
Surf Forecasts:
Holden Beach surf forecast from 28 Jul 2026:
- Best quality surf: Wednesday 29 Jul, 8AM (local time) - 3.5ft (1.0m), 6s period, SSW swell with cross-offshore winds.
- Most powerful swell: Monday 3 Aug, 2AM (local time) - 5ft (1.5m), 7s period, S swell with 204 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Wednesday 29 Jul, 8AM (local time) - 3.5ft (1.0m), 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 Wednesday (Jul 29) at 8AM. The primary swell is predicted to be 1.0m and 6s period with a secondary swell of 0.3m and 8s. 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 7s and forecast to arrive on Monday (Aug 03) at 2AM. Winds are predicted to be onshore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 0.4m 4s period and expected on Wednesday (Jul 29) at 8AM.
| Wave Type | Time (EDT) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 8AM (Wed 29th Jul) | 3.5ft (1.0m) 6s |
| Best Surf | 8AM (Wed 29th Jul) | 3.5ft (1.0m) 6s |
| Most Powerful | 2AM (Mon 3rd Aug) | 5ft (1.5m) 7s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Holden Beach over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
Alright folks, Rusty here. Let’s have a look at what’s on the menu for Holden Beach.
Honestly, looking at the whole 16-day window, it’s a pretty flat and quiet run. There are no real standouts, no days where the swell lines up with good wind, and the energy is just too low to get excited about. The first real chance of anything rideable doesn’t show up until the end of the month, and even then, it’s just a brief moment.
The water temperature is sitting right around 84°, which is about normal for this time of year, so no surprises there.
We start off on Tuesday, July 28th with nothing. Swell is a tiny 1ft from the SE with a short 8-second period, and the wind is onshore and choppy. The combined energy is weak (25). Not worth paddling out.
Wednesday, July 29th sees a tiny bump in swell – 3ft from the SSW with a 6-second period, but the energy is still low (58). The wind does go cross-offshore in the morning, which cleans things up, but the waves are just too small and weak to make it fun. The afternoon is similar, with a "surfable but very ordinary" vibe.
Thursday, July 30th is a no-go. The swell drops back to 2ft, and while the wind turns offshore in the morning, the period is short (6 seconds) and the energy is minimal (39). The waves lack any punch.
From Friday, July 31st through to Saturday, August 2nd, it’s a steady diet of onshore winds and tiny, weak swell. The energy stays under 70, and the wave heights hover around 2ft to 3ft. There’s a storm risk on the Sunday, but with the wind howling onshore and the swell still pathetic, it’s a miss.
Monday, August 3rd is the biggest swell of the entire period, hitting 4ft from the S. The combined energy cranks up to 276, which is moderate. But – and it’s a big but – the wind is a strong cross-onshore, and there are thunderstorms. The surf report says "poor surf conditions." It’s going to be a messy, choppy wall. For a beginner spot, 4ft is getting a little punchy, but with the wind, it’s just not clean. Kite surfers might have a fun time here, but for a paddle surfer, it’s a skip.
After that, the swell fades fast. Tuesday, August 4th through to the end of the forecast on Wednesday, August 12th is a long, flat stretch. Waves are tiny – 1.0ft to 3ft – with very low energy readings (often under 50). The wind does go glassy on the morning of Wednesday, August 5th, but the swell is only 1ft from the SE with a 7-second period and a combined energy of just 34. It’s a glassy lake, not a wave. The rest of the days are mostly onshore or cross-shore, with no real energy.
The last few days, from August 9th to 12th, the swell is all but gone, with heights dropping to 1.0ft and energy falling to single digits. A long, quiet end to the outlook.
So, the bottom line: there’s nothing to pick as a standout. The best window is technically the 4ft swell on August 3rd, but it’s ruined by the wind. If you’re desperate for a paddle, the cleanest water will be the glassy morning on August 5th, but you’ll be floating more than surfing. This is one of those stretches where the ocean is taking a nap.
Rusty, signing off.
