Pelican Watch Surf Forecast and Surf Reports

(North Carolina, USA)

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- Hourly Forecast
- 16 Day Forecast
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Spot Information

Pelican Watch Surf Guide

Pelican Watch in North Carolina is an exposed beach break that has quite consistent surf and can work at any time of the year. The best wind direction is from the west. Tends to receive a mix of groundswells and windswells and the ideal swell direction is from the southeast. The beach breaks offer lefts and rights. Often Crowded. Hazards include rips and sharks.

Pelican Watch Spot Info

Type:	Rating:	Reliability:	Todays Sea Temp*:
Beach	3	fairly consistent	19.3°C*ocean temperature recorded from satellite

Surfing Pelican Watch:

The best conditions reported for surf at Pelican Watch occur when a Southeast swell combines with an offshore wind direction from the West.

Hourly Forecast

16 Day Forecast

What's the best time of year to surf Pelican Watch (for consistent clean waves)?

julyBest Season: summer

The best time of year for surfing Pelican Watch with consistent clean waves (rideable swell with light / offshore winds) is during Summer and most often the month of July. Clean surfable waves are typically found 33% of the time in July while 38% of the time it tends to be blown out. For the remaining 29% of the time it is considered too small by most surfers but may still be OK for beginners and groms at times.

clean

33%

Surfable waves that hold up well for longer rides in prevailing cross-offshore, offshore or light wind conditions.

blown out

38%

Surfable sized waves that are of poorer quality due to prevailing onshore, cross-onshore or windy conditions (may be preferable for kitesurfing).

too small

29%

Waves usually considered too small for good surf. Some wave-magnet breaks may still work though if conditions are right (on occasion).

Explore Pelican Watch Location Map

Interactive Pelican Watch surf break location map. View information about nearby surf breaks, their wave consistency and rating compared to other spots in the region. Current swell conditions from local buoys are shown along with live wind speed and direction from nearby weather stations. Click icons on the map for more detail. The closest passenger airport to Pelican Watch is Wilmington International Airport (ILM) in USA, 26 km (16 miles) away (directly). The second nearest airport to Pelican Watch is New River Mcas (Jacksonville) Airport (NCA), also in USA, 85 km (53 miles) away.

Map Icons:
Break
Live Wave Height (m)
Live Wind Speed (km/h)
Surf Rating (10 Max)
Ocean Swells (m)
Wind Speed (km/h)

Please note that some surf spot locations are approximate to protect their exact location while others are not shown at close zoom level.

Pelican Watch Surf Forecasts:

Hourly Forecast

16 Day Forecast

Todays Surf Summary
Wednesday, 6 May 2026, 14:09 Local Time

m, °C	Wednesday 06
ft, °F	11AM	2PM	5PM	8PM
Wave (m)	SSE	SSE	S	SE
Period (s)	5	5	5	6
Wind (km/h)
Wind State	cross- off	cross- off	cross- off	cross- off

What does Pelican Watch look like?

Latest photos from Pelican Watch. Upload your own or view all photos on the gallery page.

Credit: Michael W Paul Credit: Andrew Garver Credit: hanna

Tides at Pelican Watch

Current tide and informaton

For Wilmington Beach, North Carolina, 1 km from Pelican Watch.

Next High Water: 11:46pm | 1.36m

Next Low Water: 04:58pm | 0.18m

NEXT	IS AT (local time)	remaining
high tide
low tide

Pelican Watch Sea Temperature

Sunny with pleasantly warm air temperatures (feeling like 23.0 °C once we account for wind), yet at 19.3 °C the sea remains several degrees colder than the air at Pelican Watch. The majority of surfers will need a spring wetsuit though a summer suit or even a shorty may suffice for a short session.

Today, many surfers would wear a spring wetsuit.

Current Temp*: 19.3°C*ocean temperature recorded from satellite