Surf Forecasts:
Laundromats surf forecast from 18 Aug 2026:
- Best quality surf: Tuesday 18 Aug, 8AM (local time) - 1.5ft (0.5m), 9s period, SE swell with cross-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) - 1.5ft (0.5m), 9s period with SE swell.
Best Forecast Surf Conditions for Laundromats this week:
The surf forecast for Laundromats 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 0.5m and 9s period with a secondary swell of 0.2m and 3s. The wind is predicted to be cross-offshore as the swell arrives.
The most powerful waves expected at Laundromats in the next 16 days are 0.6m 11s and forecast to arrive on Tuesday (Aug 18) at 2PM. Winds are predicted to be onshore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 0.9m 4s period and expected on Sunday (Aug 23) at 5AM.
| Wave Type | Time (EDT) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 8AM (Tue 18th Aug) | 1.5ft (0.5m) 9s |
| Best Surf | 8AM (Tue 18th Aug) | 1.5ft (0.5m) 9s |
| Most Powerful | 2PM (Tue 18th Aug) | 2ft (0.6m) 11s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Laundromats over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
Alright, grab your wetties, 'cause we're lookin' at a long stretch here, and I gotta be straight with ya – it's gonna be a tough one to get wet.
The next 16 days are looking pretty flat and pretty poor for Laundromats. The swell energy is just weak, and we've got a lot of onshore and cross-shore wind to deal with. It's one of those periods where you're better off tuning up your board or checking the cams, because the surf is going to be a tease at best.
The run starts on Monday the 17th with a weak pulse of SE swell, maybe 1ft, but it's pretty much a lake out there. The water is 84°, which is a couple of degrees warmer than usual for this time of year, so if you were to get in, it'd be a warm one, but that ocean is just not putting out.
Tuesday the 18th sees a slight bump up to 2ft, and a light NNW breeze keeps it clean, but the swell is just marginal. It's the kind of knee-high stuff that'll have you scratching your head, not logging waves.
The middle of the week, Wednesday the 19th through Friday the 21st, is all poor. We're seeing onshores and cross-offshores, but the swell just isn't there. It's all around 1ft. This is a real dead zone.
We head into the weekend of the 22nd and 23rd, and it doesn't get any better. The wind is messy, there's a risk of thunderstorms, and we're still stuck with that weak, short-period E/ESE swell. It's a write-off.
The following week starts off the same way. From Monday the 24th to Tuesday the 26th, we’ve got tiny waves, mostly 1ft, and onshore breezes. There is a tiny glimmer on the morning of Tuesday the 26th, with a clean 1ft ESE swell. But it's just a tease.
Now, here's where things might get slightly interesting, but you gotta be patient and you gotta be an expert. Towards the end of the month, the swell starts to fill in a bit. On the 27th, that ESE swell picks up to 3ft with a longer period of 12 seconds, and we get a clean cross-offshore wind in the morning. This is the best of the bunch, the standout of the whole run. It's your go-to day if you're an experienced surfer. The energy is getting moderate, but it's still not firing on all cylinders. This is the one to keep an eye on.
After that, it just gets messy again. A strong N wind arrives on the 28th, chopping things up, and by the time we roll into the first of September, the swell direction swings to the ENE, the period drops to a dismal 5 seconds, and the wind is all over the place. A big low pushes through on the 31st with a near gale wind, so that's not even worth looking at the ocean. The long range stuff is promising but less certain, so keep your expectations in check.
Bottom line, for the next couple of weeks, this is a blank run. If we do see a wave, it's not going to be pretty. If you're desperate to get wet, the morning of the 27th is your best bet, but that's about it. The setup looks more interesting for kite surfing if you're into that, but for a surf, I'd honestly find another hobby for a bit.
Take it easy.
