Surf Forecasts:
Jennette's Pier surf forecast from 17 Aug 2026:
- Best quality surf: Tuesday 18 Aug, 8AM (local time) - 2ft (0.6m), 9s period, SE swell with offshore winds.
- Most powerful swell: Tuesday 18 Aug, 2PM (local time) - 2ft (0.6m), 11s period, ESE swell with 82 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Tuesday 18 Aug, 8AM (local time) - 2ft (0.6m), 9s period with SE 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 Tuesday (Aug 18) at 8AM. The primary swell is predicted to be 0.6m and 9s period with a secondary swell of 0.2m and 12s. The wind is predicted to be offshore 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 2PM. Winds are predicted to be cross-onshore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 0.7m 6s period and expected on Tuesday (Aug 18) at 2AM.
| Wave Type | Time (EDT) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 8AM (Tue 18th Aug) | 2ft (0.6m) 9s |
| Best Surf | 8AM (Tue 18th Aug) | 2ft (0.6m) 9s |
| Most Powerful | 2PM (Tue 18th Aug) | 2ft (0.6m) 11s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Jennette's Pier over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
Hey folks, Rusty here. Let's be straight with you about what's on offer at Jennette's Pier. This is a consistent spot, but the next couple of weeks are looking pretty bleak for any decent waves. The water temperature is sitting at 83°, which is a touch warmer than normal for this time of year.
Looking at the whole forecast, there's a long stretch of nothing much happening. From the start of the period, right through the week of August 17th, it's all poor surf conditions. The swell is tiny, mostly around 1 ft to 2 ft, and what little energy there is comes from the SE or ESE. The combined swell energy is weak, often under 50 (e.g. 15, 33, 80). The winds are a mess – cross-shore, onshore, or cross-off – and the wave comments are all "poor surf conditions." A few days have a glassy look, like Thursday morning the 20th with a WSW glass wind, but the swell is just too small to do anything with.
Things don't improve much as we head into the next week. We get a slight bump in energy around August 26th, when the swell period jumps to 15 seconds on Wednesday morning. That's a long-period groundswell, but it's only 2 ft from the east, and the combined energy (147) is moderate. The wind is offshore from the west, so it's clean, but it's still very small. That afternoon, the wind swings onshore and the surf goes to zero again.
The first real standout in this whole 16-day window is a bit of a long shot, but it's the best we've got. On Monday, August 31st, the morning looks glassy with a NNE wind at 3 mph. There's a 5 ft swell from the NE, with a short period of 7 seconds. The combined energy hits 205 (moderate), and the forecast says "expect good surf conditions." This is likely the best window, but it's a long way out, so treat it as promising but not locked in. The NE swell direction is a good match for this exposed spot, and those glassy conditions will make for clean, fun waves. It's small enough for most and a good option for intermediates.
For the rest of the period, it's a tough watch. The end of August and start of September sees a bit more size, with swell up to 7 ft on the 30th, but the winds are messy and the period is short, so it's just a lumpy, choppy mess. Definitely not worth paddling out for.
So, to sum it up: there's a lot of flat, poor days ahead. The only real glimmer of hope is that Monday morning, August 31st. If you're itching to get wet, that's your best bet, but keep your expectations low.
Rusty.
