Surf Forecasts:
Jennette's Pier surf forecast from 16 Aug 2026:
- Best quality surf: Wednesday 19 Aug, 2AM (local time) - 1.5ft (0.5m), 10s period, ESE swell with glassy winds.
- Most powerful swell: Tuesday 18 Aug, 5PM (local time) - 2ft (0.6m), 11s period, ESE swell with 78 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Wednesday 19 Aug, 2AM (local time) - 1.5ft (0.5m), 10s period with ESE swell.
Best Forecast Surf Conditions for Jennette's Pier this week:
The surf forecast for Jennette's Pier over the next 16 days: The first swell (rated 1 star or higher) is forecast to arrive on Wednesday (Aug 19) at 2AM. The primary swell is predicted to be 0.5m and 10s period. The wind is predicted to be glassy as the swell arrives.
The most powerful waves expected at Jennette's Pier in the next 16 days are 0.6m 11s and forecast to arrive on Tuesday (Aug 18) at 5PM. Winds are predicted to be cross-onshore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 0.9m 4s period and expected on Monday (Aug 17) at 11PM.
| Wave Type | Time (EDT) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 2AM (Wed 19th Aug) | 1.5ft (0.5m) 10s |
| Best Surf | 2AM (Wed 19th Aug) | 1.5ft (0.5m) 10s |
| Most Powerful | 5PM (Tue 18th Aug) | 2ft (0.6m) 11s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Jennette's Pier over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
Alright, let’s take a look at what’s on the table for the next couple of weeks at Jennette's Pier. Straight up, I’ve got to be honest with you—it’s a grim run. The whole 16-day window is basically a write-off for anything worth paddling out for. We’re looking at a long stretch of weak surf and messy conditions, with no real window of quality to get excited about. The first real pulse doesn’t show up until Thursday, August 27th, and even then, it’s not exactly gonna have you calling in sick.
For the first week or so, from Sunday the 16th right through to the 26th of August, the swell is tiny—waist-high at absolute best, mostly just knee-to-thigh high slop. The energy is weak, often in the low double digits, sometimes barely cracking 50 (combined swell energy around 11-80). Winds are mostly onshore or cross-shore, chopping up whatever little bumps there are. There’s a rare moment of glass on Thursday the 20th morning, but with swell at 0.4m and a short period of 8 seconds, it’s barely a ripple. Not worth hurrying for.
Then, on the morning of Thursday, August 27th, we finally see a bit of life. Swell ticks up to 0.7m from the ESE with a period of 12 seconds—that’s a groundswell, with some real energy behind it (combined energy of 157). The wind swings NNW at 15 km/h, which is cross-offshore and puts a clean face on things. This is hands-down the best moment in the entire outlook, but even then, the size is small, and the quality is only described as “surfable waves but very ordinary conditions.” It’s not a standout in any usual sense; it’s just the least bad option. Jennette’s is a beach/jetty setup, and with that longer 12-second period, it might offer a few better-shaped lines, but given the consistent nature of this break, it’s nothing special.
After that, the swell stays small and the winds turn messy again, so the 27th morning is your one and only realistic look-in. The rest of the month is a slog of onshore chop and tiny surf. If you’re a beginner, the swell never gets above 1.5m, so there’s no danger, but there’s also nothing to ride. For kites, with the persistent side-to-onshore wind and small, weak surf, it’s not ideal either.
The water temperature is a touch warmer than normal for the time of year, sitting at around 83°F—so at least you won’t need a thick suit, just a lot of patience.
Bottom line: if you’re desperate, keep an eye on that Thursday the 27th morning, but don’t expect much. This area tends to have dry spells, and this is one of them. Forecasts can change though—keep checking, but for now, maybe save the wax.
