Surf Forecasts:
Oceanic Pier surf forecast from 16 Aug 2026:
- Most powerful swell: Tuesday 18 Aug, 5PM (local time) - 2ft (0.6m), 11s period, SE swell with 75 kJ wave energy.
Best Forecast Surf Conditions for Oceanic Pier this week:
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 5PM. 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 Monday (Aug 17) at 8PM.
| Wave Type | Time (EDT) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | - | - |
| Best Surf | - | - |
| Most Powerful | 5PM (Tue 18th Aug) | 2ft (0.6m) 11s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Oceanic Pier over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
Alright, grab a coffee and let’s talk about what’s happening at Oceanic Pier over the next couple of weeks. Rusty here.
First up, the honest truth: for the vast majority of this 16-day window, Oceanic Pier is going to be a pretty flat, disappointing story. We’re looking at a long stretch of small, weak swell and mostly poor conditions, so don't get your hopes up too early. There is a glimmer of something slightly better right at the end.
The water temperature is sitting at a comfortable `82°F`, which is pretty much average for this time of year—no surprises there.
Alright, let’s run through it. From Sunday the 16th all the way through to Sunday the 23rd, it’s pretty grim. We’ve got tiny swells, mostly around `1 ft` to `2 ft`, with periods all over the shop but generally poor. The wave energy is weak. Winds are mostly cross or cross-off, and the wave comments are consistently saying “poor surf conditions.” There’s nothing to chase here. It’s a solid week of no-go.
We get a tiny flicker on Monday the 24th morning. The swell is still small at `1 ft`, but we get a clean offshore wind from the WSW, which is a nice change. The comment says “surfable waves but very ordinary conditions.” It’s sessionable for a longboard on a glassy morning, but don’t expect any power.
That little improvement repeats on Wednesday the 26th morning. Swell is `2 ft` from the SE, but the period jumps to a long `15 seconds`—that’s proper groundswell energy. It’s still a small wave, but that long period will give it a bit of push and shape. Winds are clean cross-off from the SSW. This is your best bet within the first week and a half, but only for a small-wave shortboard or a longboard.
Then we drift back into poor conditions until Friday the 28th. That morning and afternoon both show surfable waves. The swell is `2 ft` from the SE with a solid `10` second period, and more importantly, the wind flips to a light offshore from the NW in the morning and WNW in the afternoon. Still small, but clean and rideable. This is another small-wave window worth a paddle.
After that, it’s back to rubbish. Saturday the 29th and Sunday the 30th bring stronger cross-onshore winds and choppy, messy conditions. Even though the swell bumps up to `4 ft` and `4 ft` on Sunday, it’s wind-affected and messy.
The final two days, Monday the 31st, are a mess—fresh breeze, cross-onshore, lumpy.
The standout: Honestly, there’s no epic swell in this window. If you are desperate to get wet, your best shot is Wednesday the 26th morning for that clean, long-period groundswell, even if it’s only knee-to-waist high. The second pick would be Friday the 28th for the clean offshore conditions.
Because the break is a beach/pier setup and the wave quality is low for most of the period, when the chop picks up on those windier days, this spot will look more interesting for kite surfing than paddle surfing.
Stay patient, and check back. Forecasts can change.
Rusty.
