Surf Forecasts:
Pelican Watch surf forecast from 6 Sep 2026:
- Best quality surf: Thursday 10 Sep, 5AM (local time) - 3.5ft (1.0m), 7s period, ESE swell with cross-offshore winds.
- Most powerful swell: Tuesday 8 Sep, 5AM (local time) - 5ft (1.5m), 7s period, E swell with 196 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Thursday 10 Sep, 5AM (local time) - 3.5ft (1.0m), 7s period with ESE 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 (Sep 10) at 5AM. The primary swell is predicted to be 1.0m 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 1.5m 7s and forecast to arrive on Tuesday (Sep 08) at 5AM. Winds are predicted to be onshore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 1.3m 5s period and expected on Saturday (Sep 12) at 2AM.
| Wave Type | Time (EDT) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 5AM (Thu 10th Sep) | 3.5ft (1.0m) 7s |
| Best Surf | 5AM (Thu 10th Sep) | 3.5ft (1.0m) 7s |
| Most Powerful | 5AM (Tue 8th Sep) | 5ft (1.5m) 7s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Pelican Watch over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
Alright, let me take a look at what we’ve got for the next couple of weeks. I’ll be honest with you, it’s a pretty lean stretch. The whole 16-day window is a flat spell with barely a bump worthy of getting wet for. We’re talking about a lot of days with nothing doing, and even the few moments where there’s a little push, the conditions are just ordinary.
The only spot that comes up at all is Pelican Watch. This is a beginner-friendly, fairly consistent spot that’s exposed to the swell. The water temp is sitting at 84°F, which is a touch warmer than normal for this time of year, so you won’t need a thick suit.
The first real chance of anything surfable comes on Thursday, the 10th of September, in the morning. We’ve got a tiny 3ft swell from the ESE, with a period of 7 seconds. The combined energy is weak, only 68. The wind is a light cross-offshore from the WSW, which will keep it clean, but let’s be real – it’s marginal. The report calls it “surfable waves but very ordinary conditions,” and I’d agree. It’s a 1 out of 10, so don’t get your hopes up.
After that, there’s a long, dry gap. The next flicker of life doesn’t show up until Wednesday, the 16th of September, in the morning. Again, we’re looking at a tiny 1.0ft swell from the ESE, with a 9-second period. The energy is only 51. The wind is light and cross-off from the SSW, so it’ll be clean, but it’s barely a ripple. Another “surfable but ordinary” day.
Then, on Thursday, the 17th of September, in the morning, we get a similar story: a weak 3ft swell from the ENE, but with a short, choppy period of just 5 seconds. The energy is low at 55. The wind is cross-off from the SW, so it’ll be clean, but the swell is just too weak and short to make anything of it.
That’s it. There’s no standout session, no big day to mark on the calendar. The best on offer is honestly just those two mornings where you might find a clean, knee-high wave if you’re desperate. With such consistently poor surf quality and strong onshore winds for most of the period, this setup looks more interesting for a kite surfer than a paddle surfer. For a board and a fin, it’s a quiet fortnight.
Stay patient. It tends not to stay this poor for long around here, and the forecasts can change.
Rusty.
