
Surf Forecasts:
Pelican Watch surf forecast from 20 Jul 2026:
- Best quality surf: Thursday 23 Jul, 2AM (local time) - 4.5ft (1.4m), 6s period, SSW swell with offshore winds.
- Most powerful swell: Wednesday 22 Jul, 5AM (local time) - 5.5ft (1.7m), 7s period, S swell with 255 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Thursday 23 Jul, 2AM (local time) - 4.5ft (1.4m), 6s period with SSW swell.
Best Forecast Surf Conditions for Pelican Watch this week:
The surf forecast for Pelican Watch over the next 16 days: The first swell (rated 1 star or higher) is forecast to arrive on Thursday (Jul 23) at 2AM. The primary swell is predicted to be 1.4m and 6s period with a secondary swell of 0.4m and 8s. The wind is predicted to be offshore as the swell arrives.
The most powerful waves expected at Pelican Watch in the next 16 days are 1.7m 7s and forecast to arrive on Wednesday (Jul 22) at 5AM. Winds are predicted to be cross-offshore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 1.6m 6s period and expected on Wednesday (Jul 22) at 5PM.
| Wave Type | Time (EDT) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 2AM (Thu 23rd Jul) | 4.5ft (1.4m) 6s |
| Best Surf | 2AM (Thu 23rd Jul) | 4.5ft (1.4m) 6s |
| Most Powerful | 5AM (Wed 22nd Jul) | 5.5ft (1.7m) 7s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Pelican Watch over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
Alright folks, Rusty here. Let’s talk about what’s cookin’ at Pelican Watch.
First up, the water temp is sitting at a warm 84°F, which is about normal for this time of year, nothing too wild.
Right now, we’re looking at a pretty flat spell. The first week is basically a write-off for any decent waves. The swell is tiny, mostly 0.7ft to 1ft, and the wind is a cross-offshore breeze that’s cleaning up the surface, but there's just no power behind it. The combined energy is weak, with values sitting between 6 and 9. You’re not gonna catch anything worth paddling for.
There’s a bit of a pulse on Tuesday the 21st in the afternoon, with the swell jumping to 5ft from the south, but it’s only got a short 6-second period, so it’s gonna be messy and weak. The energy hits 171, but the forecast still calls it poor surf.
The whole first week stays like this: a few spikes of 5ft to 5ft south swell (22nd morning, 23rd morning, 24th), but it’s all short-period slop with cross-offshore winds. The combined energy gets into the moderate range (169 to 197), but the quality just isn’t there. It’s frustrating.
The real flat spot continues right through to the end of July. The wind shifts to a cross-onshore from the northeast on the 24th and 25th, making things choppy. It’s a total washout for a surfer.
Now, we finally get a tiny glimmer on Monday the 27th. The morning sees glassy conditions with a 1ft ESE swell, and the energy is a weak 50. The report says it’s “surfable but very ordinary.” For a beginner, you might get a few knee-high rollers, but it’s not calling anyone out of bed.
The best of the whole 16-day window looks to be Saturday the 1st of August. The morning is glassy, with 4ft swell from the east but a short 5-second period. The combined energy is 130, which is moderate. It’s not gonna be a world-class wave, but for this stretch, it’s the only thing that even gets a “surfable” rating. It’s still a short-period swell, so it’ll be a bit lumpy at the beach break, but at least the wind is off.
After that, the swell picks up a bit on the 2nd and 3rd, with 4ft to 5ft south swell, and the energy climbing to 202. But again, it’s short period (7 seconds) and the wind is a cross-off, so it’s just clean, but very average.
So, the honest truth? This is a tough forecast. The first week is a total dud. The only real standout is the early morning of Saturday the 1st of August – if you’re desperate, that’s your window. It’s a beginner-friendly size (4ft), glassy, and the east swell will offer a few lines. But don’t get your hopes up for anything epic.
Rusty.