Short Range ForecastModerate rain (total 11mm), heaviest on Tue afternoon. Warm (max 32°C on Mon afternoon, min 26°C on Mon morning). Wind will be generally light. | Days 4-6 Weather SummaryHeavy rain (total 30mm), heaviest during Thu night. Warm (max 31°C on Thu afternoon, min 24°C on Fri night). Wind will be generally light. | ||||||||||||||||||||
Monday 17 | Tuesday 18 | Wednesday 19 | Thursday 20 | Friday 21 | Saturday 22 | Sunday 23 | |||||||||||||||
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 9 | E 13 | SE 9 | ESE 11 | ESE 10 | ESE 9 | ESE 9 | ESE 9 | ESE 8 | ESE 8 | ESE 9 | ESE 8 | E 9 | E 14 | ESE 9 | ESE 9 | E 13 | E 12 | E 12 | E 12 |
Wave Graph | |||||||||||||||||||||
9 | 27 | 3 | 52 | 78 | 65 | 33 | 31 | 25 | 14 | 14 | 15 | 24 | 27 | 16 | 15 | 15 | 13 | 12 | 11 | 25 | |
Wind (km/h) | |||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | cross-off | cross | off | cross | on | on | on | on | cross | glassy | cross | glassy | cross-on | cross-on | cross-off | off | cross | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | off |
High Tide | 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 | 4:52PM1.08m | ||||||||
Low Tide | 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 | 10:19AM0.28m | 11:30PM0.28m | ||||||||
6:22 | — | — | 6:22 | — | — | 6:22 | — | — | 6:24 | — | — | 6:24 | — | — | 6:26 | — | — | 6:26 | — | — | |
— | 7:50 | — | — | 7:49 | — | — | 7:46 | — | — | 7:45 | — | — | 7:45 | — | — | 7:44 | — | — | 7:42 | — | |
mm | 1 | 1 | — | 1 | 4 | 4 | — | — | — | — | — | 6 | — | 6 | 10 | 3 | — | 5 | 1 | — | 2 |
Temp °C | 28 | 32 | 30 | 28 | 28 | 28 | 27 | 28 | 28 | 28 | 31 | 29 | 26 | 27 | 28 | 24 | 27 | 28 | 26 | 28 | 28 |
Feels °C | 29 | 34 | 32 | 32 | 31 | 31 | 31 | 32 | 31 | 33 | 33 | 30 | 30 | 30 | 30 | 26 | 31 | 31 | 27 | 28 | 29 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SE 8 | SE 9 | SE 6 | SE 9 | ESE 11 | ESE 10 | ESE 9 | ESE 9 | NE 4 | ESE 8 | ESE 8 | ESE 9 | ESE 8 | E 9 | ESE 9 | ESE 9 | ESE 9 | E 8 | SSE 6 | SSE 6 | E 12 |
9 | 27 | 31 | 52 | 78 | 65 | 33 | 31 | 3 | 14 | 14 | 15 | 24 | 27 | 16 | 15 | 15 | 12 | 8 | 7 | 25 | |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | E 5 | E 6 | E 5 | ESE 12 | SSE 5 | N 3 | SSE 5 | SSE 5 | ESE 9 | SE 5 | — | SE 5 | E 15 | SE 5 | ENE 9 | ENE 8 | ENE 8 | SSE 6 | E 8 | E 12 | SSE 4 |
5 | 2 | 1 | 14 | 9 | 1 | 9 | 2 | 25 | 4 | — | 3 | 4 | 1 | 7 | 7 | 6 | 7 | 12 | 11 | 2 | |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SE 4 | E 14 | E 13 | ESE 12 | — | N 3 | — | S 5 | SSE 5 | — | — | ENE 3 | — | E 15 | E 14 | SE 5 | E 13 | E 13 | E 12 | E 8 | E 8 |
1 | 4 | 3 | 14 | — | 1 | — | 2 | 3 | — | — | 1 | — | 4 | 16 | 1 | 14 | 13 | 12 | 5 | 5 | |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SW 3 | SSW 2 | SW 3 | — | — | — | ENE 3 | ENE 4 | — | — | SE 5 | S 3 | S 5 | S 3 | S 4 | — | SSE 5 | S 3 | — | — | — |
4 | 1 | 2 | — | — | — | 7 | 8 | — | — | 6 | 2 | 11 | 8 | 5 | — | 10 | 3 | — | — | — | |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 221 | 402 | 373 | 6 | 73 | 167 | 80 | 38 | 38 | 825 | 1178 | 114 | 608 | 427 | 80 | 38 | 5 | 221 | 243 | 279 | 433 |
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











