Nags Head Pier Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, let’s talk about Nags Head Pier.

Honestly, for the next week and a half, it’s going to be a real struggle. We’ve got a whole lot of small, weak swell and less-than-ideal wind for the most part. The water is sitting at a warm 81° which is a touch warmer than normal for this time of year, so at least you won’t need a thick suit.

The first real chance of anything rideable doesn’t show up until Sunday the 13th. It’s still only 2ft of east-southeast swell, but with a light offshore in the morning, it’ll at least be clean. The energy is weak (65), but it’s something. Monday the 14th has a similar story with a light west-northwest wind keeping it clean.

Tuesday the 15th, we might have the pick of the first week. It’s still tiny at 2ft, but it’s glassy in the morning. It’ll be small and gutless, but if you’re desperate for a slide, that’s your window. The period is only 8 seconds, so it’s not going to have much push. From there, we slide back into poor, weak conditions until Thursday the 17th.

That’s when things get interesting, though not necessarily good. The swell starts to fill in from the north-northeast, jumping up to 5ft, and the energy ramps up into the moderate range (130-154). However, the wind is onshore and it’s a short-period, wind-swell mess. This is going to be lumpy and blown-out. Honestly, with that wind and the beach break setup, this looks like it might be more fun for the kite surfers than us paddlers.

Friday the 18th sees the swell still pushing 5ft from the east-northeast, and the wind swings offshore from the southwest. That cleans it up nicely, and the energy is solid at 179. This could be the standout of the whole period. It’s still a short-period 7-second swell, but it’s the biggest, cleanest surf we’re going to see. It could be fun on the higher tide. It’s not for the beginners, but for the guys who know the pier, it could dish up some wedges. After that, it drops back down and gets messy with a strong north-northeast wind for the weekend.

Looking further out, the middle of the following week sees the north-northeast swell fill in again. Tuesday the 22nd and Wednesday the 23rd have 5ft to 5ft of east-northeast swell with moderate energy (171). It’s still cross-onshore, but the wind is lighter than the weekend’s blow. This is another potential window, but it’s a long way out and the forecast is less certain.

The last morning on offer, Thursday the 24th, is glassy with a small 3ft east swell. It’s ordinary, but clean.

So, to break it down: the first week is mostly a skunk, unless you’re after a tiny, clean wave on Tuesday the 15th. The real standout looks like Friday the 18th, which will be the biggest and best combo of swell and wind we get. Keep an eye on that one. The other window mid-week after that is promising, but we’ll have to see how it develops. It won't stay flat forever.

Rusty.

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