Short Range ForecastHeavy rain (total 30mm), heaviest during Tue night. Warm (max 33°C on Mon afternoon, min 25°C on Tue night). Mainly fresh winds. | Days 4-6 Weather SummaryModerate rain (total 12mm), heaviest on Fri morning. Warm (max 32°C on Thu afternoon, min 25°C on Wed morning). Wind will be generally light. | ||||||||||||||||||||
Sunday 16 | Monday 17 | Tuesday 18 | Wednesday 19 | Thursday 20 | Friday 21 | Saturday 22 | |||||||||||||||
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 | E 5 | SE 8 | SE 8 | SE 12 | SE 11 | SE 10 | SE 9 | SE 9 | SE 9 | SE 8 | SE 8 | SE 8 | SE 8 | SE 8 | SE 9 | SE 9 | SE 9 | S 5 |
Wave Graph | |||||||||||||||||||||
11 | 24 | 20 | 2 | 21 | 21 | 68 | 75 | 48 | 42 | 40 | 19 | 17 | 18 | 16 | 16 | 17 | 23 | 20 | 20 | 13 | |
Wind (km/h) | |||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | on | cross-on | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | glassy | cross-on | cross-on | cross-off | on | on | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross | cross-off | cross-off | cross | off |
High Tide | 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 | 3:44PM1.16m | 3:46AM0.95m | 4:40PM1.18m | 4:43AM0.97m | |||||||
Low Tide | 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 | 9:17AM0.23m | 10:13PM0.34m | 10:15AM0.24m | 11:10PM0.32m | ||||||||
6:31 | — | — | 6:33 | — | — | 6:33 | — | — | 6:35 | — | — | 6:35 | — | — | 6:35 | — | — | 6:37 | — | — | |
— | 7:57 | — | — | 7:55 | — | — | 7:54 | — | — | 7:53 | — | — | 7:52 | — | — | 7:51 | — | — | 7:50 | — | |
mm | — | 1 | 1 | — | — | 4 | — | — | 24 | 3 | — | 1 | — | — | — | 5 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 6 | 4 |
Temp °C | 28 | 28 | 28 | 31 | 33 | 28 | 31 | 32 | 28 | 27 | 29 | 29 | 31 | 32 | 30 | 31 | 31 | 30 | 29 | 30 | 28 |
Feels °C | 31 | 30 | 31 | 34 | 35 | 29 | 36 | 35 | 31 | 30 | 32 | 34 | 35 | 34 | 33 | 34 | 32 | 33 | 33 | 32 | 31 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | S 5 | SE 8 | SE 8 | SSE 8 | SE 8 | SE 8 | S 5 | SE 11 | SE 10 | SE 9 | SE 9 | S 5 | S 5 | SE 8 | SE 8 | S 6 | S 6 | S 6 | SSE 6 | S 5 | ESE 4 |
4 | 24 | 20 | 37 | 21 | 21 | 11 | 75 | 48 | 42 | 40 | 18 | 17 | 17 | 16 | 22 | 22 | 15 | 10 | 9 | 3 | |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SE 8 | S 4 | E 5 | E 5 | E 5 | SE 10 | SE 12 | — | SSW 5 | — | — | SE 9 | SE 8 | E 6 | E 6 | SE 8 | SE 8 | SE 9 | SE 9 | SE 9 | ESE 8 |
11 | 2 | 4 | 2 | 2 | 4 | 68 | — | 13 | — | — | 19 | 17 | 1 | 1 | 16 | 17 | 23 | 20 | 20 | 13 | |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | E 5 | — | — | — | E 6 | E 6 | — | — | — | — | — | E 6 | — | — | E 15 | SE 15 | SE 14 | SE 14 | SE 13 | SE 13 |
— | 1 | — | — | — | 3 | 1 | — | — | — | — | — | 1 | — | — | 4 | 8 | 8 | 7 | 7 | 7 | |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | ENE 4 | ESE 3 | SSE 4 | SSW 4 | SSW 4 | SSW 5 | — | S 5 | — | S 5 | S 5 | S 5 | WSW 5 | S 5 | S 5 | — | SW 5 | E 3 | ENE 3 | E 4 | S 5 |
4 | 2 | 4 | 5 | 16 | 30 | — | 11 | — | 7 | 10 | 32 | 10 | 18 | 33 | — | 14 | 6 | 3 | 7 | 13 | |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 594 | 1225 | 1741 | 470 | 689 | 3 | 3 | 341 | 3 | 159 | 261 | 19 | 82 | 853 | 96 | 1563 | 1688 | 36 | 36 | 19 | 19 |
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.











