Jennette's Pier Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, Rusty here. Let's take a look at what's on the cards for the Outer Banks.

First off, I gotta be straight with you: the 16-day window is looking pretty grim for a proper paddle session. The data shows a long, almost empty stretch before we see anything worth getting excited about. The first decent bit of energy doesn't show up until the middle of the second week, so we're looking at a solid gap of about 10 days with absolutely nothing to recommend.

The main spot on the radar is Jennette's Pier. Water temp is sitting at 80°, which is about average for early August, so no surprises there.

For the first week and a bit, from Sunday the 2nd right through to the middle of the week starting August 12th, it's a write-off. The combined swell energy is weak, mostly in the double digits (like 65, 48, 37), with a lot of readings sitting at zero or near zero. We're talking about tiny, short-period, wind-affected slop from the SE. The wind is mostly cross-off or cross, which is okay, but there's just no swell to work with. It's a bleak run for a surfer.

Things start to twitch on Wednesday the 12th. We see a pulse of short-period, onshore windswell from the NNE. The combined energy bumps up to 80 on Wednesday afternoon, with a 4ft, 5-second swell. That's not exactly clean, but it's the first sign of life. The wind is onshore from the ENE/E, so it'll be a bit lumpy. This is a very beginner-level swell, but the energy is moderate.

The standout, and I mean the *only* real standout in this whole outlook, arrives on Monday the 17th of August. Morning shows a NNE swell picking up to 3ft with a 4-second period, and the combined energy climbs to 40. The afternoon is better, with the swell hitting 3ft from the NNE, a 5-second period, and combined energy of 53. The wind is cross-off from the SSW, which will clean it up nicely. This is the best bet on offer. It's a short-period windswell, so it won't be a classic groundswell, but it'll be rideable and clean for a beach break. The crowds there are "sometimes," so you might have some company, but it's not a madhouse.

For the rest of the period, it's back to tiny, weak surf. The setup here is more interesting for a kite surfer than a paddle surfer for most of the window, given the wind and the lack of quality swell.

Rusty.

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