Kitty Hawk Pier Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, this is Rusty comin' at ya from the Outer Banks.

Well, I gotta be straight with you. Looking at the 16-day window for the Kitty Hawk Pier area, it's a pretty grim stretch. The first solid chance of anything worth getting wet for doesn't show up until Saturday afternoon, July 25th. Before that, it's a whole lot of nothing - small, weak, and ugly. From the 22nd through the 25th, we're looking at a solid three-day gap of poor surf conditions with next to no energy.

The story for the whole period is tiny, weak swells. The water temp is sitting at a warm 82°, which is about a degree above normal for this time of year, so the water's nice.

Saturday afternoon, July 25th, is the first time we see a glimmer of hope. The swell is tiny, only 3 ft, from the NE with a short period of 6 seconds and combined energy of just 76. Not a lot of power. But what makes it interesting is the wind goes glassy, dead calm. That'll make the surface as clean as a mirror. You'll be on a longboard, working for every little bump, but it'll be the most fun you've had in days.

The only other time that really pops is Tuesday afternoon, August 4th. We get a 3 ft swell from the SE with a 6-second period, and the combined energy is 64. Again, not big. But the wind is turning offshore from the WSW, 9 mph, which will groom those small waves into clean little lines. It's a "gentle offshore and clean" situation, which is a major positive for this break. It's a beach setup, so with the period under 8 seconds, it'll be a bit crumbly, but for a tiny wave, it'll be your best bet.

The rest of the window is a mix of onshore, cross-shore, and choppy conditions with tiny, weak swell. There's a lot of wind from the NE and N that just ruins any chance of quality. The energy levels are in the low double digits or triple digits, never cracking anything noteworthy. The 30th of July has a bit more energy (120) from a NNE swell, but the wind is cross-shore and strong, making it choppy and unpleasant.

For a few days in late July, there's a consistent offshore wind, but the swell is just too small (1 ft to 2 ft) to make it worth paddling out for. The Friday morning, July 31st, has a 2 ft swell from the NE with 45 energy and a cross-shore wind that kills it.

Bottom line: This is a longboarder's patience test. The standout moments are Saturday afternoon the 25th for the glassy clean conditions, and Tuesday afternoon the 4th of August for the offshore winds. Everything else is a skunk. For a beach break like this, with such minimal swell and poor winds, it's honestly looking more interesting for a kite session than a paddle session on a few of those windier days.

Rusty.

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