Surf Forecasts:
Pelican Watch surf forecast from 31 Aug 2026:
- Best quality surf: Tuesday 1 Sep, 8PM (local time) - 1.5ft (0.4m), 12s period, SE swell with cross-offshore winds.
- Most powerful swell: Wednesday 2 Sep, 8AM (local time) - 3ft (0.9m), 11s period, SE swell with 166 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Tuesday 1 Sep, 8PM (local time) - 1.5ft (0.4m), 12s period with SE 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 Tuesday (Sep 01) at 8PM. The primary swell is predicted to be 0.4m and 12s period with a secondary swell of 0.5m and 7s. The wind is predicted to be cross-offshore as the swell arrives.
The most powerful waves expected at Pelican Watch in the next 16 days are 0.9m 11s and forecast to arrive on Wednesday (Sep 02) at 8AM. Winds are predicted to be offshore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 0.9m 4s period and expected on Saturday (Sep 05) at 5PM.
| Wave Type | Time (EDT) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 8PM (Tue 1st Sep) | 1.5ft (0.4m) 12s |
| Best Surf | 8PM (Tue 1st Sep) | 1.5ft (0.4m) 12s |
| Most Powerful | 8AM (Wed 2nd Sep) | 3ft (0.9m) 11s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Pelican Watch over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
Alright folks, Rusty here. Let’s be straight with you – we’re looking at a pretty grim stretch ahead for Pelican Watch. The entire 16-day forecast is a write-off for any decent surf session. The biggest issue is that swell is almost non-existent, and when there is a little bump, the wind and conditions just aren’t playing ball.
Right now, starting Monday afternoon the 31st of August, it’s tiny. We’re talking about a weak 2ft swell from the ESE with a short, wind-snapped period of 8 seconds. The combined swell energy is a paltry 37 (weak energy), and a cross-on SE wind at 9 mph is just chopping it all up. Water temperature is 82° which is about average for the time of year, not that it matters much when there’s nothing to ride.
The whole first week of September is a write-off. Tuesday the 1st and Wednesday the 2nd are a tease – Wednesday morning actually shows a bit of a pulse with 3ft from the SE at 10 seconds, giving us a moderate 154 combined energy. But the wind is SSW cross-off at 6 mph, which would normally be clean, but the quality is still rated as very ordinary. The swell is just too weak and inconsistent to get excited about.
From the 3rd of September right through to the 15th of September, the swell drops off a cliff. It’s flat, with heights barely scraping 2ft and mostly under 2ft. The combined energy stays in the weak double digits (12 to 70). The wind is a constant problem – either onshore, cross-on, or gusty cross-off – making any tiny ripple messy and unrideable.
There’s a brief moment on the morning of the 11th of September where the swell bumps up to 4ft from the ENE, but the period is a shocking 5 seconds, and the combined energy is only 120 (moderate). With a cross-off NN wind at 12 mph, it’s clean but fat and gutless. This is more of a choppy, lumpy mess than a surfable wave.
To be honest, if you’re looking for a paddle, you’re out of luck. The whole 16-day window is a gap of nothing but poor surf conditions. The only thing that might get any kick out of this is a kite, because the wind is consistent and the conditions are blown out. But for a surfboard? Forget it. Forecasts can change, but right now, this is a blank run.
Rusty.
