Nags Head Pier Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, this is Rusty. Let’s have a look at what’s cookin' for the Outer Banks.

First off, I gotta be straight with you. The next 16 days are lookin' pretty flat and sad. There’s a long stretch of junk ahead. We’ve got a big gap of almost no surf worth paddling for, kickin' off from now through the first week of August. The water at Nags Head Pier is runnin' about 77°, which is a bit colder than normal for this time of year – nothin’ wild, but you’ll feel it on a still morning.

The only real flicker of hope comes late in the window. On the morning of Saturday, August 8th, the wind goes glassy from the WSW at 3 mph. The swell is tiny, only 2 ft from the ESE at 8 seconds, and the combined energy is a weak 43. It’s barely surfable, but it’s the cleanest we’ll see. If you’re desperate for a small log session, that’s your window. Then later, on Thursday, August 13th, the afternoon goes glassy again with a calm wind. Swell is a bit bigger in energy at 52, still only 1.0 ft from the ENE at 11 seconds. That long period might give it a little more shape, but it’s still tiny. These are the only two standouts, and they're not standouts for power – just for a chance to get wet on clean, tiny waves.

Otherwise, it’s a whole lot of onshore wind, cross-chop, and zero energy. The whole first week is a write-off. From July 30th right through to August 7th, every day is poor surf conditions. Strong winds, cross-shore mess, and swell heights barely above 2 ft. The few moments of offshore wind on Sunday afternoon, July 31st, and Monday afternoon, August 3rd, still have almost no swell to work with. That’s a long dry spell, about nine days of nothin’.

Bottom line: Don’t get your hopes up. The second week has a couple of glassy moments, but they’re for the patient, the longboarders, and the folks who just wanna be out there. The energy is weak, the swell is small, and the crowds at Nags Head Pier are sometimes an issue, but honestly, on these days, it’ll be empty.

Rusty.

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