Surf Forecasts:
Holden Beach surf forecast from 8 Jul 2026:
- Best quality surf: Saturday 11 Jul, 11PM (local time) - 3ft (0.9m), 6s period, SSW swell with cross-offshore winds.
- Most powerful swell: Friday 10 Jul, 8PM (local time) - 6ft (1.8m), 6s period, SSW swell with 255 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Saturday 11 Jul, 11PM (local time) - 3ft (0.9m), 6s period with SSW 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 Saturday (Jul 11) at 11PM. The primary swell is predicted to be 0.9m and 6s period with a secondary swell of 0.2m and 7s. 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 1.8m 6s and forecast to arrive on Friday (Jul 10) at 8PM. Winds are predicted to be cross-onshore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 1.3m 6s period and expected on Monday (Jul 13) at 2PM.
| Wave Type | Time (EDT) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 11PM (Sat 11th Jul) | 3ft (0.9m) 6s |
| Best Surf | 11PM (Sat 11th Jul) | 3ft (0.9m) 6s |
| Most Powerful | 8PM (Fri 10th Jul) | 6ft (1.8m) 6s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Holden Beach over the next 16 days.
Alright folks, Rusty here. Let’s break down what’s ahead for Holden Beach over the next couple of weeks. I’ll be honest – it’s a rough start and a long wait for anything worthwhile.
The first stretch, from Wednesday the 8th through mid-month, is mostly a washout. Winds are cross-onshore or worse, the swell is weak and short-period, and the wave energy is low, ranging from about 64 to 200 on the energy scale – weak to moderate, but the quality is just poor. You’ll be dealing with choppy, lumpy water. Water temp is sitting at 84°F and it’s running about 2°F warmer than usual for this time of year, which is nice for a swim, but not helping the waves.
There’s a short window of clean conditions on Sunday morning the 12th with a light offshore breeze from the NW, but the swell is tiny – just 2ft from the S with energy of only 45 – barely a ripple. Not worth the drive. The following week keeps the same theme: a few cleaner moments with light or offshore winds on the 13th, 14th, and 15th, but the swell stays small and weak, with periods barely hitting 7 seconds. It’s a tough stretch.
Now, the one bright spot. The standout day is Monday, July 20th, and the morning session is your best bet. Glassy conditions – dead flat water – with a clean 5ft SSW swell rolling in on a 7-second period. The combined energy hits 258, so there’s some real power. That late-July morning is the clear winner across the whole 16 days. Get in early, because the afternoon gets choppy again.
After that, Tuesday the 21st morning offers clean but plain 5ft SSW swell – surfable, but nothing special. The rest of the third week stays messy with onshore winds.
So the short of it: the first 12 days are a bust. Your only true highlight is Monday morning, July 20th. Circle it, stay patient, and I’ll see you in the water if it holds. The waves will come back – they always do.
Rusty.
