Kitty Hawk Pier Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, Rusty here. Let’s have a look at what’s going on with Kitty Hawk Pier. I gotta be straight with you – this 16-day window is a tough one. We’re looking at a long stretch of pretty ordinary surf, and honestly, there’s no proper standout session to get excited about. The first few days are dead flat or just too wonky to bother with. It’s not until we get into the second week that we see a little bit of energy, but it comes with its own problems.

The water temp is sitting about average for the time of year, so no surprises there.

We start off on Tuesday, July 14th, with a weak 3ft swell from the east, but it’s a short-period 6 seconds and the wind is a cross-onshore breeze from the ENE at 12 mph. That’s a recipe for choppy, messy conditions. The combined energy is a weak 116 – not worth paddling out for. Wednesday and Thursday stay tiny, with swell under 2ft, and while we get a clean window with offshore wind on Wednesday morning, there’s just no wave to ride. Friday morning, July 17th, is glassy – 1.0ft from the ESE, but again, it’s barely a ripple.

The real story starts to shift around Sunday, July 19th. The afternoon shows a bit of pulse: 4ft from the south at 8 seconds, with a cross-offshore wind from the SSW. The combined energy jumps to 153 – moderate – and the conditions are clean. It’s surfable, but very ordinary. That’s the best we get for a while.

Monday morning, July 20th, holds some small 2ft swell from the SE, but it’s still just okay. The real dud is the rest of that week: strong onshore winds and rain on Monday afternoon, then a stubborn east-northeast wind pattern kicks in from Tuesday, July 21st through Wednesday, July 22nd. During that stretch, the swell gets up to 4ft, but it’s all onshore, poor quality, and the period is a miserable 4 to 6 seconds. The energy is moderate (124 to 192), but the wind is trash.

By Thursday, July 23rd, we get a break in the wind. The morning is clean with a light cross-offshore breeze from the SSW, and the swell is 3ft from the NE at 6 seconds. The energy is a solid 168 – moderate – and the conditions are clean. It’s surfable, but still not firing. The crowds are sometimes an issue here, so you might have some company on the weaker waves.

The last week of July sees a bit more size. On Saturday, July 25th, we have 4ft from the SE, but it’s still a short period swell and the wind is fresh at 18 mph. The morning of Sunday, July 26th, brings the biggest swell of the whole period: 5ft from the SE, 8 seconds, with a combined energy of 438 – that’s strong wave energy. But the wind is a fresh cross-offshore at 18 mph, and the whole setup is still rated as poor surf conditions. It’s clean, but for a beach/pier break, that 5ft and short period is going to be a jumbled mess. That’s more of a kite-surfing day than a good paddle session.

The very end of the month, Monday, July 27th, shows 4ft from the ESE with a 9-second period and a light cross-offshore wind. Energy is moderate at 184. It’s clean, but again, it’s just not a standout.

So, bottom line: there’s no true standout session here. The best chance for a paddle is probably the morning of Thursday, July 23rd, when the wind is light and the swell is just about big enough to ride, or maybe that Sunday, July 26th, if you don’t mind the size and the wind. But for the most part, this is a lean run. The forecast can always change, so don’t lose hope, but right now, I’d keep the board in the car and wait for a better day.

Rusty.

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