Surf Forecasts:
Holden Beach surf forecast from 7 Sep 2026:
- Best quality surf: Wednesday 9 Sep, 2AM (local time) - 4ft (1.2m), 7s period, ESE swell with cross-offshore winds.
- Most powerful swell: Tuesday 8 Sep, 11AM (local time) - 5ft (1.5m), 6s period, ESE swell with 176 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Wednesday 9 Sep, 2AM (local time) - 4ft (1.2m), 7s period with ESE 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 Wednesday (Sep 09) at 2AM. The primary swell is predicted to be 1.2m and 7s period. 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 1.5m 6s and forecast to arrive on Tuesday (Sep 08) at 11AM. Winds are predicted to be cross-shore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 0.3m 5s period and expected on Sunday (Sep 13) at 8AM.
| Wave Type | Time (EDT) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 2AM (Wed 9th Sep) | 4ft (1.2m) 7s |
| Best Surf | 2AM (Wed 9th Sep) | 4ft (1.2m) 7s |
| Most Powerful | 11AM (Tue 8th Sep) | 5ft (1.5m) 6s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Holden Beach over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
Alright folks, Rusty here. Let’s talk about the next couple of weeks at Holden Beach. I gotta be straight with you – it’s looking pretty bleak. The waves are pretty much flat, and the wind is often all wrong. There’s a lot of storms and rain hanging around too, which is a bummer. If you’re just looking to get wet, maybe, but for a proper surf, it’s a long wait. The water is sitting at a warm 84°F which is a touch warmer than usual for this time of year, but that’s the only positive.
We start off from Sunday, September 6th, with a tiny 1.0ft SE swell that’s got a period of 9 seconds. The wind is a cross-shore from the ESE at 9 mph, but with a risk of thunderstorms, it’s just not worth paddling out. The energy is super weak (29). The surf is just poor.
Monday, the 7th, is a bit more of the same – a 3ft E swell shows up but the period is a short, weak 5 seconds, and the wind is a gusty cross-shore at 16 mph. The energy is still low (62). The afternoon is a bit cleaner with a cross-offshore breeze, but the swell is tiny at 3ft.
Tuesday the 8th sees the biggest bump of the whole run, but it’s still not good. We get a 5ft ESE swell with a 6-second period and a 16 mph cross-shore wind. The energy is moderate (176), but the wind is going to ruin it. The waves would be a messy, choppy mess. The afternoon is a little cleaner, but still cross-shore. This is a pass.
From Wednesday the 9th all the way through to the last day of the window, the 21st of September, it’s a long, drawn-out stretch of tiny surf. Most days we’re looking at waves under 3ft, with periods all over the place but mostly short. The wind is a real mix, but it’s rarely good. There are a couple of glassy mornings, like on Friday the 11th and Monday the 14th, but the swell is basically non-existent at 1ft. Even the calm, glassy morning on Tuesday the 15th with a 3ft SSW swell is too small and weak (40 energy) to do anything with.
Honestly, the best swell to wind ratio we see is that 5ft on Tuesday the 8th, but it’s blown out by a moderate cross-shore wind. For a beach break, that setup is more interesting for the kite surfers than for us paddle surfers. There’s just nothing on offer that’s worth a session. The combination of inconsistent small swell and a steady diet of cross-shore and onshore winds leaves us high and dry.
No standout options here. The surf is just a no-go for the whole 16-day window. Keep your board in the car and hope for a change in the forecast.
