Surf Forecasts:
Nags Head Pier surf forecast from 20 Jul 2026:
- Best quality surf: Sunday 26 Jul, 8PM (local time) - 1.5ft (0.5m), 8s period, ESE swell with glassy winds.
- Most powerful swell: Wednesday 22 Jul, 8PM (local time) - 6ft (1.9m), 5s period, S swell with 206 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Sunday 26 Jul, 8PM (local time) - 1.5ft (0.5m), 8s 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 Sunday (Jul 26) at 8PM. The primary swell is predicted to be 0.5m and 8s period with a secondary swell of 0.5m 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 1.9m 5s 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 1.8m 6s period and expected on Tuesday (Jul 21) at 11PM.
| Wave Type | Time (EDT) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 8PM (Sun 26th Jul) | 1.5ft (0.5m) 8s |
| Best Surf | 8PM (Sun 26th Jul) | 1.5ft (0.5m) 8s |
| Most Powerful | 8PM (Wed 22nd Jul) | 6ft (1.9m) 5s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Nags Head Pier over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
Alright folks, Rusty here. Let’s get real about the next couple of weeks at Nags Head. I’m gonna be straight with you – this is a rough patch. We’re looking at a long stretch of poor surf conditions, so don’t get your hopes up.
We start the outlook on Monday the 20th of July, and honestly, there’s nothing to ride. The first sign of anything surfable doesn’t pop up until Wednesday the 29th of July. That’s over a week of flat, junk surf. The wind is mostly cross or onshore, and the swell is tiny. The water is a warm 82°, which is a touch warmer than usual for this time of year, but that’s about the only thing going for us.
The only real glimmer of hope comes on the morning of Wednesday the 29th. Nags Head Pier might see a pulse of 3ft swell coming from the southeast. The combined energy climbs to 167, which is moderate, and the wind will be light from the NNW, making for clean conditions. The period is 9 seconds, so it’s a short period windswell, but it’s the best we’re going to get. The water will still be warm, but the surf is just barely surfable and very ordinary. Honestly, it’s a one-star day at best.
After that, the energy drops right back off. The rest of the 16-day window is a write-off. If you’re desperate, you might paddle out on the 29th, but otherwise, save your energy. This is a classic summer flat spell. The break is a beach/jetty setup, so with the small swell and strong onshore winds we see at times, the setup looks more interesting for kite surfing than paddle surfing. It’s a tough forecast, but that’s the way it is.
Stay patient.
Rusty.
Short Range ForecastHeavy rain (total 108mm), heaviest during Mon night. Warm (max 31°C on Tue afternoon, min 24°C on Mon night). Winds increasing (calm on Mon morning, strong winds from the SSW by Tue afternoon). | Days 4-6 Weather SummaryHeavy rain (total 86mm), heaviest during Thu morning. Warm (max 24°C on Fri afternoon, min 21°C on Thu morning). Mainly strong winds. | ||||||||||||||||||||
Monday 20 | Tuesday 21 | Wednesday 22 | Thursday 23 | Friday 24 | Saturday 25 | Sunday 26 | |||||||||||||||
AM | 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) | E 12 | NE 4 | ESE 8 | ESE 8 | S 5 | E 9 | ESE 9 | S 5 | ESE 9 | SE 8 | NNE 5 | NE 6 | ESE 8 | ESE 8 | ESE 8 | ESE 8 | ESE 7 | NE 5 | ESE 8 | ESE 8 | ESE 8 |
Wave Graph  | |||||||||||||||||||||
 kJ | 3 | 7 | 6 | 6 | 73 | 2 | 16 | 178 | 15 | 93 | 66 | 44 | 58 | 56 | 51 | 64 | 43 | 49 | 48 | 34 | 33 |
Wind (km/h) | |||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | glassy | cross-on | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | cross | cross | cross | cross-off |
High Tide | 1:13PM1.13m | 1:24AM0.97m | 2:02PM1.11m | 2:10AM0.90m | 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 | ||||||||
Low Tide | 7:29PM0.24m | 7:31AM0.19m | 8:22PM0.29m | 8:14AM0.22m | 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 | ||||||||
 | |  |  | | |  | | |  | |  |  |  |  | |  |  | |  |  | |
 | 6:00 | — | — | 6:01 | — | — | 6:01 | — | — | 6:01 | — | — | 6:03 | — | — | 6:03 | — | — | 6:03 | — | — |
 | — | 8:15 | — | — | 8:15 | — | — | 8:15 | — | — | 8:14 | — | — | 8:14 | — | — | 8:13 | — | — | 8:12 | — |
mm | 1 | 10 | 42 | — | 2 | 7 | 8 | 10 | 28 | 32 | 2 | — | 1 | — | 7 | 4 | 14 | 26 | 1 | — | — |
Temp °C | 26 | 27 | 25 | 29 | 31 | 28 | 28 | 29 | 28 | 22 | 23 | 23 | 23 | 24 | 24 | 23 | 23 | 23 | 24 | 24 | 24 |
Feels °C | 31 | 32 | 25 | 29 | 30 | 25 | 26 | 28 | 25 | 19 | 19 | 20 | 18 | 20 | 20 | 20 | 20 | 22 | 22 | 22 | 25 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SSE 8 | NE 4 | NE 4 | SSE 6 | ESE 8 | E 9 | ESE 9 | ESE 9 | ESE 9 | SE 8 | SE 8 | SE 6 | ESE 8 | ESE 8 | ESE 8 | ESE 8 | ESE 7 | ESE 8 | ESE 8 | ESE 8 | ESE 8 |
| kJ | 24 | 4 | 3 | 8 | 7 | 2 | 16 | 16 | 15 | 93 | 48 | 14 | 58 | 56 | 51 | 64 | 43 | 44 | 48 | 34 | 33 |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | NNE 4 | SSE 7 | ESE 8 | ESE 8 | NE 5 | — | — | — | — | SE 8 | SSE 7 | ESE 8 | S 6 | S 6 | NE 5 | NE 5 | NE 5 | — | E 12 | NE 5 | NE 5 |
| kJ | 1 | 9 | 6 | 6 | 1 | — | — | — | — | 16 | 11 | 12 | 3 | 1 | 13 | 11 | 10 | — | 3 | 14 | 9 |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | E 12 | ESE 8 | E 12 | ENE 5 | E 10 | — | — | — | — | — | — | S 7 | — | — | S 6 | S 5 | — | — | — | — | SSE 6 |
| kJ | 3 | 7 | 3 | 2 | 2 | — | — | — | — | — | — | 1 | — | — | 1 | 1 | — | — | — | — | 3 |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | — | S 4 | SW 3 | S 5 | S 5 | S 5 | S 5 | S 5 | N 4 | NNE 5 | NE 6 | NE 4 | NE 4 | — | — | — | NE 5 | NE 5 | — | — |
| kJ | — | — | 18 | 3 | 73 | 188 | 127 | 178 | 126 | 33 | 66 | 44 | 26 | 20 | — | — | — | 49 | 28 | — | — |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 43 | 43 | 828 | 1073 | 1073 | 684 | 315 | 94 | 94 | 174 | 336 | 170 | 337 | 684 | 170 | 170 | 170 | 174 | 84 | 752 | 84 |
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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