Surf Forecasts:
Oceanic Pier surf forecast from 25 Aug 2026:
- Best quality surf: Friday 28 Aug, 2PM (local time) - 3ft (0.9m), 5s period, S swell with cross-offshore winds.
- Most powerful swell: Friday 28 Aug, 5PM (local time) - 3.5ft (1.0m), 5s period, S swell with 54 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Friday 28 Aug, 2PM (local time) - 3ft (0.9m), 5s period with S 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 Friday (Aug 28) at 2PM. The primary swell is predicted to be 0.9m and 5s period with a secondary swell of 0.4m and 8s. Another secondary swell of 0.1m and 11s is also forecast. The wind is predicted to be cross-offshore as the swell arrives.
The most powerful waves expected at Oceanic Pier in the next 16 days are 1.0m 5s and forecast to arrive on Friday (Aug 28) at 5PM. Winds are predicted to be cross-offshore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 1.1m 6s period and expected on Thursday (Aug 27) at 11PM.
| Wave Type | Time (EDT) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 2PM (Fri 28th Aug) | 3ft (0.9m) 5s |
| Best Surf | 2PM (Fri 28th Aug) | 3ft (0.9m) 5s |
| Most Powerful | 5PM (Fri 28th Aug) | 3.5ft (1.0m) 5s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Oceanic Pier over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
Alright, surf’s up? Well, not really. Let’s be straight with you. The next couple of weeks are looking pretty average for Oceanic Pier. We’ve got a long stretch of small, weak surf ahead, and it’s going to take a while before anything with real push shows up. For the first week and a half, it’s mostly ankle-biters and knee-high slop, with the wind all over the place. There’s a glimmer of something a bit better around the 28th, but it’s still nothing to write home about. Hang tight, check the cam, and maybe work on your pop-up.
The opening days are a write-off. Tuesday the 25th and Wednesday the 26th are flat and messy, with just 1ft of windswell. The wind is cross and onshore, chopping up what little there is. There’s just no energy in the water. The combined energy reading is a weak 31 and 37, so you’re just drifting out there. Not worth the paddle.
We get a slight bump on Thursday and Friday, the 27th and 28th. The swell direction shifts to the south, and the period drops off, but a light cross-offshore wind keeps things clean. The swell is still tiny, coming in at 1ft to 3ft, but Friday morning, the 28th, has that S swell with a period of 6 seconds and a combined energy of 79. It’s still weak, but it’s the first time it feels like there’s a bit of push. By Friday afternoon, we're looking at 3ft surf, but with a period of just 5 seconds, it’s going to be crumbly and disorganized. This is the peak of the first week, but it’s only just surfable. It’s not going to be good, and it’ll probably be more of a funky shorebreak.
The weekend and the start of next week are flat. Saturday the 29th goes right back down to 1ft, and we get a run of wind-swell through Sunday the 30th and Monday the 31st. All of it is under 2ft and it’s cross-shore and onshore, so it’s junk. Tuesday the 1st and Wednesday the 2nd of September see the swell stay tiny at 1ft to 1ft, but the wind goes light and cross-offshore, making it clean. The water temp on Tuesday the 25th is 83°, which is right on the money for this time of year.
The second week is a bit more interesting but still lacks size. Thursday the 3rd has a clean 2ft with a moderate energy of 93, and the wind is light and offshore. It’s small, but it’s the cleanest it’s been all week. Then things go a bit weird. Friday the 4th brings a 3ft NE swell with a period of 6 seconds, but it’s onshore and looks average, with the energy jumping to 126. The direction is okay, but the quality isn’t there. That’s the most energy we’ll see in the whole run, but the wind kills it.
Saturday the 5th of September is the pick of the two weeks as far as conditions go. It’s a clean 2ft ESE groundswell with a 10-second period, and the wind is light offshore. Combined energy is a moderate 74. It’s still small, and you’ll be hunting for waves, but it’s going to be glassy and clean, which is a world away from the chop we’ve had. This is your best bet for a longboard or a fun fish. After that, the swell fades out again through Monday the 7th, dropping to 0.7ft and 1ft, keeping the energy super weak. The outlook for the 8th and 9th is more of the same, with a lumpy 3ft on the 9th but a super short 5-second period, so that’s going to be a closeout mess.
Honestly, there’s nothing here that qualifies as a true standout. It’s a period of waiting. The water is warm, the pier will be quiet, and there might be a few clean ankle-snappers on the 3rd and 5th of September if you’re desperate. But for paddle surfing, this is a blank run. If you’ve got a kite, the windier days with the short-period swell might be more your thing. Otherwise, keep the board in the car and check back next week.
Rusty.
