Surf Forecasts:
Nags Head Pier surf forecast from 22 Jul 2026:
- Best quality surf: Thursday 23 Jul, 11PM (local time) - 1.5ft (0.5m), 8s period, SE swell with glassy winds.
- Most powerful swell: Wednesday 22 Jul, 8PM (local time) - 6ft (1.8m), 6s period, S swell with 192 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Thursday 23 Jul, 11PM (local time) - 1.5ft (0.5m), 8s period with SE swell.
Best Forecast Surf Conditions for Nags Head Pier this week:
The surf forecast for Nags Head Pier over the next 16 days: The first swell (rated 1 star or higher) is forecast to arrive on Thursday (Jul 23) at 11PM. The primary swell is predicted to be 0.5m and 8s period with a secondary swell of 0.6m and 5s. The wind is predicted to be glassy as the swell arrives.
The most powerful waves expected at Nags Head Pier in the next 16 days are 1.8m 6s and forecast to arrive on Wednesday (Jul 22) at 8PM. Winds are predicted to be cross-offshore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 1.7m 6s period and expected on Wednesday (Jul 22) at 11PM.
| Wave Type | Time (EDT) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 11PM (Thu 23rd Jul) | 1.5ft (0.5m) 8s |
| Best Surf | 11PM (Thu 23rd Jul) | 1.5ft (0.5m) 8s |
| Most Powerful | 8PM (Wed 22nd Jul) | 6ft (1.8m) 6s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Nags Head Pier over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
Alright, Rusty here again, but this time in feet and miles per hour. Let’s talk Nags Head Pier—honestly, it’s a tough one.
The water’s about 81°, pretty normal for this time of year, but that’s the only thing that’s cooperating. Over the next 16 days, we’re looking at a whole lot of nothing. From Wednesday the 22nd through the rest of the month into early August, the surf is tiny and ugly.
We start with 1ft to 2ft swells from the ESE and SE, with weak energy (16 to 103), and short periods between 5 and 9 seconds. The wind is mostly cross-offshore, but often cross-on or fresh at 10 to 20 mph, and there’s a lot of rain and thunderstorms. The first glimmer is Thursday afternoon the 23rd: a glassy calm with 2ft swell from the NNE, period 5 seconds, but it’s very ordinary. Not worth the drive.
Friday the 24th gives us the biggest swell of the run—4ft from the NE (103 energy)—but the wind is cross-on at 18 mph and it’s lumpy. That’s poor surf, maybe for experts only, and even then it’s rough.
From Saturday the 25th to Sunday the 2nd of August, there’s a long gap. Almost a week with nothing. Days of 1ft to 2ft slop, weak energy (12 to 78), and winds that are cross, onshore, or just wrong.
The only standout in this whole forecast is Friday the 31st of July afternoon. We get a clean, gentle offshore wind from the WSW at 9 mph, with 3ft swell from the N, period 5 seconds. Energy’s low at 49, but it’ll be glassy and clean. That’s your moment to take the longboard out for a mellow session.
After that, into August, it’s more of the same: glassy but tiny, or cross-on and choppy. Tuesday the 4th of August morning is glassy but only 2ft. This break is exposed to swell from the NE, but nothing’s lining up.
Bottom line: there’s no real swell coming. The energy never gets strong, and the wind is rarely your buddy. If you’re here, maybe watch the horizon, but don’t count on a wave. Forecasts can change, but right now it’s a flat spell.
Rusty.