Short Range ForecastLight rain (total 7mm), mostly falling on Sun night. Warm (max 27°C on Sun afternoon, min 26°C on Sun night). Wind will be generally light. | Days 5-7 Weather SummaryHeavy rain (total 28mm), heaviest during Fri night. Warm (max 29°C on Thu afternoon, min 25°C on Fri night). Wind will be generally light. | |||||||||||||||||||
Sun 6 | Monday 7 | Tuesday 8 | Wednesday 9 | Thursday 10 | Friday 11 | Saturday 12 | ||||||||||||||
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 9 | E 5 | E 5 | E 5 | E 6 | E 6 | ESE 7 | ESE 7 | ESE 7 | ESE 7 | ESE 7 | ESE 7 | ESE 7 | ESE 6 | S 4 | SE 8 | SSW 5 | SE 8 | SE 8 | SE 9 |
Wave Graph  | ||||||||||||||||||||
 kJ | 16 | 52 | 43 | 55 | 156 | 182 | 163 | 153 | 127 | 120 | 96 | 68 | 40 | 16 | 10 | 17 | 27 | 25 | 17 | 30 |
Wind (km/h) | ||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | on | on | on | on | on | on | on | on | on | cross-on | cross-on | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | glassy | cross | glassy | cross-on | on | on |
High Tide | 4:20PM1.64m | 4:38AM1.18m | 5:23PM1.68m | 5:42AM1.29m | 6:19PM1.70m | 6:39AM1.41m | 7:10PM1.71m | 7:30AM1.51m | 7:57PM1.68m | 8:18AM1.59m | 8:41PM1.62m | 9:03AM1.64m | 9:23PM1.53m | |||||||
Low Tide | 10:47PM0.21m | 10:32AM0.05m | 11:44PM0.14m | 11:37AM0.00m | 00:35AM0.08m | 12:36PM-0.04m | 1:20AM0.02m | 1:30PM-0.05m | 2:03AM-0.01m | 2:21PM-0.05m | 2:43AM-0.01m | 3:09PM-0.01m | 3:21AM0.01m | |||||||
 |  |  | |  | |  |  | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
 | — | — | 6:48 | — | — | 6:48 | — | — | 6:50 | — | — | 6:50 | — | — | 6:50 | — | — | 6:52 | — | — |
 | 7:30 | — | — | 7:29 | — | — | 7:28 | — | — | 7:27 | — | — | 7:24 | — | — | 7:23 | — | — | 7:22 | — |
mm | 1 | 4 | — | — | 2 | — | — | — | — | — | 1 | 2 | — | 3 | 4 | 2 | 15 | 1 | — | 1 |
Temp °C | 27 | 27 | 27 | 27 | 26 | 27 | 27 | 26 | 26 | 27 | 26 | 28 | 29 | 28 | 27 | 29 | 27 | 27 | 27 | 26 |
Feels °C | 28 | 27 | 25 | 25 | 25 | 25 | 25 | 25 | 27 | 27 | 28 | 31 | 29 | 29 | 31 | 30 | 29 | 28 | 27 | 27 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SSE 5 | S 5 | SE 8 | — | — | — | — | E 9 | ESE 7 | ESE 7 | ESE 7 | ESE 7 | ESE 7 | ESE 6 | S 4 | SE 8 | SSW 5 | SSW 5 | S 6 | SE 9 |
| kJ | 5 | 2 | 18 | — | — | — | — | 2 | 127 | 120 | 96 | 68 | 40 | 16 | 10 | 17 | 27 | 9 | 16 | 30 |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | ESE 9 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | E 9 | E 8 | — | — | — | ESE 8 | ESE 6 | ESE 6 | SE 8 | SE 8 | SE 8 | S 6 |
| kJ | 16 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 6 | 6 | — | — | — | 14 | 8 | 4 | 16 | 25 | 17 | 10 |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | — | E 12 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | E 9 | ESE 8 | E 8 | E 11 | — | ENE 4 | SSW 6 |
| kJ | — | — | 3 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 2 | 7 | 1 | 2 | — | 3 | 18 |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | E 3 | E 5 | E 5 | E 5 | E 6 | E 6 | ESE 7 | ESE 7 | — | — | — | — | S 2 | SSW 4 | SW 4 | S 4 | SW 5 | NE 2 | NE 4 | ENE 5 |
| kJ | 5 | 52 | 43 | 55 | 156 | 182 | 163 | 153 | — | — | — | — | 1 | 8 | 9 | 14 | 94 | 1 | 4 | 7 |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | ||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 837 | 669 | 454 | 842 | 489 | 359 | 1230 | 30 | 140 | 140 | 140 | 0 | 556 | 489 | 54 | 576 | 23 | 1230 | 2540 | 110 |
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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