Nags Head Pier Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, let’s get into it. The next couple of weeks are looking pretty flat for us here at Nags Head Pier. We’re starting off with a real dud, to be honest. The water’s warm at 83°, a touch warmer than normal for this time of year, but that’s where the good news ends. For the first few days, we’re looking at ankle-biters, nothing with any push. There’s a small, weak east swell (16) mixing with some calm conditions, but it’s just not enough to get excited about. You’d be fighting for a wave that barely stands up.

We’ve got a stretch of dead, small surf through the 23rd, 24th, and 25th. Mornings are mostly clean, especially when that light wind swings offshore, but there’s just no size. It’s those days you’re better off working on your pop-up on the beach or just having a paddle. The afternoons get a little more textured with sea breezes, but again, nothing to really surf.

Finally, around Thursday the 27th and into the 28th, we see a slight bump in energy. The swell ticks up to 2ft, but it’s still weak (52-60). We’re getting some cleaner conditions in the mornings with a cross-offshore breeze, but the wave comment is just “surfable but very ordinary.” It’s a proper knee-slapper at best. The period is only 9 seconds, so it’s a weak windswell, not any real groundswell. Then it backs off again into the weekend.

The real change comes early in the second week, on the 1st of September. The wave energy starts to climb into the triple digits (197-230), and the swell is coming from the east at 2ft with a better, longer 15-second period. It’s still small, but there’s finally some push and shape to it. A morning offshore wind looks like it will keep it clean, too. It’s not a classic, but it’s the first time all week you won’t be embarrassed to paddle out. The following days keep this promise alive with the swell holding around 2-3ft and the energy staying solid (106-221). That Tuesday the 1st looks like our best bet of the whole run.

It's a long way out, so don’t plan your life around it, but the trend is your friend. The surf is still on the small side, but it’s a proper, clean, east-southeast groundswell. The period is good, and the morning offshores are setting up some clean lines. It’s not going to be a world-class day, but for the first time in over a week, there will be a few turns to be had. Later in the week, the swell tries to build a bit more on the 5th, with energy hitting 267, but it’s accompanied by a fresh cross-onshore wind that chops it up. Stick to the mornings.

One thing’s for sure, this is a pronounced flat spell, but it won’t last forever. Forecasts can always change, so keep an eye on it. I’ll be down there anyway, just to be sure.

Rusty.

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