Rusty
Short Range ForecastLight rain (total 5mm), mostly falling on Tue afternoon. Warm (max 32°C on Mon afternoon, min 25°C on Tue morning). Wind will be generally light. | Days 5-7 Weather SummaryHeavy rain (total 60mm), heaviest during Fri night. Warm (max 32°C on Fri afternoon, min 22°C on Fri night). Mainly fresh winds. | |||||||||||||||||||
Mon 17 | Tuesday 18 | Wednesday 19 | Thursday 20 | Friday 21 | Saturday 22 | Sunday 23 | ||||||||||||||
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 9 | SE 9 | SE 9 | ESE 11 | ESE 10 | ESE 9 | ESE 9 | ESE 9 | ESE 8 | ESE 8 | ESE 8 | ESE 8 | S 4 | E 9 | E 8 | E 8 | S 4 | NE 6 | E 12 | E 12 |
Wave Graph | ||||||||||||||||||||
19 | 20 | 40 | 78 | 56 | 33 | 26 | 25 | 14 | 14 | 14 | 24 | 16 | 24 | 23 | 22 | 13 | 10 | 26 | 25 | |
Wind (km/h) | ||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | glassy | off | cross-off | cross-on | cross-on | on | on | cross-on | glassy | cross-on | glassy | cross-off | cross | cross | on | cross | cross-off | cross-off | cross | cross-off |
High Tide | 11:50PM0.97m | 12:26PM1.15m | 00:32AM0.89m | 1:13PM1.09m | 1:19AM0.83m | 2:09PM1.05m | 2:22AM0.78m | 3:15PM1.04m | 3:36AM0.78m | 4:11PM1.05m | 4:33AM0.80m | 5:00PM1.07m | ||||||||
Low Tide | 6:10PM0.26m | 6:07AM0.19m | 7:01PM0.35m | 6:49AM0.28m | 7:58PM0.42m | 7:36AM0.36m | 9:00PM0.46m | 8:31AM0.41m | 9:57PM0.47m | 9:29AM0.43m | 10:47PM0.45m | 10:22AM0.42m | 11:36PM0.41m | |||||||
— | — | 6:22 | — | — | 6:22 | — | — | 6:24 | — | — | 6:24 | — | — | 6:26 | — | — | 6:26 | — | — | |
7:50 | — | — | 7:49 | — | — | 7:47 | — | — | 7:46 | — | — | 7:45 | — | — | 7:44 | — | — | 7:43 | — | |
mm | — | — | — | 3 | 1 | — | — | 1 | — | — | 3 | — | — | 46 | 3 | 3 | 4 | 1 | 3 | 3 |
Temp °C | 32 | 30 | 26 | 27 | 27 | 27 | 27 | 28 | 26 | 30 | 29 | 29 | 32 | 27 | 26 | 27 | 26 | 27 | 28 | 27 |
Feels °C | 33 | 33 | 29 | 30 | 29 | 29 | 30 | 31 | 30 | 32 | 30 | 31 | 36 | 30 | 29 | 30 | 29 | 30 | 28 | 27 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SE 9 | SSE 5 | SE 9 | ESE 11 | ESE 10 | ESE 9 | ESE 9 | ESE 9 | ESE 8 | ESE 8 | SE 4 | ESE 8 | ESE 9 | E 9 | E 8 | NNE 6 | NNE 6 | SSE 7 | NNE 6 | E 12 |
19 | 8 | 40 | 78 | 56 | 33 | 26 | 25 | 14 | 14 | 3 | 24 | 16 | 24 | 23 | 14 | 13 | 17 | 3 | 25 | |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | E 6 | SE 9 | ESE 12 | — | SSE 5 | SE 5 | S 4 | — | NE 4 | — | ESE 8 | E 15 | E 7 | — | SE 5 | E 8 | E 8 | NE 6 | E 12 | E 7 |
2 | 20 | 14 | — | 4 | 6 | 2 | — | 1 | — | 14 | 4 | 1 | — | 5 | 22 | 11 | 8 | 26 | 4 | |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | E 5 | ESE 12 | — | — | — | — | — | NE 4 | — | E 6 | E 15 | E 15 | E 14 | E 13 | SE 5 | E 13 | E 8 | E 8 | NNE 6 |
— | 2 | 14 | — | — | — | — | — | 1 | — | 1 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 14 | 6 | 13 | 10 | 5 | 3 | |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | N 3 | N 3 | — | — | — | ESE 5 | ESE 3 | SE 4 | SE 4 | S 4 | SSE 3 | S 4 | SSE 5 | — | S 5 | S 4 | SSW 3 | S 4 | S 4 |
— | 2 | 1 | — | — | — | 5 | 4 | 5 | 4 | 7 | 2 | 13 | 8 | — | 13 | 13 | 5 | 19 | 24 | |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | ||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 525 | 533 | 0 | 82 | 82 | 207 | 1066 | 484 | 637 | 1094 | 421 | 456 | 359 | 195 | 56 | 13 | 0 | 441 | 98 | 82 |
Best forecast wave conditions in North Carolina | ||||||||||||||||||||
Best forecast wave conditions in United States | ||||||||||||||||||||
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Information about the Laundromats Surf forecast
The above surf forecast table for Laundromats provides essential information for determining whether the surfing conditions will be good over the next 16 days. A general guide to surfing at Laundromats can be found by selecting the local surf guide option on the grey menu. Our Laundromats 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 (Laundromats) 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 Laundromats 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.
Laundromats is 56 km (35 miles) from the city of Elizabeth City. If you plan a vacation in North Carolina, look for hotels and other accommodation in Elizabeth City. Elizabeth City has rooms for a wide range of budgets as well as car hire and transport links.











