Surf Forecasts:
Nags Head Pier surf forecast from 13 Jul 2026:
- Best quality surf: Wednesday 15 Jul, 2AM (local time) - 2ft (0.6m), 9s period, ESE swell with cross-offshore winds.
- Most powerful swell: Monday 13 Jul, 5AM (local time) - 5ft (1.6m), 7s period, E swell with 233 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Wednesday 15 Jul, 2AM (local time) - 2ft (0.6m), 9s period with ESE 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 Wednesday (Jul 15) at 2AM. The primary swell is predicted to be 0.6m and 9s period with a secondary swell of 0.5m and 6s. The wind is predicted to be cross-offshore as the swell arrives.
The most powerful waves expected at Nags Head Pier in the next 16 days are 1.6m 7s and forecast to arrive on Monday (Jul 13) at 5AM. Winds are predicted to be onshore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 1.1m 4s period and expected on Sunday (Jul 19) at 11PM.
| Wave Type | Time (EDT) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 2AM (Wed 15th Jul) | 2ft (0.6m) 9s |
| Best Surf | 2AM (Wed 15th Jul) | 2ft (0.6m) 9s |
| Most Powerful | 5AM (Mon 13th Jul) | 5ft (1.6m) 7s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Nags Head Pier over the next 16 days.
Alright, mate, Rusty here. Let's have a look at what's on offer for the Outer Banks over the next couple of weeks.
Honestly, it's a pretty grim stretch for Nags Head Pier. The entire 16-day window is a bit of a write-off for surf, with a huge gap of nothing worthwhile. The first real chance, and it's a slim one, doesn't come around until Monday the 20th. Even then, we're looking at tiny waves with a combined energy of just 58. It's surfable, but the conditions are very ordinary. The water temp is about average for this time of year, so nothing special there.
Leading up to that, you've got a solid week of poor surf. The early days, Monday the 13th and Tuesday the 14th, see onshore and cross-on winds hammering a messy, short-period 5ft to 3ft easterly swell. The energy is weak to moderate (222 down to 57), and it’s just blown-out chop. Not worth a paddle.
From Wednesday the 15th through to Sunday the 19th, the swell drops right off to nothing – we're talking 1.0ft to 2ft at best. The wind does clean up on the 15th and 16th with a light offshore and light cross-off, but there's simply no wave to ride. It's a total flat spell. The energy numbers are in the teens and twenties, which tells you everything.
The only potential highlight, and I use that term loosely, is the very last day of the forecast period: Tuesday the 28th. The morning shows a jump in the swell to 5ft, coming from the southeast with a combined energy of 140. The wind is a light cross-off from the southwest, which would keep things clean. But the swell period is a short, fat 5 seconds, so it'll be a bit of a close-out mess on the beach. It's "surfable but very ordinary."
Given the persistent poor quality and the fact that the consistent winds are often cross or onshore, this setup at Nags Head Pier looks more interesting for kite surfing than paddle surfing for most of this period. The only real standouts, if you’re desperate, are the morning of Monday the 20th and the morning of Tuesday the 28th, but don't expect much.
Rusty.
