Surf Forecasts:
Nags Head Pier surf forecast from 4 Aug 2026:
- Best quality surf: Thursday 6 Aug, 11AM (local time) - 2.5ft (0.7m), 6s period, S swell with cross-offshore winds.
- Most powerful swell: Wednesday 5 Aug, 5AM (local time) - 3ft (0.9m), 7s period, SE swell with 63 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Thursday 6 Aug, 11AM (local time) - 2.5ft (0.7m), 6s period with S 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 Thursday (Aug 06) at 11AM. The primary swell is predicted to be 0.6m and 6s period with a secondary swell of 0.2m and 10s. Another secondary swell of 0.7m and 6s is also forecast. 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 0.9m 7s and forecast to arrive on Wednesday (Aug 05) at 5AM. Winds are predicted to be cross-shore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 0.9m 6s period and expected on Wednesday (Aug 05) at 8PM.
| Wave Type | Time (EDT) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 11AM (Thu 6th Aug) | 2.5ft (0.7m) 6s |
| Best Surf | 11AM (Thu 6th Aug) | 2.5ft (0.7m) 6s |
| Most Powerful | 5AM (Wed 5th Aug) | 3ft (0.9m) 7s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Nags Head Pier over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
Grab your board, but maybe leave it in the car for a bit. We’re looking at a long, dry spell here at Nags Head Pier. The whole 16-day window is pretty much a bust for any decent paddle surfing. We’ve got almost nothing on offer, with tiny scraps of swell and winds that are either cross or onshore more often than not. It’s a tough stretch.
Right now, into Tuesday the 4th, we’ve got a weak 3ft swell from the southeast, but it’s a short-period, wind-affected mess with a cross-off breeze out of the SSW at 16 mph. The wave energy is minimal (117) and the conditions are just poor. That sets the tone for the next week and a half. The water is sitting at 80°, which is bang on average for this time of year, so that’s one thing that’s not working against us.
Through the rest of this week and into next, the swell never really gets its act together. Heights hover around 0.7ft to 3ft, and the periods are short, mostly between 4 and 8 seconds. The wind is a constant problem – it’s cross, cross-off, or cross-on from the south, southwest, and occasionally the northeast. Thursday the 6th morning might be the closest thing to a session, with a 2ft swell and a clean, cross-off breeze, but it’s barely surfable and scores a 1/10 for quality. That’s the high point, which tells you everything.
There’s a brief flicker of hope on the 13th and 14th with a shift to a northeasterly wind and a little bump in swell, but it’s accompanied by heavy rain and a fresh cross-onshore wind that’s going to chop it up. The wave energy is a paltry 23 to 34 (moderate at best, but weak for this spot). Not worth the paddle out.
The last few days of the window, around the 18th and 19th, we see some glassy conditions on the 18th afternoon with a 1ft swell from the ESE and 3 mph winds, but it’s still tiny. The wave energy is a weak 31. For a true standout, there’s just nothing here. No big swell, no clean offshore winds lining up. It’s a flat spell, plain and simple. This setup would be more interesting for kite surfing than paddle surfing, honestly.
The dry run is real, but it tends not to stay poor for long around here. Forecasts can change, but for now, don’t get your hopes up.