Short Range ForecastModerate rain (total 11mm), heaviest on Mon night. Warm (max 32°C on Sun afternoon, min 28°C on Sun night). Mainly fresh winds. | Days 5-7 Weather SummaryHeavy rain (total 65mm), heaviest during Wed night. Warm (max 31°C on Wed afternoon, min 23°C on Fri morning). Winds decreasing (fresh winds from the SSW on Wed afternoon, calm by Thu night). | |||||||||||||||||||
Sun 19 | Monday 20 | Tuesday 21 | Wednesday 22 | Thursday 23 | Friday 24 | Saturday 25 | ||||||||||||||
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) | ESE 8 | ESE 8 | ESE 8 | ESE 8 | ESE 8 | SSW 6 | S 6 | S 6 | S 7 | SE 9 | SSW 6 | S 6 | SE 8 | S 6 | SE 8 | ESE 8 | ESE 8 | ESE 8 | ESE 7 | SSW 5 |
Wave Graph | ||||||||||||||||||||
6 | 6 | 6 | 6 | 6 | 0 | 171 | 232 | 181 | 19 | 155 | 148 | 20 | 100 | 48 | 43 | 55 | 50 | 37 | 55 | |
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 | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | off | cross-off | cross-off | on | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on |
High Tide | 00:41AM1.29m | 1:26PM1.35m | 1:32AM1.14m | 2:23PM1.34m | 2:26AM1.03m | 3:20PM1.34m | 3:23AM0.94m | 4:16PM1.35m | 4:22AM0.91m | 5:09PM1.37m | 5:17AM0.91m | 5:58PM1.41m | ||||||||
Low Tide | 6:30PM0.10m | 6:50AM-0.00m | 7:31PM0.18m | 7:37AM0.06m | 8:36PM0.25m | 8:25AM0.11m | 9:42PM0.28m | 9:15AM0.14m | 10:45PM0.28m | 10:07AM0.16m | 11:40PM0.26m | 10:58AM0.15m | 00:28AM0.23m | |||||||
— | — | 6:13 | — | — | 6:13 | — | — | 6:15 | — | — | 6:16 | — | — | 6:16 | — | — | 6:16 | — | — | |
8:21 | — | — | 8:21 | — | — | 8:20 | — | — | 8:20 | — | — | 8:19 | — | — | 8:17 | — | — | 8:17 | — | |
mm | — | 2 | 1 | — | 3 | 2 | 1 | — | 2 | 1 | 27 | 11 | 3 | 14 | 7 | — | 1 | 1 | — | 12 |
Temp °C | 32 | 28 | 30 | 30 | 28 | 30 | 30 | 28 | 30 | 31 | 28 | 28 | 30 | 27 | 23 | 26 | 26 | 25 | 25 | 21 |
Feels °C | 31 | 27 | 30 | 30 | 29 | 30 | 29 | 28 | 29 | 30 | 28 | 29 | 31 | 32 | 24 | 26 | 27 | 26 | 26 | 19 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | ESE 8 | ESE 8 | ESE 8 | ESE 8 | ESE 8 | — | — | — | ESE 9 | SE 9 | SE 8 | SE 8 | SE 8 | SE 8 | SE 8 | ESE 8 | ESE 8 | ESE 8 | ESE 7 | SSW 5 |
6 | 6 | 6 | 6 | 6 | — | — | — | 8 | 19 | 21 | 21 | 20 | 29 | 48 | 43 | 55 | 50 | 37 | 55 | |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | — | E 12 | — | — | — | — | — | SE 7 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | S 6 | S 6 | SSW 6 | ESE 7 |
— | — | 3 | — | — | — | — | — | 8 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 22 | 22 | 33 | 37 | |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
— | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SSW 6 | SSW 6 | SSW 6 | SSW 5 | SSW 5 | SSW 6 | S 6 | S 6 | S 7 | SSW 6 | SSW 6 | S 6 | S 6 | S 6 | S 6 | S 6 | SSW 6 | — | — | SW 6 |
148 | 128 | 55 | 58 | 87 | 121 | 171 | 232 | 181 | 170 | 155 | 148 | 99 | 100 | 64 | 78 | 47 | — | — | 88 | |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | ||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 642 | 59 | 263 | 966 | 456 | 562 | 1230 | 355 | 352 | 253 | 0 | 22 | 19 | 23 | 140 | 42 | 23 | 23 | 219 | 17 |
Best forecast wave conditions in North Carolina | ||||||||||||||||||||
Best forecast wave conditions in United States | ||||||||||||||||||||
Header Global | ||||||||||||||||||||
- Map Icons:
Break
Live Wave Height (m)
Live Wind Speed (km/h)
Surf Rating (10 Max)
Ocean Swells (m)
Wind Speed (km/h)
Information about the Pelican Watch Surf forecast
The above surf forecast table for Pelican Watch provides essential information for determining whether the surfing conditions will be good over the next 16 days. A general guide to surfing at Pelican Watch can be found by selecting the local surf guide option on the grey menu. Our Pelican Watch 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 (Pelican Watch) 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 Pelican Watch 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.
Pelican Watch is 26 km (16 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.