Short Range ForecastLight rain (total 4mm), mostly falling on Fri night. Warm (max 33°C on Thu afternoon, min 27°C on Wed morning). Mainly fresh winds. | Days 4-6 Weather SummaryHeavy rain (total 78mm), heaviest during Mon morning. Warm (max 33°C on Sat afternoon, min 22°C on Mon night). Winds decreasing (fresh winds from the SW on Sat afternoon, light winds from the S by Sun afternoon). | ||||||||||||||||||||
Wednesday 8 | Thursday 9 | Friday 10 | Saturday 11 | Sunday 12 | Monday 13 | Tuesday 14 | |||||||||||||||
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) | SSW 6 | SSW 5 | SSW 5 | SSW 6 | SSW 5 | SSW 6 | SSW 6 | SSW 6 | SSW 6 | SSW 6 | SSW 6 | SSW 6 | SE 9 | SE 8 | E 5 | E 5 | E 6 | E 5 | ESE 5 | ESE 5 | SE 9 |
Wave Graph  | |||||||||||||||||||||
 kJ | 43 | 57 | 97 | 45 | 111 | 184 | 88 | 186 | 196 | 82 | 59 | 33 | 23 | 15 | 59 | 55 | 85 | 37 | 38 | 43 | 25 |
Wind (km/h) | |||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | cross | cross-on | cross | cross-off | on | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off |
High Tide | 2:33PM1.44m | 2:40AM1.25m | 3:33PM1.52m | 3:41AM1.24m | 4:33PM1.61m | 4:42AM1.26m | 5:32PM1.70m | 5:42AM1.30m | 6:30PM1.77m | 6:41AM1.35m | 7:26PM1.82m | 7:38AM1.40m | 8:19PM1.83m | ||||||||
Low Tide | 8:50PM0.43m | 8:54AM0.21m | 10:00PM0.38m | 9:55AM0.15m | 11:06PM0.32m | 10:56AM0.08m | 00:06AM0.25m | 11:55AM0.01m | 1:01AM0.18m | 12:52PM-0.04m | 1:53AM0.13m | 1:47PM-0.06m | 2:44AM0.11m | ||||||||
 | |  | | | | |  |  | |  | | | | |  | | | | |  | |
 | 6:07 | — | — | 6:09 | — | — | 6:09 | — | — | 6:09 | — | — | 6:09 | — | — | 6:11 | — | — | 6:11 | — | — |
 | — | 8:25 | — | — | 8:25 | — | — | 8:25 | — | — | 8:25 | — | — | 8:24 | — | — | 8:24 | — | — | 8:23 | — |
mm | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 1 | 3 | — | — | 20 | — | — | 17 | 35 | 5 | 1 | — | 3 | 8 |
Temp °C | 30 | 32 | 29 | 32 | 33 | 29 | 31 | 33 | 29 | 31 | 33 | 27 | 28 | 30 | 27 | 23 | 25 | 25 | 26 | 26 | 26 |
Feels °C | 32 | 32 | 30 | 33 | 32 | 29 | 31 | 32 | 28 | 32 | 32 | 29 | 30 | 33 | 30 | 25 | 25 | 25 | 26 | 26 | 25 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SE 9 | SE 9 | SE 9 | SE 9 | SE 9 | SE 9 | SE 9 | SE 9 | SE 9 | SSW 6 | SSE 8 | SSW 6 | S 6 | S 6 | SE 9 | SE 9 | SE 9 | SSW 6 | SE 9 | SE 9 | ESE 5 |
| kJ | 21 | 21 | 22 | 21 | 19 | 12 | 12 | 14 | 14 | 68 | 6 | 33 | 23 | 15 | 22 | 21 | 20 | 12 | 20 | 20 | 25 |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | — | — | E 6 | E 6 | — | E 10 | — | — | E 10 | SE 9 | SE 9 | SE 9 | SE 8 | SSW 5 | SSW 5 | S 5 | SE 9 | SSW 6 | SSW 5 | SE 9 |
| kJ | — | — | — | 1 | 1 | — | 2 | — | — | 2 | 3 | 21 | 21 | 15 | 5 | 3 | 2 | 20 | 6 | 3 | 20 |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | E 8 | E 9 | N 3 | E 8 | SSE 10 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| kJ | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 1 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 9 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SSW 6 | SSW 5 | SSW 5 | SSW 6 | SSW 5 | SSW 6 | SSW 6 | SSW 6 | SSW 6 | SSW 6 | SSW 6 | NNE 3 | — | ENE 3 | E 5 | E 5 | E 6 | E 5 | ESE 5 | ESE 5 | — |
| kJ | 43 | 57 | 97 | 45 | 111 | 184 | 88 | 186 | 196 | 82 | 59 | 2 | — | 3 | 59 | 55 | 85 | 37 | 38 | 43 | — |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 30 | 946 | 389 | 52 | 1123 | 332 | 323 | 332 | 82 | 29 | 293 | 82 | 82 | 82 | 0 | 501 | 491 | 549 | 549 | 501 | 9 |
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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