- Rusty
Short Range ForecastLight rain (total 8mm), mostly falling on Mon night. Warm (max 32°C on Mon afternoon, min 25°C on Mon night). Wind will be generally light. | Days 5-7 Weather SummaryLight rain (total 8mm), mostly falling on Thu afternoon. Warm (max 29°C on Thu afternoon, min 23°C on Fri night). Wind will be generally light. | |||||||||||||||||||
Sun 16 | Monday 17 | Tuesday 18 | Wednesday 19 | Thursday 20 | Friday 21 | Saturday 22 | ||||||||||||||
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) | E 5 | SE 8 | SE 8 | SE 9 | SE 7 | ESE 9 | ESE 11 | ESE 10 | ESE 9 | ESE 9 | ESE 9 | ESE 8 | ESE 8 | ESE 8 | E 9 | E 9 | E 9 | E 8 | ESE 9 | NE 6 |
Wave Graph | ||||||||||||||||||||
11 | 16 | 9 | 19 | 14 | 32 | 78 | 56 | 33 | 26 | 25 | 23 | 14 | 23 | 15 | 25 | 24 | 23 | 15 | 18 | |
Wind (km/h) | ||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | cross-on | cross-off | cross-off | cross | off | cross-off | cross-on | glassy | cross-on | on | cross-on | glassy | cross-on | cross | on | cross | cross-off | cross-off | cross | glassy |
High Tide | 11:00PM1.06m | 11:29AM1.18m | 11:43PM0.98m | 12:16PM1.13m | 00:30AM0.91m | 1:05PM1.09m | 1:20AM0.86m | 2:00PM1.05m | 2:17AM0.84m | 2:59PM1.04m | 3:18AM0.84m | 3:58PM1.05m | 4:19AM0.86m | |||||||
Low Tide | 5:07PM0.07m | 5:11AM0.04m | 5:56PM0.14m | 5:52AM0.11m | 6:48PM0.22m | 6:36AM0.17m | 7:43PM0.28m | 7:25AM0.23m | 8:42PM0.32m | 8:20AM0.27m | 9:43PM0.33m | 9:20AM0.28m | 10:40PM0.32m | |||||||
— | — | 6:22 | — | — | 6:22 | — | — | 6:22 | — | — | 6:24 | — | — | 6:24 | — | — | 6:26 | — | — | |
7:51 | — | — | 7:50 | — | — | 7:49 | — | — | 7:46 | — | — | 7:45 | — | — | 7:45 | — | — | 7:44 | — | |
mm | — | 1 | 1 | 1 | 2 | — | 1 | 2 | — | — | 2 | — | 2 | 2 | — | 1 | 1 | — | 4 | 2 |
Temp °C | 27 | 27 | 29 | 32 | 31 | 26 | 27 | 27 | 27 | 27 | 28 | 28 | 29 | 28 | 27 | 29 | 26 | 24 | 24 | 23 |
Feels °C | 26 | 27 | 31 | 33 | 32 | 29 | 31 | 30 | 30 | 29 | 32 | 33 | 32 | 30 | 31 | 31 | 28 | 24 | 26 | 27 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | E 5 | E 5 | SSE 4 | SE 9 | S 5 | ESE 9 | ESE 11 | ESE 10 | ESE 9 | ESE 9 | ESE 9 | ESE 8 | ESE 8 | ESE 8 | E 9 | E 9 | E 9 | E 8 | NE 4 | NE 6 |
11 | 4 | 3 | 19 | 21 | 32 | 78 | 56 | 33 | 26 | 25 | 23 | 14 | 23 | 15 | 25 | 24 | 23 | 5 | 18 | |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SE 8 | SE 8 | SE 8 | E 5 | SE 7 | S 5 | S 6 | — | S 5 | SSE 5 | — | E 7 | SE 5 | E 16 | ESE 8 | SSE 5 | SSE 6 | SSE 7 | ESE 9 | E 8 |
11 | 16 | 9 | 2 | 14 | 2 | 9 | — | 5 | 3 | — | 1 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 9 | 8 | 4 | 15 | 12 | |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | S 5 | — | E 6 | — | E 5 | ESE 12 | — | — | SE 5 | — | — | — | E 6 | E 16 | E 15 | — | E 14 | E 13 | SSE 7 | E 13 |
2 | — | 2 | — | 1 | 14 | — | — | 4 | — | — | — | 1 | 5 | 4 | — | 4 | 14 | 4 | 13 | |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SSE 3 | S 4 | WSW 3 | SSE 5 | WSW 4 | NNW 2 | NNE 3 | — | ENE 2 | E 3 | ESE 4 | SE 4 | — | S 3 | S 4 | — | N 4 | NNE 4 | — | SE 6 |
1 | 13 | 3 | 9 | 5 | 1 | 2 | — | 1 | 1 | 7 | 4 | — | 2 | 8 | — | 13 | 7 | — | 8 | |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | ||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 2366 | 100 | 258 | 339 | 38 | 5 | 65 | 0 | 221 | 438 | 433 | 825 | 608 | 825 | 652 | 1082 | 80 | 170 | 80 | 0 |
Best forecast wave conditions in North Carolina | ||||||||||||||||||||
Best forecast wave conditions in United States | ||||||||||||||||||||
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Information about the Jennette's Pier Surf forecast
The above surf forecast table for Jennette's Pier provides essential information for determining whether the surfing conditions will be good over the next 16 days. A general guide to surfing at Jennette's Pier can be found by selecting the local surf guide option on the grey menu. Our Jennette's Pier 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 (Jennette's Pier) 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 Jennette's Pier 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 Jennette's Pier, camping, hotels and condos and appartments in North Carolina, consider staying in Elizabeth City which is 70 km (43 miles) away. Alternatively, find information about places to stay and car hire in Cape Hatteras which is 78 km (48 miles) away











