Surf Forecasts:
Pelican Watch surf forecast from 24 Aug 2026:
- Most powerful swell: Monday 24 Aug, 8AM (local time) - 1.5ft (0.4m), 12s period, SE swell with 35 kJ wave energy.
Best Forecast Surf Conditions for Pelican Watch this week:
The most powerful waves expected at Pelican Watch in the next 16 days are 0.4m 12s and forecast to arrive on Monday (Aug 24) at 8AM. Winds are predicted to be cross-offshore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 0.9m 5s period and expected on Tuesday (Aug 25) at 8AM.
| Wave Type | Time (EDT) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | - | - |
| Best Surf | - | - |
| Most Powerful | 8AM (Mon 24th Aug) | 1.5ft (0.4m) 12s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Pelican Watch over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
Alright, this is Rusty.
Let's be straight. For the next week and a half, we are looking at a whole lot of nothing. We've got about a ten-day stretch of limp waves and poor conditions ahead. It's not looking like much fun at all. The energy is just not there.
The first half of this period, from Monday the 24th right through to the end of August, the swell is a joke. We're talking ankle-snappers. The combined energy is weak, barely registering, and the waves are described as "poor surf conditions." Tuesday morning the 25th does go glassy – a light breeze from the north with clean, glassy conditions – but the swell is a pathetic 1 ft from the SE with a weak period. It'll be clean, but there's nothing to ride.
After that first week, we finally see a pulse in the data. Monday, the 31st sees a glimmer of hope with a very long-period 19-second swell, but the swell height is still tiny at 0.7 ft. The energy picks up but it's still "surfable waves but very ordinary conditions." Not worth getting excited about.
The first real sign of life is on Thursday, the 3rd of September. Pelican Watch (the only break on offer) should see a morning of clean, cross-offshore wind from the NW and a bump in swell to 4 ft from the ESE. The combined energy jumps to a moderate level, which is a solid improvement. The period is a decent 14 seconds, suggesting some groundswell character. This is the standout of the entire outlook, but it's over a week away and still fairly small. It'll be clean and have a bit of push, but it's nothing massive.
After that, it gets messy. Friday the 4th brings onshore wind and a drop in energy, and the following weekend looks poor again.
The only real highlight in this 16-day window is that Thursday morning, September 3rd at Pelican Watch. It's a beginner-friendly wave, but with 4 ft and a decent period, it'll be a fun little session for those on a longboard or foamie. The water temp is about average for this time of year, so no shocks there.
The rest of the time? Honestly, the conditions are so weak and the wind is often messy, that this is a better window for a rest day or maybe a kite session if you've got the gear. It's not going to be good for paddling.
Rusty, out.
Short Range ForecastModerate rain (total 11mm), heaviest on Wed morning. Warm (max 31°C on Mon afternoon, min 25°C on Tue morning). Wind will be generally light. | Days 5-7 Weather SummaryHeavy rain (total 21mm), heaviest during Thu afternoon. Warm (max 31°C on Sat afternoon, min 26°C on Thu afternoon). Wind will be generally light. | ||||||||||||||||||
Monday 24 | Tuesday 25 | Wednesday 26 | Thursday 27 | Friday 28 | Saturday 29 | ||||||||||||||
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 12 | ESE 12 | SE 9 | ESE 11 | SE 11 | SE 10 | SE 10 | SE 9 | SE 9 | SE 9 | SE 9 | ESE 9 | ESE 9 | ESE 8 | ESE 8 | ESE 8 | ESE 8 | ESE 8 | ESE 8 |
Wave Graph  | |||||||||||||||||||
 kJ | 14 | 13 | 13 | 12 | 29 | 28 | 28 | 22 | 21 | 22 | 14 | 32 | 32 | 28 | 28 | 27 | 26 | 26 | 25 |
Wind (km/h) | |||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | glassy | cross | glassy | cross-on | cross | cross-off | cross-off | off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off |
High Tide | 5:38AM1.01m | 6:14PM1.45m | 6:24AM1.09m | 6:55PM1.50m | 7:06AM1.17m | 7:32PM1.54m | 7:45AM1.26m | 8:08PM1.56m | 8:23AM1.34m | 8:43PM1.55m | 9:01AM1.42m | 9:19PM1.52m | |||||||
Low Tide | 11:54PM0.30m | 11:22AM0.19m | 00:36AM0.26m | 12:10PM0.15m | 1:12AM0.20m | 12:54PM0.10m | 1:46AM0.15m | 1:36PM0.07m | 2:18AM0.10m | 2:16PM0.05m | 2:50AM0.06m | 2:58PM0.04m | 3:23AM0.04m | ||||||
 |  |  | | | | | | | | | | | |  | | | | | |
 | — | 6:39 | — | — | 6:39 | — | — | 6:39 | — | — | 6:41 | — | — | 6:41 | — | — | 6:41 | — | — |
 | 7:49 | — | 7:47 | — | — | 7:46 | — | — | 7:45 | — | — | 7:44 | — | — | 7:43 | — | — | 7:40 | — |
mm | 3 | 1 | — | 1 | — | — | 3 | 3 | — | 3 | 1 | 5 | 4 | 1 | — | 6 | 1 | — | 3 |
Temp °C | 29 | 30 | 31 | 29 | 28 | 30 | 29 | 29 | 30 | 28 | 29 | 29 | 28 | 29 | 30 | 29 | 30 | 31 | 28 |
Feels °C | 31 | 32 | 31 | 32 | 32 | 31 | 31 | 31 | 31 | 31 | 30 | 28 | 29 | 29 | 30 | 31 | 33 | 32 | 30 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | S 5 | S 4 | SE 9 | ESE 9 | S 5 | SE 10 | S 5 | SE 9 | SE 9 | SE 9 | ESE 8 | ESE 9 | ESE 9 | ESE 8 | ESE 8 | ESE 8 | ESE 8 | ESE 8 | ESE 8 |
| kJ | 7 | 3 | 12 | 8 | 11 | 28 | 7 | 22 | 21 | 22 | 11 | 32 | 32 | 28 | 28 | 27 | 26 | 26 | 25 |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | ESE 12 | ESE 12 | ESE 11 | ESE 11 | SE 11 | SSW 5 | SE 10 | S 5 | — | E 8 | SE 9 | E 13 | E 13 | E 12 | E 11 | E 11 | E 11 | SE 6 | E 10 |
| kJ | 14 | 13 | 13 | 12 | 29 | 2 | 28 | 4 | — | 5 | 14 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | ESE 8 | ESE 7 | E 8 | E 8 | E 7 | E 7 | E 7 | — | E 16 | E 14 | E 14 | E 13 | — | S 6 | S 6 | E 11 | — | E 10 | — |
| kJ | 6 | 5 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | — | 5 | 4 | 4 | 3 | — | 1 | 1 | 2 | — | 2 | — |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | S 5 | — | S 5 | SSW 4 | — | SSE 5 | — | — | SSE 5 | S 4 | S 4 | S 5 | SSW 5 | S 5 | SSW 5 | SSW 5 | SSW 5 | S 5 | S 4 |
| kJ | 11 | — | 8 | 20 | — | 9 | — | — | 7 | 7 | 20 | 23 | 40 | 33 | 40 | 38 | 24 | 16 | 12 |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 54 | 253 | 728 | 253 | 129 | 708 | 565 | 575 | 945 | 456 | 302 | 1230 | 352 | 298 | 298 | 352 | 294 | 936 | 294 |
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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