Short Range ForecastLight rain (total 6mm), mostly falling on Tue night. Warm (max 32°C on Wed afternoon, min 24°C on Thu morning). Winds increasing (calm on Tue morning, fresh winds from the SW by Tue night). | Days 4-6 Weather SummaryModerate rain (total 14mm), heaviest on Sun morning. Warm (max 29°C on Fri morning, min 26°C on Fri morning). Wind will be generally light. | ||||||||||||||||||||
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 | SW 5 | SSW 6 | SSW 6 | SSW 6 | S 6 | S 6 | S 6 | S 6 | S 6 | S 6 | S 6 | S 6 | SSE 6 | SSE 7 | S 7 | S 7 | S 7 | S 6 | S 6 |
Wave Graph | |||||||||||||||||||||
23 | 17 | 119 | 45 | 47 | 18 | 38 | 41 | 21 | 21 | 28 | 23 | 24 | 20 | 36 | 56 | 94 | 204 | 144 | 132 | 61 | |
Wind (km/h) | |||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | cross-on | on | cross-on | cross-off | cross-off | cross-on | off | cross-off | cross-off | cross | cross-on | on | on | cross-on | on | on | on | on | cross-on | cross-on | cross-off |
High Tide | 7:38PM1.52m | 7:45AM1.23m | 8:16PM1.54m | 8:27AM1.28m | 8:54PM1.54m | 9:09AM1.31m | 9:32PM1.52m | 9:52AM1.34m | 10:10PM1.48m | 10:36AM1.37m | 10:50PM1.42m | 11:23AM1.40m | 11:34PM1.36m | ||||||||
Low Tide | 1:13PM0.23m | 2:06AM0.34m | 1:53PM0.22m | 2:42AM0.31m | 2:32PM0.22m | 3:16AM0.29m | 3:12PM0.24m | 3:50AM0.27m | 3:52PM0.27m | 4:25AM0.25m | 4:36PM0.31m | 5:02AM0.24m | 5:24PM0.35m | ||||||||
6:20 | — | — | 6:20 | — | — | 6:22 | — | — | 6:22 | — | — | 6:24 | — | — | 6:24 | — | — | 6:24 | — | — | |
— | 8:15 | — | — | 8:15 | — | — | 8:15 | — | — | 8:14 | — | — | 8:13 | — | — | 8:12 | — | — | 8:10 | — | |
mm | — | — | 5 | — | — | 1 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 4 | 2 | 8 | 7 | 4 | 5 |
Temp °C | 29 | 30 | 29 | 29 | 32 | 30 | 28 | 32 | 30 | 29 | 29 | 28 | 29 | 29 | 27 | 27 | 27 | 27 | 27 | 28 | 28 |
Feels °C | 31 | 31 | 30 | 30 | 33 | 32 | 28 | 31 | 29 | 29 | 28 | 29 | 30 | 29 | 27 | 29 | 28 | 29 | 27 | 28 | 29 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SE 8 | SE 8 | SE 8 | SSW 6 | S 6 | SSW 6 | S 6 | S 6 | S 6 | S 6 | SE 9 | SE 9 | SE 9 | S 6 | SSE 8 | SE 8 | SE 7 | — | SSE 7 | — | SE 7 |
23 | 17 | 10 | 45 | 23 | 18 | 38 | 41 | 21 | 21 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 20 | 7 | 10 | 60 | — | 132 | — | 13 | |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | E 6 | E 6 | SE 8 | SE 8 | SSE 7 | E 8 | E 8 | SE 7 | SE 6 | — | ESE 9 | SE 9 | SE 9 | S 8 | E 6 | — | — | — | — | — |
— | 1 | 1 | 10 | 10 | 17 | 1 | 1 | 11 | 10 | — | 8 | 3 | 3 | 1 | 1 | — | — | — | — | — | |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | — | — | SE 9 | — | E 9 | — | E 8 | SE 10 | SE 10 | NE 4 | — | — | — | S 8 | — | — | — | — | — | — |
— | — | — | 3 | — | 2 | — | 1 | 4 | 4 | 1 | — | — | — | 1 | — | — | — | — | — | — | |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SSW 4 | SSW 4 | SW 5 | — | SSW 6 | — | N 3 | — | — | — | S 6 | S 6 | S 6 | SSE 4 | SSE 6 | SSE 7 | S 7 | S 7 | S 7 | S 6 | S 6 |
2 | 16 | 119 | — | 47 | — | 1 | — | — | — | 28 | 23 | 24 | 4 | 36 | 56 | 94 | 204 | 144 | 132 | 61 | |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 1601 | 951 | 82 | 9 | 0 | 49 | 112 | 82 | 52 | 140 | 827 | 312 | 284 | 951 | 504 | 1256 | 532 | 519 | 377 | 348 | 0 |
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.










