08AM0.14m | 5:24PM0.21m | ||||||||
 |  |  | | |  | | | |  | |  | | |  | | | | | | | |
 | 6:09 | — | — | 6:11 | — | — | 6:11 | — | — | 6:11 | — | — | 6:13 | — | — | 6:13 | — | — | 6:13 | — | — |
 | — | 8:24 | — | — | 8:24 | — | — | 8:23 | — | — | 8:23 | — | — | 8:23 | — | — | 8:22 | — | — | 8:22 | — |
mm | 1 | — | 7 | — | 4 | — | — | 4 | — | — | 4 | 3 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 1 |
Temp °C | 29 | 31 | 25 | 27 | 28 | 25 | 27 | 26 | 26 | 28 | 28 | 27 | 29 | 31 | 30 | 30 | 32 | 28 | 28 | 27 | 26 |
Feels °C | 31 | 32 | 28 | 29 | 29 | 26 | 30 | 29 | 30 | 32 | 31 | 29 | 30 | 32 | 32 | 30 | 32 | 28 | 27 | 25 | 25 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SSW 5 | SE 10 | SSW 5 | SE 9 | SSW 5 | SE 9 | SE 9 | E 7 | E 7 | E 7 | SSW 5 | SE 8 | SE 8 | ESE 8 | SSW 6 | SSW 6 | SSW 6 | SSW 6 | SSW 6 | SSW 6 | SSW 6 |
| kJ | 26 | 23 | 13 | 21 | 10 | 19 | 19 | 24 | 25 | 14 | 4 | 10 | 10 | 11 | 37 | 21 | 17 | 25 | 25 | 19 | 11 |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SE 9 | E 8 | SE 10 | SSW 5 | SE 9 | SSW 5 | SSW 4 | SE 9 | SE 9 | SE 9 | E 7 | E 6 | E 6 | E 7 | ESE 8 | ESE 8 | ESE 8 | E 4 | — | — | — |
| kJ | 22 | 1 | 23 | 7 | 20 | 2 | 2 | 20 | 20 | 20 | 8 | 6 | 2 | 4 | 6 | 6 | 6 | 5 | — | — | — |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | — | — | E 8 | E 8 | — | SSW 4 | SSW 4 | SSW 5 | SSW 5 | SE 8 | SSW 4 | — | — | — | E 7 | E 7 | SSE 8 | — | — | — |
| kJ | — | — | — | 1 | 1 | — | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 11 | 2 | — | — | — | 1 | 4 | 6 | — | — | — |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SW 5 | SSW 5 | — | ENE 3 | ENE 3 | E 7 | E 7 | E 7 | — | — | — | SW 3 | SW 5 | SSW 4 | W 3 | NW 4 | — | SSW 6 | E 5 | ESE 7 | ESE 6 |
| kJ | 49 | 15 | — | 1 | 2 | 24 | 33 | 33 | — | — | — | 1 | 18 | 35 | 5 | 3 | — | 55 | 120 | 117 | 87 |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 12 | 1735 | 110 | 112 | 2170 | 9 | 9 | 0 | 112 | 112 | 284 | 655 | 573 | 577 | 82 | 159 | 159 | 1609 | 168 | 200 | 110 |
Best forecast wave conditions in North Carolina | |||||||||||||||||||||
Best forecast wave conditions in United States | |||||||||||||||||||||
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Information about the Holden Beach Surf forecast
The above surf forecast table for Holden Beach provides essential information for determining whether the surfing conditions will be good over the next 16 days. A general guide to surfing at Holden Beach can be found by selecting the local surf guide option on the grey menu. Our Holden Beach 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 (Holden Beach) 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 Holden Beach 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.
Are you planning a vacation in North Carolina? If you are looking for accommodation near Holden Beach, camping, hotels and condos and appartments in North Carolina, consider staying in Wilmington which is 48 km (30 miles) away. Other places in and around North Carolina where you can find information about places to rent, and car hire include Myrtle Beach which is 70 km (43 miles) away and Socastee, 80 km (50 miles) away.
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