Surf Forecasts:
Pelican Watch surf forecast from 22 Jul 2026:
- Best quality surf: Friday 24 Jul, 2AM (local time) - 3ft (0.9m), 5s period, S swell with cross-offshore winds.
- Most powerful swell: Wednesday 29 Jul, 2AM (local time) - 6.5ft (2.0m), 7s period, SSW swell with 350 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Friday 24 Jul, 2AM (local time) - 3ft (0.9m), 5s 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 Friday (Jul 24) at 2AM. The primary swell is predicted to be 0.9m and 5s period with a secondary swell of 0.4m and 8s. 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 2.0m 7s and forecast to arrive on Wednesday (Jul 29) at 2AM. Winds are predicted to be cross-offshore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 1.7m 6s period and expected on Tuesday (Jul 28) at 11PM.
| Wave Type | Time (EDT) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 2AM (Fri 24th Jul) | 3ft (0.9m) 5s |
| Best Surf | 2AM (Fri 24th Jul) | 3ft (0.9m) 5s |
| Most Powerful | 2AM (Wed 29th Jul) | 6.5ft (2.0m) 7s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Pelican Watch over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
Alright, surfers, Rusty here. Let's look at what's on the table for the next couple of weeks.
To be straight with you, the next week and a half is looking pretty ordinary. We've got a long stretch of small, weak swell and a lot of onshore or cross-shore winds messing up the lineup. The real action doesn't kick off until Monday, August 3rd, so you gotta be patient.
The first proper pulse of energy rolls in on the morning of Monday, August 3rd. That's your standout. The swell pushes up to 6 ft from the SE, with a period of 9 seconds, and the combined energy is cranking (599). The wind is light and offshore from the SSW, so the break at Pelican Watch will be clean. That's the session to aim for if you want a wave with some push.
Then, on Tuesday, August 4th, the swell gets a bit too serious. The morning sees a 10 ft swell from the south with heaps of energy (2049). That's expert territory, too big for most, and it'll be a battle. The afternoon drops back to 6 ft, but the wind goes cross-shore, making it messy.
The rest of the run-up to that is mostly tiny surf. From the 22nd right through to the 29th, we're looking at swell heights mostly under 3 ft, short periods, and weak energy. The water temp is about what you'd expect for this time of year. There is a moment on Saturday morning, July 25th, with glassy conditions on a 2 ft ESE swell, but it's tiny. The afternoon of the 30th has a glassy 4 ft SSW swell, but the period is only 6 seconds, so it's gonna be a bit soft and lumpy. The 31st and 1st of August are a write-off with onshore winds.
After the 3rd, the swell hangs around but the wind gets tricky. Wednesday the 5th morning has a 6 ft S swell and clean offshore wind, but the period is short (7 seconds). The energy is moderate (348). It's surfable, but not as good as the Monday.
So, bottom line: mark your calendar for Monday, August 3rd. That's your best chance for a decent session with clean conditions and a bit of power. The rest is a waiting game.
Rusty.
Short Range ForecastHeavy rain (total 27mm), heaviest during Thu night. Warm (max 31°C on Thu afternoon, min 25°C on Thu afternoon). Winds decreasing (fresh winds from the SSW on Tue night, calm by Fri morning). | Days 5-7 Weather SummaryHeavy rain (total 71mm), heaviest during Sat night. Warm (max 30°C on Mon afternoon, min 22°C on Sun morning). Wind will be generally light. | ||||||||||||||||||
Wednesday 22 | Thursday 23 | Friday 24 | Saturday 25 | Sunday 26 | Monday 27 | ||||||||||||||
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 | SSW 6 | SE 8 | SE 8 | SE 8 | S 6 | S 5 | ESE 8 | SE 8 | ESE 8 | ESE 8 | SE 7 | ESE 8 | ESE 8 | ESE 8 | SE 8 | ESE 8 | ESE 8 | ESE 8 |
Wave Graph  | |||||||||||||||||||
 kJ | 225 | 139 | 25 | 24 | 23 | 49 | 40 | 45 | 51 | 39 | 37 | 56 | 37 | 41 | 34 | 28 | 19 | 11 | 20 |
Wind (km/h) | |||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross | cross-off | cross | cross | off | glassy | cross-off | cross-off | cross | cross | cross-off | cross | cross-off | cross-off |
High Tide | 2:26AM1.03m | 3:20PM1.34m | 3:23AM0.94m | 4:16PM1.35m | 4:22AM0.91m | 5:09PM1.37m | 5:17AM0.91m | 5:58PM1.41m | 6:07AM0.93m | 6:43PM1.45m | 6:52AM0.98m | 7:24PM1.49m | |||||||
Low Tide | 8:36PM0.25m | 8:25AM0.11m | 9:42PM0.28m | 9:15AM0.14m | 10:45PM0.28m | 10:07AM0.16m | 11:40PM0.26m | 10:58AM0.15m | 00:28AM0.23m | 11:47AM0.12m | 1:11AM0.20m | 12:33PM0.09m | 1:49AM0.16m | ||||||
 | |  |  | | |  | | |  |  |  | | |  | | | |  | |
 | — | 6:15 | — | — | 6:16 | — | — | 6:16 | — | — | 6:16 | — | — | 6:18 | — | — | 6:18 | — | — |
 | 8:20 | — | 8:20 | — | — | 8:19 | — | — | 8:17 | — | — | 8:17 | — | — | 8:16 | — | — | 8:15 | — |
mm | 1 | 1 | — | — | 1 | 5 | 10 | 4 | 5 | 8 | 3 | 6 | 50 | — | — | 2 | 2 | — | — |
Temp °C | 28 | 29 | 30 | 28 | 29 | 31 | 27 | 27 | 27 | 28 | 26 | 27 | 24 | 25 | 27 | 27 | 28 | 30 | 28 |
Feels °C | 28 | 28 | 29 | 28 | 29 | 31 | 31 | 30 | 29 | 31 | 30 | 29 | 25 | 26 | 29 | 29 | 30 | 31 | 28 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | SE 8 | SE 8 | SE 8 | SE 8 | S 6 | SE 8 | ESE 8 | SE 8 | ESE 8 | ESE 8 | ESE 7 | ESE 8 | ESE 8 | ESE 8 | SE 8 | ESE 8 | ESE 8 | ESE 8 |
| kJ | — | 23 | 25 | 24 | 23 | 49 | 16 | 45 | 51 | 39 | 37 | 37 | 37 | 41 | 34 | 28 | 19 | 11 | 20 |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | — | — | — | — | SE 8 | — | — | — | — | — | SE 7 | SSW 5 | SSW 5 | SSW 5 | SSW 5 | S 5 | NE 6 | E 5 |
| kJ | — | — | — | — | — | 16 | — | — | — | — | — | 56 | 9 | 5 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 1 |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | SE 9 | — | S 5 | — | ENE 5 | ENE 6 | — | — |
| kJ | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 3 | — | 2 | — | 3 | 4 | — | — |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | S 6 | SSW 6 | SSW 6 | SSW 6 | SSW 6 | SSW 6 | S 5 | S 5 | S 4 | SSW 4 | SSW 5 | SSW 5 | WSW 2 | — | — | — | SSW 5 | SSW 3 | S 5 |
| kJ | 225 | 139 | 118 | 106 | 77 | 74 | 40 | 39 | 25 | 21 | 29 | 20 | 1 | — | — | — | 2 | 8 | 34 |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 454 | 357 | 304 | 351 | 119 | 110 | 0 | 54 | 129 | 22 | 3 | 0 | 23 | 54 | 529 | 54 | 282 | 960 | 54 |
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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