Short Range ForecastModerate rain (total 11mm), heaviest on Sun night. Warm (max 28°C on Wed afternoon, min 24°C on Tue night). Winds decreasing (fresh winds from the E on Mon morning, light winds from the SSE by Tue night). | Days 5-7 Weather SummaryMostly dry. Warm (max 30°C on Thu afternoon, min 25°C on Wed night). Mainly fresh winds. | ||||||||||||||||||||
Monday 13 | Tuesday 14 | Wednesday 15 | Thursday 16 | Friday 17 | Saturday 18 | Sun 19 | |||||||||||||||
Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | |
Swell Height Map |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | |||||||||||||
Wave Height (m) Direction Period (s) | ENE 7 | E 7 | E 7 | E 6 | E 6 | E 6 | ESE 9 | E 6 | ESE 9 | ESE 9 | ESE 8 | ESE 8 | ESE 8 | ESE 8 | NNE 4 | ENE 4 | SE 4 | SSE 4 | ESE 8 | SE 7 | E 13 |
Wave Graph  | |||||||||||||||||||||
 kJ | 232 | 222 | 192 | 116 | 57 | 41 | 53 | 19 | 15 | 15 | 12 | 11 | 6 | 7 | 13 | 21 | 7 | 13 | 6 | 22 | 3 |
Wind (km/h) | |||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | on | on | on | on | cross-on | cross-on | cross-off | off | cross | cross-off | cross-off | cross | off | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | cross | cross | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off |
High Tide | 6:52AM1.01m | 7:29PM1.43m | 7:52AM1.04m | 8:26PM1.42m | 8:50AM1.07m | 9:21PM1.38m | 9:46AM1.11m | 10:14PM1.32m | 10:41AM1.13m | 11:04PM1.24m | 11:33AM1.14m | 11:52PM1.14m | 12:24PM1.14m | ||||||||
Low Tide | 1:03AM0.08m | 12:51PM-0.00m | 2:01AM0.06m | 1:51PM-0.01m | 2:56AM0.04m | 2:51PM-0.00m | 3:47AM0.04m | 3:49PM0.02m | 4:36AM0.05m | 4:46PM0.07m | 5:22AM0.07m | 5:41PM0.12m | 6:06AM0.11m | 6:36PM0.18m | |||||||
 |  | |  |  | |  | | | | | | | | | |  | |  |  |  | |
 | — | 5:54 | — | — | 5:56 | — | — | 5:56 | — | — | 5:56 | — | — | 5:58 | — | — | 5:58 | — | — | 5:58 | — |
 | 8:20 | — | 8:20 | — | — | 8:19 | — | — | 8:19 | — | — | 8:19 | — | — | 8:17 | — | — | 8:16 | — | — | 8:16 |
mm | 8 | 1 | 2 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 4 | 4 | 2 |
Temp °C | 26 | 25 | 25 | 25 | 25 | 25 | 25 | 25 | 28 | 28 | 28 | 30 | 28 | 26 | 26 | 26 | 27 | 28 | 27 | 29 | 33 |
Feels °C | 24 | 23 | 23 | 23 | 24 | 25 | 27 | 28 | 28 | 27 | 30 | 33 | 27 | 24 | 25 | 24 | 27 | 27 | 27 | 30 | 34 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | S 6 | — | SE 9 | ESE 9 | ESE 9 | E 6 | ESE 9 | E 6 | ESE 6 | E 7 | ESE 8 | ESE 8 | SSE 4 | ESE 8 | ESE 8 | ESE 8 | NE 4 | ESE 8 | ESE 8 | SE 7 | E 13 |
| kJ | 3 | — | 20 | 16 | 16 | 41 | 53 | 19 | 11 | 8 | 12 | 11 | 7 | 7 | 13 | 6 | 6 | 7 | 6 | 22 | 3 |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | — | — | — | — | ESE 9 | E 6 | ESE 9 | ESE 9 | ESE 9 | E 6 | E 15 | ESE 8 | S 5 | — | S 6 | ESE 8 | NNE 4 | — | E 13 | E 8 |
| kJ | — | — | — | — | — | 16 | 20 | 16 | 15 | 15 | 3 | 4 | 6 | 2 | — | 1 | 6 | 2 | — | 3 | 1 |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | E 16 | E 16 | E 16 | E 15 | E 6 | E 6 | E 14 | E 14 | E 13 | E 13 | NE 5 | E 9 | — |
| kJ | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 5 | 5 | 5 | 4 | 3 | 1 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 3 | 1 | 1 | — |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | ENE 7 | E 7 | E 7 | E 6 | E 6 | — | — | — | — | SSW 3 | SW 3 | S 3 | SW 3 | NNE 3 | NNE 4 | ENE 4 | SE 4 | SSE 4 | SSW 4 | SSW 4 | S 4 |
| kJ | 232 | 222 | 192 | 116 | 57 | — | — | — | — | 7 | 2 | 7 | 3 | 1 | 13 | 21 | 7 | 13 | 28 | 16 | 30 |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 438 | 174 | 174 | 170 | 321 | 494 | 0 | 43 | 557 | 357 | 1285 | 822 | 1005 | 1056 | 1056 | 1056 | 1283 | 1734 | 491 | 289 | 95 |
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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