Rusty
Short Range ForecastModerate rain (total 12mm), heaviest on Sun night. Warm (max 29°C on Sun afternoon, min 25°C on Mon morning). Wind will be generally light. | Days 5-7 Weather SummaryHeavy rain (total 36mm), heaviest during Fri night. Warm (max 29°C on Thu afternoon, min 24°C on Fri night). Wind will be generally light. | |||||||||||||||||||
Sun 6 | Monday 7 | Tuesday 8 | Wednesday 9 | Thursday 10 | Friday 11 | Saturday 12 | ||||||||||||||
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 9 | E 5 | E 5 | E 5 | E 6 | ESE 6 | ESE 7 | ESE 7 | ESE 7 | ESE 7 | ESE 7 | SE 7 | ESE 7 | ESE 7 | SE 8 | SE 8 | SSW 5 | SE 8 | S 6 | SE 9 |
Wave Graph  | ||||||||||||||||||||
 kJ | 13 | 43 | 47 | 39 | 106 | 176 | 162 | 123 | 114 | 90 | 81 | 46 | 31 | 17 | 17 | 17 | 56 | 18 | 16 | 21 |
Wind (km/h) | ||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | cross | cross | cross | cross-off | cross-off | cross | cross | cross-off | cross | cross-on | cross-on | cross | cross-on | cross-on | glassy | on | cross-off | cross-off | cross | cross |
High Tide | 4:04PM1.56m | 4:19AM1.26m | 5:04PM1.60m | 5:20AM1.34m | 5:59PM1.62m | 6:17AM1.42m | 6:50PM1.63m | 7:10AM1.50m | 7:37PM1.60m | 7:59AM1.55m | 8:22PM1.56m | 8:46AM1.58m | 9:05PM1.49m | |||||||
Low Tide | 10:39PM0.33m | 10:36AM0.16m | 11:35PM0.27m | 11:37AM0.12m | 00:25AM0.20m | 12:32PM0.08m | 1:10AM0.15m | 1:24PM0.07m | 1:53AM0.11m | 2:13PM0.09m | 2:34AM0.10m | 3:00PM0.13m | 3:14AM0.11m | |||||||
 |  |  |  |  | |  | | | |  | | | | | | | | | | |
 | — | — | 6:50 | — | — | 6:50 | — | — | 6:50 | — | — | 6:52 | — | — | 6:52 | — | — | 6:52 | — | — |
 | 7:31 | — | — | 7:30 | — | — | 7:29 | — | — | 7:28 | — | — | 7:25 | — | — | 7:24 | — | — | 7:23 | — |
mm | 1 | 9 | 2 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 2 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 4 | 2 | 23 | — | — | 2 |
Temp °C | 29 | 26 | 27 | 28 | 25 | 27 | 28 | 26 | 27 | 28 | 26 | 28 | 29 | 28 | 28 | 29 | 25 | 27 | 28 | 26 |
Feels °C | 30 | 27 | 25 | 26 | 24 | 25 | 26 | 26 | 27 | 28 | 28 | 31 | 31 | 29 | 32 | 31 | 28 | 29 | 28 | 28 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SSE 5 | S 5 | SE 9 | SE 8 | — | — | — | — | ESE 7 | — | ESE 7 | SE 7 | ESE 7 | ESE 7 | SE 8 | SE 8 | SSW 5 | S 5 | S 6 | SE 9 |
| kJ | 5 | 2 | 12 | 11 | — | — | — | — | 114 | — | 81 | 46 | 31 | 17 | 17 | 17 | 56 | 12 | 16 | 21 |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SE 9 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | SSE 9 | SE 8 | SSE 5 | — | SE 8 | SE 8 | SE 7 | SSW 6 |
| kJ | 13 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 8 | 11 | 4 | — | 9 | 18 | 14 | 10 |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | ESE 9 | — | E 12 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | E 9 | SSE 5 | — | — | — | — | — |
| kJ | 8 | — | 3 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 2 | 4 | — | — | — | — | — |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | E 3 | E 5 | E 5 | E 5 | E 6 | ESE 6 | ESE 7 | ESE 7 | — | ESE 7 | — | — | — | SW 4 | SSW 4 | SSW 4 | WSW 5 | — | — | E 4 |
| kJ | 3 | 43 | 47 | 39 | 106 | 176 | 162 | 123 | — | 90 | — | — | — | 10 | 12 | 14 | 40 | — | — | 3 |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | ||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 827 | 694 | 425 | 831 | 514 | 385 | 1256 | 0 | 110 | 110 | 110 | 22 | 580 | 514 | 82 | 549 | 0 | 1256 | 2516 | 140 |
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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