Rusty
Short Range ForecastModerate rain (total 16mm), heaviest on Tue morning. Warm (max 29°C on Thu afternoon, min 24°C on Tue morning). Mainly fresh winds. | Days 4-6 Weather SummaryLight rain (total 7mm), mostly falling on Sun afternoon. Warm (max 31°C on Sat afternoon, min 25°C on Sat morning). Winds increasing (light winds from the SSE on Fri afternoon, fresh winds from the SSW by Sat night). | ||||||||||||||||||||
Tuesday 4 | Wednesday 5 | Thursday 6 | Friday 7 | Saturday 8 | Sunday 9 | Monday 10 | |||||||||||||||
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) | SE 7 | SE 7 | ESE 7 | SE 6 | SE 6 | E 13 | S 6 | S 4 | ESE 6 | SE 7 | ESE 8 | ESE 8 | ESE 8 | ESE 8 | ESE 7 | SE 7 | SE 7 | ESE 7 | ESE 6 | SE 6 | E 9 |
Wave Graph  | |||||||||||||||||||||
 kJ | 60 | 54 | 30 | 41 | 59 | 3 | 31 | 13 | 17 | 26 | 23 | 44 | 42 | 34 | 21 | 12 | 12 | 9 | 4 | 6 | 2 |
Wind (km/h) | |||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | cross-off | cross-off | cross | cross-off | cross | cross-off | cross-off | cross | cross-off | off | cross | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | off | cross | cross-off | off | cross | cross-off |
High Tide | 12:16PM1.18m | 00:31AM1.03m | 1:08PM1.21m | 1:23AM0.99m | 2:05PM1.23m | 2:22AM0.95m | 3:07PM1.25m | 3:27AM0.94m | 4:12PM1.28m | 4:34AM0.94m | 5:17PM1.31m | 5:40AM0.98m | 6:19PM1.33m | ||||||||
Low Tide | 6:33PM0.18m | 6:38AM0.11m | 7:30PM0.19m | 7:29AM0.11m | 8:32PM0.20m | 8:26AM0.11m | 9:38PM0.20m | 9:29AM0.10m | 10:46PM0.18m | 10:35AM0.09m | 11:50PM0.15m | 11:41AM0.06m | 00:49AM0.11m | ||||||||
 | |  | |  |  |  | | | | |  |  | |  | | | | | | | |
 | 6:11 | — | — | 6:11 | — | — | 6:13 | — | — | 6:13 | — | — | 6:15 | — | — | 6:15 | — | — | 6:16 | — | — |
 | — | 8:04 | — | — | 8:02 | — | — | 8:01 | — | — | 8:00 | — | — | 8:00 | — | — | 7:59 | — | — | 7:58 | — |
mm | 4 | 2 | 6 | 1 | — | 2 | — | — | 1 | — | — | 1 | — | — | — | — | 2 | 4 | — | — | — |
Temp °C | 25 | 26 | 26 | 27 | 28 | 27 | 28 | 29 | 27 | 28 | 29 | 28 | 28 | 31 | 27 | 28 | 31 | 29 | 28 | 31 | 30 |
Feels °C | 25 | 25 | 27 | 28 | 29 | 27 | 31 | 29 | 27 | 32 | 32 | 28 | 29 | 32 | 26 | 29 | 32 | 28 | 30 | 33 | 31 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SE 7 | E 12 | ESE 7 | SE 6 | NE 4 | E 10 | SE 6 | SE 6 | ESE 6 | SE 7 | ESE 8 | ESE 8 | ESE 8 | ESE 8 | ESE 7 | SE 7 | SE 7 | ESE 7 | ESE 6 | SE 6 | SE 6 |
| kJ | 57 | 3 | 30 | 41 | 1 | 2 | 31 | 11 | 17 | 26 | 23 | 44 | 42 | 34 | 21 | 12 | 12 | 9 | 4 | 6 | 1 |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SE 7 | S 6 | — | NE 4 | E 9 | NE 4 | E 10 | E 10 | ENE 9 | ENE 9 | ENE 9 | E 9 | E 9 | E 9 | E 9 | E 10 | E 10 | E 10 | E 10 | E 10 | E 9 |
| kJ | 60 | 28 | — | 1 | 2 | 1 | 8 | 8 | 9 | 8 | 8 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | E 8 | E 12 | E 12 | E 12 | E 13 | — | — | — | E 11 | — | — | — | — | E 9 | E 11 | — | E 9 | E 10 | E 9 | E 9 |
| kJ | — | 1 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | — | — | — | 2 | — | — | — | — | 2 | 2 | — | 2 | 2 | 1 | 2 |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | SE 7 | SSE 4 | S 6 | SE 6 | SSE 6 | S 6 | S 4 | S 3 | SW 3 | S 4 | SSW 4 | SW 3 | S 4 | SSW 4 | SW 3 | S 3 | SSW 4 | SW 3 | S 3 | SSW 4 |
| kJ | — | 54 | 11 | 36 | 59 | 51 | 30 | 13 | 8 | 1 | 18 | 16 | 6 | 12 | 24 | 6 | 5 | 17 | 6 | 5 | 17 |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 539 | 43 | 217 | 630 | 94 | 367 | 0 | 1077 | 480 | 298 | 309 | 17 | 17 | 254 | 94 | 217 | 274 | 254 | 434 | 434 | 493 |
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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