Surf Forecasts:
Nags Head Pier surf forecast from 14 Sep 2026:
- Best quality surf: Sunday 13 Sep, 11PM (local time) - 1.5ft (0.5m), 9s period, ESE swell with cross-offshore winds.
- Most powerful swell: Wednesday 16 Sep, 2AM (local time) - 4.5ft (1.3m), 8s period, ENE swell with 186 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Sunday 13 Sep, 11PM (local time) - 1.5ft (0.5m), 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 Sunday (Sep 13) at 11PM. The primary swell is predicted to be 0.5m and 9s period. 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 1.3m 8s and forecast to arrive on Wednesday (Sep 16) at 2AM. Winds are predicted to be cross-onshore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 0.9m 4s period and expected on Sunday (Sep 20) at 2AM.
| Wave Type | Time (EDT) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 11PM (Sun 13th Sep) | 1.5ft (0.5m) 9s |
| Best Surf | 11PM (Sun 13th Sep) | 1.5ft (0.5m) 9s |
| Most Powerful | 2AM (Wed 16th Sep) | 4.5ft (1.3m) 8s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Nags Head Pier over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
Alright folks, Rusty here. Let's have a look at what Nags Head Pier has cookin' for us over the next couple of weeks.
Right off the bat, I gotta be straight with you – the first week is a real struggle. From Sunday the 13th all the way through to Monday the 21st of September, the surf is pretty much a write-off. We're looking at tiny, weak swell and winds that are just messy. The water temp is sitting at 78.8°, which is about average for this time of year, but that's about the only thing going for us. You'll see a lot of cross-onshore chop and weak energy readings, mostly in the double digits (60) or low triple digits (159), making for a long, flat, and frustrating stretch. There’s a solid 8-day gap with nothing worth paddling out for.
Now, things start to get interesting as we head into the third week. Monday the 21st sees a pulse of swell arrive, with waves pushing 6.9 ft from the ENE, but the wind is howling onshore at 18.6 mph and the energy jumps up to (608). That's going to be a big, lumpy mess – probably more fun for the kite crew than us paddle surfers.
The real standout, and the only one worth circling on your calendar, is Tuesday the 22nd of September. Tuesday afternoon, the wind swings around to a light SSW at 9.3 mph, going cross-offshore, which cleans things right up. We're looking at a solid 5.6 ft of swell from the east with an 8-second period, and the combined energy is pumping at (504). The conditions are looking very good. It won't be a glassy perfection, but it's the cleanest, most powerful surf we've seen in the whole outlook. The swell is a bit much for beginners, but for intermediates and up, this is your window.
After that, Wednesday the 23rd and Thursday the 24th offer some smaller, cleaner options. Thursday afternoon especially is a beauty with a glassy 5.2 ft from the NE, though the period is short at 6 seconds. It’ll be fun, but Tuesday afternoon is the clear winner here. Crowds at Nags Head Pier can be a thing sometimes, so get out there early for that Tuesday session.
Overall, a long, slow start, but a couple of decent pulses in the second week to make it worth keeping an eye on the water.
Short Range ForecastModerate rain (total 10mm), heaviest on Sun afternoon. Warm (max 28°C on Sun afternoon, min 22°C on Tue night). Mainly strong winds. | Days 5-7 Weather SummaryMostly dry. Warm (max 24°C on Thu afternoon, min 22°C on Wed afternoon). Wind will be generally light. | |||||||||||||||||||
Sun 13 | Monday 14 | Tuesday 15 | Wednesday 16 | Thursday 17 | Friday 18 | Saturday 19 | ||||||||||||||
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) | ESE 9 | ESE 9 | ESE 9 | NNE 5 | NE 6 | NE 6 | ENE 6 | ENE 8 | ENE 8 | ENE 8 | ENE 7 | E 6 | E 6 | ENE 8 | ENE 7 | E 7 | E 12 | E 12 | E 12 | ESE 11 |
Wave Graph  | ||||||||||||||||||||
 kJ | 49 | 55 | 32 | 94 | 131 | 136 | 122 | 186 | 155 | 142 | 84 | 52 | 54 | 49 | 29 | 34 | 24 | 24 | 10 | 40 |
Wind (km/h) | ||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | cross-off | off | cross | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | on | cross-on | cross-on | on | cross-on | cross-on | on | cross-on | cross-on | cross-off |
High Tide | 9:58PM1.07m | 10:19AM1.25m | 10:38PM1.00m | 11:00AM1.20m | 11:18PM0.94m | 11:43AM1.15m | 00:00AM0.88m | 12:28PM1.09m | 00:46AM0.83m | 1:18PM1.05m | 1:39AM0.80m | 2:14PM1.01m | 2:39AM0.79m | |||||||
Low Tide | 3:58PM0.08m | 3:57AM0.11m | 4:42PM0.13m | 4:35AM0.15m | 5:25PM0.19m | 5:13AM0.20m | 6:10PM0.25m | 5:54AM0.25m | 6:59PM0.31m | 6:40AM0.30m | 7:52PM0.35m | 7:33AM0.33m | 8:50PM0.37m | |||||||
 |  |  |  |  | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
 | — | — | 6:43 | — | — | 6:43 | — | — | 6:45 | — | — | 6:46 | — | — | 6:47 | — | — | 6:47 | — | — |
 | 7:13 | — | — | 7:10 | — | — | 7:09 | — | — | 7:07 | — | — | 7:07 | — | — | 7:05 | — | — | 7:04 | — |
mm | 7 | 3 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Temp °C | 28 | 28 | 27 | 24 | 24 | 23 | 24 | 23 | 22 | 22 | 23 | 23 | 24 | 24 | 24 | 24 | 24 | 24 | 25 | 25 |
Feels °C | 30 | 30 | 29 | 20 | 20 | 18 | 21 | 21 | 21 | 21 | 23 | 24 | 25 | 25 | 26 | 26 | 26 | 28 | 26 | 26 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | ESE 9 | ESE 9 | ESE 9 | ESE 9 | ESE 9 | ESE 9 | E 15 | ENE 8 | ENE 8 | ENE 8 | ENE 7 | E 6 | E 6 | ENE 8 | ENE 7 | E 7 | NE 7 | ENE 6 | ENE 6 | ESE 11 |
| kJ | 49 | 55 | 32 | 32 | 26 | 17 | 4 | 186 | 155 | 142 | 84 | 52 | 54 | 49 | 29 | 34 | 12 | 8 | 4 | 40 |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | ENE 4 | NE 5 | — | S 5 | E 15 | E 15 | E 15 | E 14 | E 14 | E 14 | E 13 | E 13 | E 12 | ESE 6 | SE 6 | E 12 | ESE 6 | E 12 | ESE 9 | NE 6 |
| kJ | 2 | 1 | — | 2 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 14 | 13 | 12 | 14 | 10 | 25 | 8 | 24 | 7 | 1 |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | E 8 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | NE 8 | — | E 13 | E 12 | ESE 9 | E 12 | E 7 | E 12 | NE 6 |
| kJ | 1 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 3 | — | 12 | 11 | 7 | 24 | 3 | 10 | 1 |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | S 3 | WSW 3 | N 3 | NNE 5 | NE 6 | NE 6 | ENE 6 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | SSE 2 | SW 4 |
| kJ | 8 | 1 | 4 | 94 | 131 | 136 | 122 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 2 | 21 |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | ||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 17 | 0 | 84 | 605 | 884 | 435 | 435 | 172 | 336 | 1073 | 170 | 95 | 875 | 49 | 174 | 1081 | 1283 | 646 | 1081 | 859 |
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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