Short Range ForecastModerate rain (total 15mm), heaviest on Wed night. Warm (max 29°C on Tue afternoon, min 23°C on Tue morning). Wind will be generally light. | Days 4-6 Weather SummaryHeavy rain (total 20mm), heaviest during Fri night. Warm (max 30°C on Fri afternoon, min 25°C on Fri night). Wind will be generally light. | ||||||||||||||||||||
Tuesday 25 | Wednesday 26 | Thursday 27 | Friday 28 | Saturday 29 | Sunday 30 | Monday 31 | |||||||||||||||
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 11 | SE 10 | SE 9 | SE 9 | SE 9 | SE 9 | SE 9 | ESE 9 | ESE 9 | S 6 | S 5 | ESE 8 | ESE 8 | SE 8 | SE 8 | SE 8 | SE 8 | SE 7 | SE 7 | ESE 7 | ESE 17 |
Wave Graph | |||||||||||||||||||||
29 | 27 | 22 | 22 | 21 | 21 | 20 | 30 | 31 | 48 | 54 | 27 | 26 | 17 | 31 | 31 | 30 | 27 | 25 | 20 | 29 | |
Wind (km/h) | |||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | cross | cross-on | on | on | cross-on | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | glassy | glassy | on | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | glassy | glassy | cross | cross-off |
High Tide | 7:05PM1.29m | 7:12AM1.10m | 7:45PM1.32m | 7:53AM1.15m | 8:22PM1.33m | 8:33AM1.21m | 8:58PM1.32m | 9:11AM1.26m | 9:33PM1.30m | 9:51AM1.30m | 10:09PM1.26m | 10:33AM1.33m | 10:48PM1.21m | ||||||||
Low Tide | 12:51PM0.14m | 1:34AM0.17m | 1:36PM0.11m | 2:14AM0.12m | 2:18PM0.08m | 2:52AM0.09m | 2:59PM0.07m | 3:29AM0.06m | 3:41PM0.07m | 4:05AM0.05m | 4:23PM0.09m | 4:43AM0.04m | 5:07PM0.13m | ||||||||
6:39 | — | — | 6:39 | — | — | 6:39 | — | — | 6:41 | — | — | 6:41 | — | — | 6:41 | — | — | 6:43 | — | — | |
— | 7:45 | — | — | 7:45 | — | — | 7:44 | — | — | 7:43 | — | — | 7:40 | — | — | 7:39 | — | — | 7:38 | — | |
mm | — | — | — | — | 1 | 6 | 2 | 2 | 4 | 5 | 1 | 9 | 2 | 1 | — | 1 | — | 1 | — | — | 2 |
Temp °C | 26 | 29 | 27 | 28 | 28 | 28 | 28 | 29 | 27 | 28 | 30 | 27 | 26 | 28 | 28 | 27 | 28 | 28 | 28 | 29 | 28 |
Feels °C | 25 | 29 | 27 | 28 | 28 | 30 | 29 | 29 | 29 | 29 | 31 | 30 | 31 | 31 | 32 | 31 | 31 | 32 | 32 | 31 | 31 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | S 5 | S 5 | SE 9 | SE 9 | SE 9 | SE 9 | SE 9 | ESE 9 | ESE 9 | ESE 8 | ESE 8 | S 5 | S 5 | SE 8 | SE 8 | SE 8 | SE 8 | SE 7 | SE 7 | ESE 7 | ESE 7 |
8 | 8 | 22 | 22 | 21 | 21 | 20 | 30 | 31 | 28 | 28 | 25 | 17 | 17 | 31 | 31 | 30 | 27 | 25 | 20 | 19 | |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SE 11 | SE 10 | S 5 | S 4 | E 16 | E 8 | E 7 | E 13 | E 12 | E 12 | E 11 | ESE 8 | ESE 8 | ESE 5 | SSW 5 | S 4 | SSW 4 | — | — | E 16 | ESE 17 |
29 | 27 | 4 | 2 | 5 | 5 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 27 | 26 | 3 | 4 | 1 | 2 | — | — | 5 | 29 | |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | E 7 | — | E 7 | — | E 6 | E 14 | E 14 | E 8 | — | — | — | — | E 5 | SE 6 | — | E 9 | — | — | — | — | — |
1 | — | 1 | — | 1 | 4 | 4 | 1 | — | — | — | — | 1 | 1 | — | 2 | — | — | — | — | — | |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | NNE 2 | — | — | ESE 3 | SE 4 | SSE 5 | S 4 | SSW 5 | S 6 | S 6 | S 5 | S 5 | — | S 5 | — | — | S 4 | S 3 | — | SSW 3 | S 3 |
1 | — | — | 4 | 10 | 19 | 10 | 36 | 80 | 48 | 54 | 34 | — | 11 | — | — | 1 | 1 | — | 3 | 6 | |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 113 | 594 | 905 | 594 | 2014 | 473 | 286 | 581 | 473 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 36 | 820 | 751 | 874 | 2014 | 1688 | 266 | 751 | 682 |
Best forecast wave conditions in North Carolina | |||||||||||||||||||||
Best forecast wave conditions in United States | |||||||||||||||||||||
Header Global | |||||||||||||||||||||
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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.











