Surf Forecasts:
Oceanic Pier surf forecast from 14 Aug 2026:
- Best quality surf: Wednesday 19 Aug, 2AM (local time) - 2ft (0.6m), 10s period, SE swell with offshore winds.
- Most powerful swell: Tuesday 18 Aug, 8PM (local time) - 2ft (0.6m), 11s period, SE swell with 96 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Wednesday 19 Aug, 2AM (local time) - 2ft (0.6m), 10s period with SE swell.
Best Forecast Surf Conditions for Oceanic Pier this week:
The surf forecast for Oceanic Pier over the next 16 days: The first swell (rated 1 star or higher) is forecast to arrive on Wednesday (Aug 19) at 2AM. The primary swell is predicted to be 0.6m and 10s period with a secondary swell of 0.2m and 2s. The wind is predicted to be offshore as the swell arrives.
The most powerful waves expected at Oceanic Pier in the next 16 days are 0.6m 11s and forecast to arrive on Tuesday (Aug 18) at 8PM. 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 5s period and expected on Saturday (Aug 15) at 8AM.
| Wave Type | Time (EDT) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 2AM (Wed 19th Aug) | 2ft (0.6m) 10s |
| Best Surf | 2AM (Wed 19th Aug) | 2ft (0.6m) 10s |
| Most Powerful | 8PM (Tue 18th Aug) | 2ft (0.6m) 11s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Oceanic Pier over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
Grab your board, folks—Rusty here, and I’ve been staring at the charts for Oceanic Pier all week. Straight up, this is a tough stretch. There’s no real swell on the horizon for the next two weeks, and when I say no swell, I mean it. We’re looking at mostly knee-high dribble and a whole lot of waiting. The waves that do roll in are short-period, weak, and the wind’s all over the place. If you’re a beginner just wanting to get wet, there might be a window or two, but for anyone looking for a proper surf, this forecast is a big old bummer.
Let’s break it down day by day. The first week is just flat. From Friday the 14th through to the 21st, we’re looking at swell heights of 0.7ft to 2ft, with combined energy readings barely ticking over (as low as 9 up to 91). That’s weak, tired energy. The wind is mostly cross-off or cross, which keeps things from being a total mess, but there’s just nothing to push. The surf is poor, and the only saving grace is that the water’s warm—about 82°F, which is pretty much bang on average for this time of year. So, you can have a nice swim, but don’t bring your good board.
There’s a slight glimmer on Tuesday the 18th when the period jumps to 12 seconds and the swell nudges up to 2ft, but the energy’s still weak (91), and the wind turns cross-on, making it a bit choppy. Not worth the paddle.
The second week isn't looking much better. From Friday the 22nd through to the 28th, we’ve got a consistent run of pretty flat conditions. The swell stays around 1ft with short periods of 8-9 seconds. There are a few glassy moments—like Saturday morning the 22nd and Tuesday morning the 25th, when the wind drops and it’s dead clean. But honestly, even then, you’re looking at waves that are barely breaking. The energy readings are in the 20s and 30s, which is just nothing. It’ll be a fun paddle, but that’s about it.
Now, here’s where things get a little interesting, but it’s a case of “keep your pants on.” The last two days of the forecast—Thursday the 27th and into the 29th—there’s a pulse of more meaningful swell. The height climbs to 3ft on Friday the 28th, and by Saturday the 29th, we’re looking at 4ft to 5ft with a longer period of 13 seconds. The combined energy jumps up to 482 to 652, which is a proper moderate groundswell. For the first time in two weeks, there’s actual push in the water. However, the wind is onshore (E and ENE) on the 29th, so it could be a bit messy, but if it holds, this could be the standout. The trade-off is it’s also the first real size we’ve seen, so it might be a bit much for the groms. This is the one to watch for.
But for the love of all things holy, do not get excited about the middle of the period. From the 15th to the 28th, there are massive gaps with nothing on offer. If you’re not a patient soul, this is going to be a chore. The beach break at Oceanic Pier will struggle to hold any shape with such little swell, and with periods this short, it’s going to be gutless and soft. It’s the kind of surf you take your longboard out for a cruise, not for a snappy session.
So, here’s the long and short of it: the next two weeks are a desert. There’s one possible oasis at the very end—the 29th looks like it could finally bring some proper waves with that 5ft SE groundswell, but we’ve got to hope the wind cleans up. Until then, keep your board in the car, enjoy the warm water, and don’t bother rushing out.