Short Range ForecastSome drizzle, heaviest during Mon night. Warm (max 30°C on Wed afternoon, min 25°C on Tue morning). Wind will be generally light. | Days 5-7 Weather SummaryHeavy rain (total 31mm), heaviest during Sat night. Warm (max 33°C on Sat afternoon, min 22°C on Sat night). Wind will be generally light. | |||||||||||||||||||
Mon 31 | Tuesday 1 | Wednesday 2 | Thursday 3 | Friday 4 | Saturday 5 | Sunday 6 | ||||||||||||||
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 7 | ESE 7 | ESE 7 | SE 11 | SE 10 | SE 10 | SE 9 | SE 9 | ESE 9 | SE 8 | ESE 8 | ESE 8 | SE 8 | ESE 8 | ESE 8 | SSW 4 | ESE 5 | E 4 | E 6 |
Wave Graph  | ||||||||||||||||||||
 kJ | 37 | 37 | 35 | 35 | 150 | 154 | 100 | 88 | 65 | 53 | 34 | 26 | 26 | 17 | 12 | 11 | 12 | 14 | 38 | 64 |
Wind (km/h) | ||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | cross-on | glassy | on | cross-on | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | off | cross-off | cross-off | off | cross-off | cross | cross-on | on | on |
High Tide | 10:36PM1.39m | 11:07AM1.58m | 11:19PM1.30m | 11:57AM1.60m | 00:09AM1.21m | 12:55PM1.60m | 1:06AM1.14m | 2:00PM1.60m | 2:13AM1.10m | 3:10PM1.61m | 3:27AM1.12m | 4:20PM1.64m | 4:38AM1.18m | |||||||
Low Tide | 4:27PM0.08m | 4:34AM0.03m | 5:18PM0.13m | 5:16AM0.04m | 6:14PM0.18m | 6:05AM0.06m | 7:17PM0.23m | 7:02AM0.09m | 8:28PM0.26m | 8:08AM0.10m | 9:41PM0.25m | 9:21AM0.09m | 10:47PM0.21m | |||||||
 |  |  | |  | | | | | | | | | | | |  | | | | |
 | — | — | 6:43 | — | — | 6:45 | — | — | 6:46 | — | — | 6:46 | — | — | 6:47 | — | — | 6:48 | — | — |
 | 7:38 | — | — | 7:37 | — | — | 7:36 | — | — | 7:35 | — | — | 7:32 | — | — | 7:31 | — | — | 7:30 | — |
mm | — | 1 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 31 | — | — | — |
Temp °C | 28 | 27 | 28 | 29 | 27 | 29 | 30 | 27 | 28 | 30 | 27 | 29 | 31 | 28 | 30 | 33 | 28 | 25 | 26 | 26 |
Feels °C | 30 | 30 | 32 | 31 | 29 | 32 | 31 | 29 | 30 | 30 | 29 | 30 | 31 | 30 | 31 | 34 | 30 | 26 | 25 | 26 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | ESE 8 | ESE 7 | ESE 7 | ESE 7 | SE 11 | SE 10 | SE 10 | SE 9 | SE 9 | ESE 9 | SE 8 | ESE 8 | ESE 8 | SE 8 | ESE 8 | ESE 8 | SSW 4 | ESE 5 | SSW 5 | ESE 9 |
| kJ | 37 | 37 | 35 | 35 | 150 | 154 | 100 | 88 | 65 | 53 | 34 | 26 | 26 | 17 | 12 | 11 | 12 | 14 | 2 | 8 |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | E 9 | SE 14 | SE 13 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | S 4 | E 6 | E 6 | SSE 6 | E 6 | ESE 8 | SSW 5 | — | — |
| kJ | — | 2 | 8 | 27 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 1 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 1 | 6 | 5 | — | — |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | E 6 | E 7 | — | SE 9 | ESE 8 | — | — |
| kJ | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 1 | 1 | — | 3 | 6 | — | — |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | — | — | — | — | — | SSW 2 | SW 3 | WSW 3 | SSW 3 | SW 3 | SW 4 | SSW 4 | SW 4 | SW 4 | SW 4 | WNW 3 | E 4 | E 4 | E 6 |
| kJ | — | — | — | — | — | — | 1 | 2 | 1 | 5 | 2 | 2 | 11 | 18 | 7 | 24 | 3 | 14 | 38 | 64 |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | ||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 821 | 282 | 278 | 253 | 0 | 0 | 605 | 17 | 0 | 489 | 278 | 527 | 352 | 529 | 1775 | 2162 | 99 | 842 | 842 | 1096 |
Best forecast wave conditions in North Carolina | ||||||||||||||||||||
Best forecast wave conditions in United States | ||||||||||||||||||||
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The surf report / weather widget below is available to embed on third party websites free of charge and provides a summary of our Pelican Watch surf forecast. Simply grab the html code snippet that we provide and paste it into your own site. You can choose your preferred language and metric/imperial units for the surf forecast feed to suit users of your site. Click here to get the code.
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.
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