Short Range ForecastHeavy rain (total 52mm), heaviest during Thu afternoon. Warm (max 30°C on Wed afternoon, min 20°C on Sat morning). Winds decreasing (strong winds from the SSW on Wed night, calm by Thu night). | Days 5-7 Weather SummaryModerate rain (total 14mm), heaviest on Mon morning. Warm (max 28°C on Mon night, min 20°C on Sat afternoon). Winds increasing (calm on Sat afternoon, fresh winds from the WNW by Mon night). | |||||||||||||||||||
Wed 22 | Thursday 23 | Friday 24 | Saturday 25 | Sunday 26 | Monday 27 | Tuesday 28 | ||||||||||||||
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) | S 5 | ESE 8 | SE 8 | SE 8 | NNE 6 | NE 5 | ESE 8 | NE 5 | NE 5 | NE 6 | ESE 8 | ESE 8 | ESE 8 | ESE 8 | ESE 8 | ESE 8 | ESE 8 | ESE 8 | ESE 8 | ESE 9 |
Wave Graph  | ||||||||||||||||||||
 kJ | 106 | 28 | 17 | 16 | 41 | 48 | 42 | 45 | 52 | 38 | 48 | 35 | 34 | 33 | 32 | 32 | 34 | 26 | 25 | 27 |
Wind (km/h) | ||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | cross-off | cross-off | off | cross-off | glassy | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | cross | cross-off | cross-on | cross-on | on | cross-off | off | on | cross-off | off | off | off |
High Tide | 2:51PM1.09m | 2:58AM0.85m | 3:40PM1.08m | 3:47AM0.82m | 4:30PM1.08m | 4:39AM0.81m | 5:20PM1.09m | 5:31AM0.82m | 6:09PM1.11m | 6:22AM0.84m | 6:56PM1.14m | 7:10AM0.87m | 7:40PM1.16m | |||||||
Low Tide | 9:15PM0.33m | 8:59AM0.25m | 10:09PM0.35m | 9:46AM0.26m | 11:02PM0.35m | 10:36AM0.26m | 11:53PM0.34m | 11:27AM0.25m | 00:41AM0.31m | 12:17PM0.23m | 1:26AM0.28m | 1:05PM0.21m | 2:07AM0.24m | |||||||
 |  | | |  |  |  |  |  | |  |  | | | | | | | | | |
 | — | — | 6:01 | — | — | 6:03 | — | — | 6:03 | — | — | 6:03 | — | — | 6:05 | — | — | 6:05 | — | — |
 | 8:15 | — | — | 8:14 | — | — | 8:14 | — | — | 8:13 | — | — | 8:12 | — | — | 8:10 | — | — | 8:10 | — |
mm | 3 | 7 | 10 | 17 | 2 | 1 | — | 6 | 6 | 2 | — | — | — | 1 | 6 | 1 | 4 | — | — | — |
Temp °C | 30 | 28 | 27 | 23 | 24 | 24 | 24 | 24 | 20 | 21 | 23 | 23 | 24 | 24 | 25 | 26 | 28 | 26 | 30 | 29 |
Feels °C | 29 | 26 | 27 | 25 | 26 | 23 | 23 | 24 | 19 | 22 | 24 | 22 | 24 | 24 | 28 | 30 | 30 | 28 | 30 | 31 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | ESE 9 | ESE 8 | SSE 6 | SSE 7 | NNE 6 | ESE 8 | ESE 8 | SE 8 | ESE 7 | NE 6 | NE 6 | ESE 8 | ESE 8 | NE 6 | ESE 8 | ESE 8 | ESE 8 | ESE 8 | ESE 8 | ESE 9 |
| kJ | 16 | 28 | 34 | 18 | 34 | 38 | 42 | 45 | 36 | 38 | 25 | 35 | 34 | 15 | 32 | 32 | 34 | 26 | 25 | 27 |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | — | SW 4 | SE 8 | SE 8 | SSE 5 | S 5 | S 5 | SSW 5 | ESE 8 | ESE 8 | E 12 | E 12 | ESE 8 | NE 5 | NE 5 | SE 4 | SSE 6 | NE 5 | SSE 5 |
| kJ | — | — | 4 | 16 | 41 | 2 | 13 | 13 | 3 | 37 | 48 | 3 | 3 | 33 | 7 | 4 | 3 | 4 | 1 | 5 |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | — | SE 8 | N 4 | S 6 | S 5 | NNE 5 | NNE 5 | — | SW 5 | S 5 | — | — | S 6 | S 6 | — | ENE 5 | NE 5 | — | SE 6 |
| kJ | — | — | 17 | 5 | 10 | 17 | 17 | 15 | — | 1 | 5 | — | — | 1 | 3 | — | 3 | 1 | — | 2 |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | S 5 | SSW 5 | NW 3 | — | WSW 3 | NE 5 | NE 5 | NE 5 | NE 5 | — | — | NE 6 | NE 6 | — | — | SSE 2 | — | WNW 3 | SSE 2 | W 3 |
| kJ | 106 | 80 | 1 | — | 1 | 48 | 31 | 42 | 52 | — | — | 26 | 26 | — | — | 1 | — | 2 | 1 | 8 |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | ||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 49 | 94 | 11 | 43 | 0 | 84 | 84 | 84 | 49 | 0 | 94 | 174 | 754 | 651 | 17 | 254 | 345 | 43 | 699 | 43 |
Best forecast wave conditions in North Carolina | ||||||||||||||||||||
Best forecast wave conditions in United States | ||||||||||||||||||||
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Information about the Nags Head Pier Surf forecast
The above surf forecast table for Nags Head Pier provides essential information for determining whether the surfing conditions will be good over the next 16 days. A general guide to surfing at Nags Head Pier can be found by selecting the local surf guide option on the grey menu. Our Nags Head 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 (Nags Head 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 Nags Head 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 Nags Head Pier, camping, hotels and condos and appartments in North Carolina, consider staying in Elizabeth City which is 66 km (41 miles) away. Alternatively, find information about places to stay and car hire in Cape Hatteras which is 83 km (52 miles) away
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