Surf Forecasts:
Holden Beach surf forecast from 26 Aug 2026:
- Most powerful swell: Wednesday 2 Sep, 2PM (local time) - 2ft (0.6m), 11s period, SE swell with 96 kJ wave energy.
Best Forecast Surf Conditions for Holden Beach this week:
The most powerful waves expected at Holden Beach in the next 16 days are 0.6m 11s and forecast to arrive on Wednesday (Sep 02) at 2PM. Winds are predicted to be cross-onshore at the time the swell arrives.
| Wave Type | Time (EDT) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | - | - |
| Best Surf | - | - |
| Most Powerful | 2PM (Wed 2nd Sep) | 2ft (0.6m) 11s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Holden Beach over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
Alright folks, Rusty here. Let me tell you, it’s a tough stretch ahead for Holden Beach. We’re looking at a pretty lean 16-day window, and honestly, there’s not a single day that gets the green light for a proper paddle. The whole period is a write-off for decent surf.
The first few days kick off with tiny, weak swell. Wednesday the 26th is flat with a weak 1.0ft SE windswell and a combined energy of just 17 – that’s barely a ripple. The wind is a messy cross-on, and the water temp is a warm 84°, which is about one degree above normal for this time of year. Nothing to get excited about.
We roll through the end of August and into the first week of September with the same story. The swell barely nudges up to 3ft on Friday the 28th, but the period is a shocking 5 seconds, so it’s just a lumpy mess. The wind is all over the place, mostly cross-on or onshore, and the combined energy never gets out of the double digits. There are a few moments of glassy or clean conditions, like early Saturday the 29th and Monday the 31st, but without any swell to push them, they’re just flat, pretty water.
The second week comes in, and it’s still no dice. The 2nd of September sees a little bump in period to 11 seconds, with a 2ft swell from the SE, but the energy is still in the low hundreds (111 at its peak) and the wind is onshore or cross-on. The 6th of September has a clean offshore wind from the N, but the swell is only 1ft and the energy is a pathetic 49. It’s just not enough to push a wave. The rest of the window into the 10th of September is more of the same: tiny, weak, and messy.
It’s a blank run, plain and simple. For a place like Holden Beach, which is already inconsistent, this kind of flat spell isn’t unusual. Your best bet is to keep an eye on the forecast for a change, because right now, there’s nothing here for a surfer.
Rusty.
Short Range ForecastHeavy rain (total 21mm), heaviest during Thu night. Warm (max 29°C on Fri morning, min 25°C on Fri night). Wind will be generally light. | Days 4-6 Weather SummaryLight rain (total 9mm), mostly falling on Sat afternoon. Warm (max 31°C on Mon afternoon, min 26°C on Sat morning). Wind will be generally light. | ||||||||||||||||||||
Wednesday 26 | Thursday 27 | Friday 28 | Saturday 29 | Sunday 30 | Monday 31 | Tuesday 1 | |||||||||||||||
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 9 | SE 9 | S 4 | S 5 | SE 9 | SSW 5 | SSW 5 | S 5 | S 5 | SE 8 | SE 8 | SE 8 | SE 8 | SE 8 | SE 8 | SE 8 | SE 7 | SE 7 | SE 7 | SE 7 | SE 7 |
Wave Graph  | |||||||||||||||||||||
 kJ | 14 | 13 | 16 | 16 | 20 | 40 | 36 | 34 | 23 | 18 | 26 | 23 | 21 | 23 | 30 | 20 | 19 | 18 | 24 | 17 | 17 |
Wind (km/h) | |||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | cross-on | on | on | cross-on | on | cross-on | cross-on | on | cross-on | glassy | glassy | glassy | off | on | cross-on | cross-off | on | cross-on | cross | cross-on | cross-on |
High Tide | 7:05PM1.50m | 7:17AM1.32m | 7:44PM1.52m | 8:00AM1.38m | 8:22PM1.52m | 8:42AM1.44m | 9:01PM1.49m | 9:25AM1.49m | 9:42PM1.45m | 10:11AM1.51m | 10:25PM1.39m | 11:00AM1.53m | 11:12PM1.33m | ||||||||
Low Tide | 12:48PM0.25m | 1:31AM0.31m | 1:29PM0.22m | 2:05AM0.26m | 2:10PM0.20m | 2:39AM0.22m | 2:52PM0.20m | 3:14AM0.19m | 3:35PM0.22m | 3:51AM0.17m | 4:20PM0.25m | 4:31AM0.16m | 5:10PM0.29m | ||||||||
 |  |  | | | | |  | | | | | | |  | | | | | | | |
 | 6:41 | — | — | 6:41 | — | — | 6:43 | — | — | 6:43 | — | — | 6:43 | — | — | 6:45 | — | — | 6:46 | — | — |
 | — | 7:45 | — | — | 7:45 | — | — | 7:44 | — | — | 7:43 | — | — | 7:40 | — | — | 7:39 | — | — | 7:38 | — |
mm | — | 2 | 4 | 1 | 2 | 7 | 2 | — | 3 | 1 | 3 | 5 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Temp °C | 28 | 28 | 28 | 28 | 28 | 28 | 29 | 29 | 27 | 27 | 29 | 27 | 27 | 29 | 28 | 28 | 31 | 28 | 29 | 31 | 28 |
Feels °C | 29 | 30 | 30 | 29 | 29 | 28 | 30 | 30 | 31 | 32 | 33 | 31 | 30 | 31 | 31 | 31 | 33 | 30 | 31 | 32 | 30 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SE 9 | SE 9 | SE 8 | S 5 | SE 9 | SE 9 | SE 9 | SE 8 | SE 8 | S 4 | SE 8 | SE 8 | SE 8 | SE 8 | SE 8 | SE 8 | SE 7 | SE 7 | SE 7 | SE 7 | SE 7 |
| kJ | 14 | 13 | 11 | 16 | 20 | 21 | 19 | 18 | 18 | 10 | 17 | 23 | 21 | 23 | 30 | 20 | 19 | 18 | 24 | 17 | 17 |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | S 4 | E 16 | — | SE 9 | — | E 12 | E 12 | E 11 | E 11 | SE 8 | ESE 8 | E 10 | SSW 4 | SW 4 | — | — | — | — | — | SE 14 | SSE 12 |
| kJ | 2 | 5 | — | 13 | — | 3 | 3 | 2 | 2 | 18 | 26 | 2 | 2 | 1 | — | — | — | — | — | 7 | 14 |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | E 16 | E 15 | ESE 8 | E 13 | — | — | — | — | E 11 | SE 6 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | SE 13 | SE 9 |
| kJ | — | 5 | 4 | 6 | 3 | — | — | — | — | 2 | 1 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 7 | 12 |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | ESE 2 | SSE 4 | S 4 | — | S 5 | SSW 5 | SSW 5 | S 5 | S 5 | — | S 5 | SSW 4 | — | S 4 | — | — | — | SSW 3 | WSW 3 | SW 3 | SW 4 |
| kJ | 1 | 6 | 16 | — | 16 | 40 | 36 | 34 | 23 | — | 10 | 4 | — | 1 | — | — | — | 1 | 1 | 2 | 10 |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 549 | 2060 | 538 | 328 | 1256 | 29 | 29 | 332 | 82 | 82 | 52 | 312 | 159 | 312 | 312 | 918 | 1077 | 1257 | 1257 | 1263 | 348 |
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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