Nags Head Pier Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, Rusty here. Let's talk about what's coming up for the Outer Banks. The next couple of weeks are a proper mixed bag, but there are a few moments that might just fire.

Right off the bat, we’re looking at small, weak conditions. Thursday the 3rd morning at Nags Head Pier is the first chance for a paddle, with some tiny 2 ft ESE swell, a period of 9 seconds, and a light cross-offshore breeze. It’s clean, but weak - combined energy is only 54. Not exactly something to race down for, but it's something. The water temp is about average for this time of year, nothing wild to report there.

Then we hit a real dry spell. From Thursday afternoon all the way through to Sunday the 6th, it's pretty much flat or junk. The wind is all over the place, and the swell is barely a ripple. You're looking at a good three to four days where the board's better off staying in the van.

Things get a bit more interesting around Monday the 7th. Swell jumps up to 7 ft in the morning from the ENE, with a period of 7 seconds. The energy is moderate, clocking in at 412. But here's the rub - it's a cross-onshore breeze making a mess of things. The report says "poor surf conditions" and that's what it looks like. That size, with that wind, at a beach/jetty spot? Honestly, that setup looks more interesting for kite surfing than paddle surfing.

Tuesday the 8th is the one that catches my eye. The morning is still a bit lumpy with a cross-onshore, but the afternoon shows some promise. We’ve got a 3 ft swell from the ENE with a nice 10-second period. The wind goes light and onshore, but the energy is there at 213. It’s a marginal call, but the longer period means it could have some shape.

The real standout, if you can be patient, is Monday the 14th. The morning at Nags Head Pier sees a 3 ft E swell with a 7-second period, but the wind is a clean offshore breeze from the WSW at 12 mph. Combined energy is 117 - moderate. For that area, a solid offshore makes all the difference. The waves will be clean, lined up, and with that E direction, the pier can work really well. Crowds are "sometimes" a problem, so on a good day like this, you might have to jostle for position, but it’ll be worth it.

Later on, Wednesday the 16th morning offers 4 ft from the ENE with a moderate breeze from the NNW, keeping it clean. Energy is 127. But by the afternoon, the wind swings back onshore and it gets bumpy. So that morning window is the one to chase.

The very last chance looks like Thursday the 17th morning, with 4 ft from the ENE, but it’s a cross-onshore breeze, so quality will be average.

Bottom line: don't waste your time until Monday the 7th at the earliest. The real sweet spot is Monday the 14th morning with that clean offshore wind. That’s the session to mark on the calendar.

Stay salty,
Rusty

Read more