Surf Forecasts:
Pelican Watch surf forecast from 2 Sep 2026:
- Best quality surf: Wednesday 2 Sep, 5AM (local time) - 2.5ft (0.8m), 11s period, SE swell with offshore winds.
- Most powerful swell: Monday 7 Sep, 2AM (local time) - 5ft (1.6m), 6s period, E swell with 190 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Wednesday 2 Sep, 5AM (local time) - 2.5ft (0.8m), 11s 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 Wednesday (Sep 02) at 5AM. The primary swell is predicted to be 0.8m and 11s period. 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 1.6m 6s and forecast to arrive on Monday (Sep 07) at 2AM. Winds are predicted to be onshore 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 8PM.
| Wave Type | Time (EDT) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 5AM (Wed 2nd Sep) | 2.5ft (0.8m) 11s |
| Best Surf | 5AM (Wed 2nd Sep) | 2.5ft (0.8m) 11s |
| Most Powerful | 2AM (Mon 7th Sep) | 5ft (1.6m) 6s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Pelican Watch over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
Alright, Rusty here. Let’s have a look at what’s cookin’ over the next couple of weeks for us.
Honestly, mate, it’s a pretty flat stretch ahead. There’s a real dry spell for most of the next 16 days. The first real chance of anything rideable comes right at the very start, but it’s hardly worth getting the wetsuit for.
Pelican Watch is where you’d be looking, but it’s a real mixed bag. The best bet, and the only real standout in this entire forecast, is Wednesday morning, September 2nd. We’ve got a tiny 3-foot swell rolling in from the SE, with a period of 10 seconds. The combined wave energy is pretty weak at 154, but the real magic is the wind: it’s glassy. Dead calm. The water temp is about average for this time of year. For a beginner-friendly spot, those conditions will make it look better than the size suggests. The downside is crowds are likely here, so get in early.
The rest of Wednesday afternoon goes downhill fast. Strong S wind at 12 mph kicks up a mess, and that 2-foot swell is just blown out junk. Then from Thursday the 3rd all the way through to early September, it’s a graveyard. Hardly any size, poor energy, and winds are mostly onshore or cross. The swell drops to 1 foot or 2 feet for days on end. There’s a little bump of 4-foot on Sunday the 6th, but it’s a short-period 5-second E windswell with 15 mph onshore winds. That’s messy and ugly, not surfable.
From the 10th of September through the 13th, we get a bit of clean weather but the swell is non-existent, barely 0.5 feet to 2 feet. The energy is in the teens and twenties – just not enough to push a wave. By mid-September (the 14th, 15th, 16th), a bit more pulse shows up around 3 feet but it’s short-period windswell and mostly cross-on or onshore. The 17th of September finally shows a 2-foot swell with clean cross-off wind, but it’s still small and only surfable if you’re desperate.
To sum it up: grab that Wednesday morning window on September 2nd at Pelican Watch for some glassy, small waves. After that, it’s a long quiet spell. Nothing else comes close. Stay tuned though – forecasts can flip.
Rusty.
Short Range ForecastMostly dry. Warm (max 30°C on Wed afternoon, min 25°C on Fri morning). Wind will be generally light. | Days 5-7 Weather SummaryLight rain (total 8mm), mostly falling on Sat night. Warm (max 32°C on Sat afternoon, min 24°C on Sat night). Wind will be generally light. | ||||||||||||||||||
Wednesday 2 | Thursday 3 | Friday 4 | Saturday 5 | Sunday 6 | Monday 7 | ||||||||||||||
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 10 | SE 9 | SE 9 | ESE 9 | SE 8 | SE 8 | SE 8 | SE 8 | ESE 8 | ESE 8 | S 4 | E 5 | E 6 | E 6 | E 6 | E 6 | ESE 6 |
Wave Graph  | |||||||||||||||||||
 kJ | 150 | 154 | 100 | 88 | 65 | 53 | 34 | 42 | 32 | 17 | 12 | 11 | 10 | 70 | 88 | 190 | 129 | 108 | 61 |
Wind (km/h) | |||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | cross-off | glassy | cross | cross-off | cross | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | off | cross-off | cross-off | on | on | on | on | on | on |
High Tide | 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 | 5:23PM1.68m | |||||||
Low Tide | 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 | 10:32AM0.05m | 11:44PM0.14m | |||||||
 |  | | | | | | | |  | |  |  | | | | | | | |
 | — | 6:45 | — | — | 6:46 | — | — | 6:46 | — | — | 6:47 | — | — | 6:48 | — | — | 6:48 | — | — |
 | 7:37 | — | 7:36 | — | — | 7:35 | — | — | 7:32 | — | — | 7:31 | — | — | 7:30 | — | — | 7:29 | — |
mm | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 8 | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Temp °C | 27 | 29 | 30 | 27 | 28 | 29 | 27 | 28 | 29 | 27 | 29 | 32 | 29 | 26 | 27 | 26 | 26 | 26 | 26 |
Feels °C | 29 | 33 | 32 | 30 | 32 | 31 | 30 | 30 | 30 | 29 | 31 | 34 | 32 | 24 | 25 | 25 | 25 | 25 | 26 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SE 11 | SE 10 | SE 10 | SE 9 | SE 9 | ESE 9 | SE 8 | SE 8 | SE 8 | SE 8 | ESE 8 | ESE 8 | S 4 | SE 8 | ESE 10 | — | SE 8 | SE 8 | SE 8 |
| kJ | 150 | 154 | 100 | 88 | 65 | 53 | 34 | 42 | 32 | 17 | 12 | 11 | 10 | 18 | 9 | — | 18 | 17 | 16 |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | — | — | — | — | S 6 | S 5 | — | — | E 6 | SSE 6 | — | ESE 8 | S 4 | S 5 | — | — | S 6 | E 9 |
| kJ | — | — | — | — | — | 3 | 2 | — | — | 1 | 6 | — | 6 | 2 | 1 | — | — | 1 | 6 |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | — | — | — | — | — | S 7 | — | — | E 6 | E 6 | E 6 | SE 9 | SSE 5 | — | — | — | — | E 11 |
| kJ | — | — | — | — | — | — | 1 | — | — | 1 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 3 | — | — | — | — | 2 |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | — | S 2 | S 3 | — | S 3 | SSW 3 | — | SSW 3 | SSW 4 | SSW 4 | SSW 4 | — | E 5 | E 6 | E 6 | E 6 | E 6 | ESE 6 |
| kJ | — | — | 1 | 3 | — | 2 | 3 | — | 9 | 19 | 12 | 17 | — | 70 | 88 | 190 | 129 | 108 | 61 |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 0 | 0 | 140 | 0 | 140 | 16 | 54 | 489 | 529 | 59 | 54 | 974 | 519 | 605 | 605 | 548 | 140 | 140 | 140 |
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.
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