Jennette's Pier Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, this is Rusty, coming to you from the Outer Banks. Let's get into it.

Right off the bat, I’ve got to be straight with you – the next couple of weeks are looking flat. Real flat. The only spot on the radar is Jennette's Pier, and to be honest, it’s been a struggle. We’re looking at a long stretch of nothing special, but let’s see if there’s a glimmer of hope.

For the first week, from Monday the 20th of July, it’s a no-go. Afternoon thunderstorms, a tiny 0.7ft swell from the ESE with a short 8-second period, and a weak combined energy of just 10. It’s not even worth paddling out for. That same story pretty much holds through the whole week. Winds are all over the place – cross-off, cross-on, rain, heavy rain – but the swell just isn’t there. The waves are small, weak, and the conditions are poor. There’s a slight uptick on Wednesday the 22nd afternoon with a 5ft swell from the south, but that’s a short period wind swell at 5 seconds, and the cross-off wind will just make it a bumpy mess. The combined energy gets to 132, which is something, but it’s not a surfable something. It’s more of a kite-surfing wind.

The weekend of the 25th and 26th is more of the same. Small, weak swell. The highlight of the whole period, if you can call it that, is Sunday afternoon the 26th. We get a 2ft swell from the ESE, an 8-second period, and the wind goes light and variable, turning glassy clean. The combined energy is a measly 51, but it’s the only time the conditions are described as clean. It’s surfable, but it’s very ordinary. If you’re desperate for a paddle, that’s your window.

The second week doesn’t get much better. There’s a slight bump on Wednesday the 29th with a 4ft swell from the SE, a 9-second period, and a combined energy of 176. The wind is cross-off, so it’ll be clean. It’s still small, but it’s the most energy we’ll see for a while. Then Thursday the 30th morning has a bit of offshore wind from the W, with a 3ft swell from the SE, so it’ll be clean and a little bit more promising. After that, it fades away again. The last few days of the forecast, from the 31st of July into early August, are back to tiny, weak glassy conditions, but with hardly any energy to push a wave.

Look, I know it’s a tough outlook. The water temperature at Jennette’s Pier is a toasty 83°, which is a touch warmer than normal for this time of year, so at least you won’t freeze if you decide to go for a swim. But for surfing? It’s a blank run. This happens sometimes. The forecasts can change, but for now, keep your board in the car and your expectations low.

Rusty.

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