Kitty Hawk Pier Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, Rusty here. Let’s be straight with you – this is a tough one for the Outer Banks. We’re looking at a solid 16-day run, but the surf is practically missing in action for the whole stretch. There’s nothing on the cards that’s worth getting excited about. The combined swell energy tops out at a weak 273 (moderate) right at the start on Monday 3 August, but that’s paired with a messy SSE swell at 5ft and a short 8-second period, plus a strong cross-offshore wind that’s just not going to hold it together. After that, it’s a long, flat grind.

Let’s walk through it. Monday 3 August kicks off with a chance of waves, but the conditions are poor. The swell is 5ft from the SSE, period 8 seconds, and the wind is a 22 mph cross-off from the SSW – that’s too much juice for the shape to hold, and the water has that chop. The energy drops fast: Tuesday 4 August brings 3ft to 3ft from the SE, period 7-8 seconds, but the wind is cross or cross-off at 16-19 mph, so it’s still messy. By Wednesday 5 August, we’re down to 2-3ft, and the period slips to 6 seconds – weak, short-period junk. The rest of the first week (Thursday 6 through Sunday 9 August) is all 1ft to 2ft, 4-8 second period, with cross-off winds that are clean but the swell is too small to do anything. The energy numbers are in the 30-50 range, which is weak.

The second week is even worse. From Monday 10 August all the way through to Tuesday 18 August, the swell height barely tickles 2ft, with periods mostly 6-9 seconds. There’s a moment on Tuesday 11 August with a clean offshore wind from the WSW at 12 mph and a 9-second period, but the swell is only 0.7ft – you’d need a magnifying glass. Wednesday 12 August morning goes glassy with winds from the WNW at 3 mph, but the swell is still 0.7ft from the ESE. It’s flat, flat, flat. The energy numbers are all in the single digits or low teens.

The only break we’ve got data for is Kitty Hawk Pier (United States). It’s a beach/pier setup, fairly consistent in general, but there’s nothing consistent about this forecast. The optimum swell direction is SE, and we do see some SE swell, but the size and period never line up. The water temperature anomaly is not flagged, so it’s about average for August. But honestly, there’s no standout option here. The whole 16-day window is a blank run. For the Outer Banks, this is one of those stretches where the forecasts can change, but right now, there’s no surf to speak of.

If you’ve got a kite, you might get some play on the windy days (like Monday 3 August with 22 mph cross-off), but for paddle surfing, this is a full-on drought.

Rusty.

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