Stay salty,
Rusty
Short Range ForecastModerate rain (total 17mm), heaviest on Sat night. Warm (max 33°C on Fri afternoon, min 26°C on Sun morning). Wind will be generally light. | Days 4-6 Weather SummaryLight rain (total 8mm), mostly falling on Tue night. Warm (max 33°C on Mon afternoon, min 25°C on Tue night). Wind will be generally light. | ||||||||||||||||||||
Friday 14 | Saturday 15 | Sunday 16 | Monday 17 | Tuesday 18 | Wednesday 19 | Thursday 20 | |||||||||||||||
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 8 | SE 8 | SE 8 | ESE 8 | SE 8 | SE 8 | SE 8 | SE 8 | SE 8 | SE 8 | SE 8 | SE 8 | SE 12 | SE 11 | SE 10 | SE 10 | SE 9 | ESE 9 | ESE 8 | SE 8 | SE 8 |
Wave Graph | |||||||||||||||||||||
10 | 10 | 10 | 7 | 11 | 10 | 11 | 24 | 20 | 20 | 21 | 21 | 90 | 80 | 69 | 46 | 41 | 30 | 27 | 17 | 17 | |
Wind (km/h) | |||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | glassy | cross | cross-off | glassy | cross | glassy | on | cross-on | off | off | cross-off | cross-off | off | cross | cross-off |
High Tide | 9:58AM1.31m | 10:14PM1.39m | 10:45AM1.31m | 10:57PM1.31m | 11:31AM1.29m | 11:39PM1.22m | 12:18PM1.26m | 00:22AM1.14m | 1:05PM1.22m | 1:06AM1.06m | 1:55PM1.18m | 1:55AM1.00m | 2:48PM1.16m | 2:49AM0.96m | |||||||
Low Tide | 4:11PM-0.06m | 4:39AM-0.04m | 4:58PM0.01m | 5:21AM-0.00m | 5:45PM0.08m | 6:03AM0.05m | 6:33PM0.16m | 6:46AM0.11m | 7:23PM0.24m | 7:31AM0.16m | 8:16PM0.30m | 8:22AM0.21m | 9:14PM0.34m | ||||||||
6:31 | — | — | 6:31 | — | — | 6:31 | — | — | 6:33 | — | — | 6:33 | — | — | 6:35 | — | — | 6:35 | — | — | |
— | 7:59 | — | — | 7:58 | — | — | 7:57 | — | — | 7:55 | — | — | 7:54 | — | — | 7:53 | — | — | 7:52 | — | |
mm | — | — | — | — | — | 16 | — | — | 1 | — | — | 2 | — | — | 6 | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Temp °C | 32 | 33 | 29 | 32 | 33 | 30 | 30 | 31 | 29 | 31 | 33 | 31 | 30 | 30 | 29 | 29 | 32 | 29 | 32 | 33 | 30 |
Feels °C | 35 | 33 | 30 | 36 | 35 | 32 | 35 | 33 | 31 | 35 | 36 | 33 | 33 | 32 | 32 | 31 | 33 | 30 | 34 | 34 | 32 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SE 8 | SE 8 | SE 8 | S 5 | SE 8 | S 5 | S 5 | SE 8 | SE 8 | S 5 | SE 8 | SE 8 | SE 12 | SE 11 | SE 10 | SE 10 | SE 9 | ESE 9 | ESE 8 | SE 8 | S 5 |
10 | 10 | 10 | 11 | 11 | 18 | 13 | 24 | 20 | 13 | 21 | 21 | 90 | 80 | 69 | 46 | 41 | 30 | 27 | 17 | 8 | |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SSW 4 | E 12 | E 11 | ESE 8 | — | SE 8 | SE 8 | — | — | SE 8 | E 5 | E 5 | S 5 | S 5 | S 5 | S 5 | — | SSE 5 | S 5 | NE 5 | SE 8 |
2 | 3 | 2 | 7 | — | 10 | 11 | — | — | 20 | 2 | 1 | 11 | 12 | 8 | 4 | — | 5 | 4 | 1 | 17 | |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SSE 5 | — | — | SE 6 | — | — | — | — | E 6 | E 5 | — | SE 14 | E 6 | E 6 | E 6 | E 6 | ENE 6 | SSW 5 | SE 5 | E 6 | E 5 |
2 | — | — | 2 | — | — | — | — | 1 | 2 | — | 7 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 7 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 1 | |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | SSW 4 | SSW 5 | — | S 5 | SSW 5 | — | SSW 5 | SSW 5 | SSW 5 | SSW 4 | SSW 5 | — | — | ENE 2 | — | SSE 5 | — | — | S 5 | — |
— | 10 | 29 | — | 15 | 25 | — | 20 | 26 | 22 | 18 | 29 | — | — | 1 | — | 7 | — | — | 7 | — | |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 2046 | 1985 | 36 | 123 | 2585 | 96 | 594 | 594 | 41 | 36 | 798 | 3 | 36 | 156 | 0 | 3 | 853 | 594 | 594 | 266 | 990 |
Best forecast wave conditions in North Carolina | |||||||||||||||||||||
Best forecast wave conditions in United States | |||||||||||||||||||||
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Information about the Oceanic Pier Surf forecast
The above surf forecast table for Oceanic Pier provides essential information for determining whether the surfing conditions will be good over the next 16 days. A general guide to surfing at Oceanic Pier can be found by selecting the local surf guide option on the grey menu. Our Oceanic 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 (Oceanic 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 Oceanic 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.
Oceanic Pier is 13 km (8 miles) from the city of Wilmington. If you plan a vacation in North Carolina, look for hotels and other accommodation in Wilmington. Wilmington has rooms for a wide range of budgets as well as car hire and transport links.











