
Surf Forecasts:
Pelican Watch surf forecast from 31 Jul 2026:
- Best quality surf: Monday 3 Aug, 5PM (local time) - 4ft (1.2m), 7s period, S swell with cross-offshore winds.
- Most powerful swell: Sunday 2 Aug, 8PM (local time) - 5ft (1.6m), 7s period, SSE swell with 212 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Monday 3 Aug, 5PM (local time) - 4ft (1.2m), 7s period with S 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 Monday (Aug 03) at 5PM. The primary swell is predicted to be 1.2m and 7s period. 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 1.6m 7s and forecast to arrive on Sunday (Aug 02) at 8PM. Winds are predicted to be cross-offshore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 0.7m 6s period and expected on Tuesday (Aug 04) at 2AM.
| Wave Type | Time (EDT) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 5PM (Mon 3rd Aug) | 4ft (1.2m) 7s |
| Best Surf | 5PM (Mon 3rd Aug) | 4ft (1.2m) 7s |
| Most Powerful | 8PM (Sun 2nd Aug) | 5ft (1.6m) 7s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Pelican Watch over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
Alright, Rusty here. Let’s take a look at what’s on offer for the next couple of weeks.
Well, I gotta be straight with you – we’re looking at a pretty grim run for Pelican Watch. The whole 16-day window is basically a write-off. There’s no good surf to get excited about at all. The first entry kicks off on Friday, July 31st, but it’s not worth paddling out for. We’ve got a tiny 2 ft swell from the south with a short, weak period, and the combined energy is a measly (24). Even with a light offshore wind in the morning, it’s just not enough to work with.
The pattern barely changes as we go. Saturday, August 1st and Sunday, August 2nd see a bit more wind, but the waves stay small and weak. The best-looking conditions pop up on Sunday afternoon, the 2nd, with a slightly bigger 5 ft swell from the SSE and a clean cross-offshore breeze, but the period is still short (6 seconds) and the energy is only moderate (131). The rating is still poor, so it’s not a recommendation.
Monday, August 3rd brings the biggest swell of the whole period, hitting 5 ft from the S, but again, it’s a short period and the wind is fresh. The energy bumps up to a moderate (208), but it’s still classed as poor. By Monday afternoon, the wind drops, but the swell backs off.
The rest of the week is a dead loss. From Tuesday, August 4th all the way through to Saturday, August 15th, every single entry shows poor surf conditions with tiny waves, mostly under 2 ft, and weak energy. There are a few glassy mornings, like on the 7th, 8th, 9th, 13th, and 14th of August, but there’s simply no swell to go with the clean conditions. The water temperature is about average for the time of year.
Honestly, for a spot that’s fairly consistent, a blank run like this is a bit of a surprise, but it happens. There’s nothing here for a surfer to chase. The setup looks more interesting for a kite surfer than a paddle surfer on those windier days. Keep an eye on the charts, because it tends not to stay this poor for long.
Rusty.
Short Range ForecastLight rain (total 6mm), mostly falling on Sun morning. Warm (max 29°C on Fri morning, min 27°C on Thu night). Wind will be generally light. | Days 5-7 Weather SummaryHeavy rain (total 51mm), heaviest during Mon night. Warm (max 27°C on Sun night, min 25°C on Tue afternoon). Mainly fresh winds. | ||||||||||||||||||
Friday 31 | Saturday 1 | Sunday 2 | Monday 3 | Tuesday 4 | Wednesday 5 | ||||||||||||||
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) | S 6 | S 6 | S 7 | SSE 6 | SSE 6 | SSE 6 | SSE 6 | SSE 5 | SSE 6 | SSE 7 | S 7 | S 7 | SE 7 | SE 7 | SE 7 | SE 7 | SE 7 | SE 7 | SSE 7 |
Wave Graph | |||||||||||||||||||
20 | 20 | 22 | 12 | 25 | 18 | 22 | 29 | 131 | 198 | 208 | 126 | 37 | 35 | 23 | 24 | 31 | 25 | 44 | |
Wind (km/h) | |||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | cross-on | on | cross | cross | cross-on | cross-on | cross | cross | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross | cross-off | cross | cross | cross | cross-on | cross |
High Tide | 9:14PM1.52m | 9:31AM1.18m | 9:49PM1.50m | 10:10AM1.23m | 10:24PM1.45m | 10:50AM1.29m | 11:02PM1.38m | 11:33AM1.34m | 11:43PM1.30m | 12:22PM1.40m | 00:29AM1.21m | 1:16PM1.46m | 1:22AM1.12m | ||||||
Low Tide | 3:32AM0.06m | 3:17PM0.05m | 4:03AM0.05m | 3:58PM0.07m | 4:36AM0.03m | 4:43PM0.09m | 5:10AM0.03m | 5:32PM0.13m | 5:48AM0.02m | 6:27PM0.17m | 6:32AM0.02m | 7:30PM0.20m | |||||||
— | 6:20 | — | — | 6:22 | — | — | 6:22 | — | — | 6:24 | — | — | 6:24 | — | — | 6:24 | — | — | |
8:14 | — | 8:13 | — | — | 8:12 | — | — | 8:10 | — | — | 8:10 | — | — | 8:09 | — | — | 8:08 | — | |
mm | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 3 | 3 | 6 | 3 | 7 | 11 | 6 | 4 | 5 | 7 | 2 | 3 |
Temp °C | 28 | 29 | 29 | 28 | 28 | 29 | 27 | 28 | 29 | 27 | 27 | 27 | 27 | 27 | 27 | 27 | 27 | 27 | 27 |
Feels °C | 30 | 30 | 28 | 29 | 28 | 29 | 27 | 28 | 29 | 28 | 27 | 28 | 28 | 29 | 27 | 29 | 31 | 30 | 29 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | S 6 | S 6 | S 7 | SSE 6 | ESE 9 | ESE 9 | SE 8 | SE 7 | — | — | — | — | SE 7 | SE 7 | SE 7 | SE 7 | SE 7 | SE 7 | E 13 |
20 | 20 | 22 | 12 | 8 | 8 | 17 | 17 | — | — | — | — | 37 | 35 | 23 | 24 | 31 | 25 | 3 | |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SE 10 | SE 10 | SE 9 | ESE 9 | ESE 9 | ESE 9 | E 7 | E 6 | — | — | — | — | — | S 6 | — | — | — | — | — |
4 | 4 | 3 | 8 | 8 | 7 | 1 | 1 | — | — | — | — | — | 6 | — | — | — | — | — | |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | — | E 8 | E 7 | E 7 | SSW 5 | E 7 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | E 9 |
— | — | 1 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 1 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 2 | |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | — | S 3 | SSE 4 | SSE 6 | SSE 6 | SSE 6 | SSE 5 | SSE 6 | SSE 7 | S 7 | S 7 | S 6 | S 5 | S 5 | S 5 | SSW 5 | S 3 | SSE 7 |
— | — | 1 | 7 | 25 | 18 | 22 | 29 | 131 | 198 | 208 | 126 | 35 | 15 | 19 | 12 | 4 | 5 | 44 | |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 253 | 129 | 837 | 253 | 755 | 960 | 727 | 532 | 562 | 565 | 562 | 0 | 253 | 282 | 973 | 529 | 529 | 1707 | 529 |
Best forecast wave conditions in North Carolina | |||||||||||||||||||
Best forecast wave conditions in United States | |||||||||||||||||||
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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.











