Pelican Watch Surf Break

Lat Long: 34.04° N 77.89° W

Pelican Watch Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Issued: 1 pm 12 Jul 2026 (local time)

Forecast update in  hr  min

Today's Pelican Watch sea temperature is
28.7° C
0.7° 

Pelican Watch surf forecast is for near shore open water. Breaking waves will often be smaller at less exposed spots.


Pelican Watch surf forecast from 12 Jul 2026:

  • Most powerful swell: Sunday 19 Jul, 8PM (local time) - 3.5ft (1.1m), 5s period, ESE swell with 72 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 1.1m 5s and forecast to arrive on Sunday (Jul 19) at 8PM. Winds are predicted to be cross-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 Thursday (Jul 16) at 8PM.

Wave TypeTime (EDT) & Date Wave Height & Period
Next good surf (1 star+)--
Best Surf--
Most Powerful 8PM (Sun 19th Jul)3.5ft (1.1m) 5s

Table - best surf conditions forecast for Pelican Watch over the next 16 days.


Alright, Rusty here. Let’s have a look at what’s on offer.

Truth be told, if you’re hanging your hopes on a proper surf, you might be left staring at flat lines for a while. We’ve got a full 16-day window ahead, but there’s nearly a week of nothing really worth paddling out for right from the get-go. The first decent suggestion doesn't show up until Sunday the 19th of July, and even then, it’s not exactly lighting it up.

Pelican Watch is the only break in the game here, and it’s a beginner-friendly, fairly consistent spot. The water temp is sitting at about 84°F, which is around 1°F warmer than average for this time of year – nothing to write home about, just your typical warm tropical bath.

For the first week, from Sunday the 12th through to Saturday the 18th, the swell is tiny and the wind is all over the shop. You’ve got cross-on breezes and onshore slop keeping things messy. The combined wave energy is weak, often sitting between 14 and 72 (weak energy), so there’s just no push. These are days to save the gas.

The first real standout of the whole outlook lands Sunday the 19th of July into Monday the 20th. On Sunday morning, expect a small 4ft swell from the ESE with a short period of just 5 seconds. The combined energy pushes up to 73 (weak energy), and while that’s not huge, the wind is a light cross-on, so it’ll be rideable but a bit bumpy. The better call is Monday the 20th. The swell drops a touch to 3ft from the ESE, but the wind shifts cross-off from the SSW – that means clean, smooth faces. The combined energy is 45 (weak energy) but the quality of the wave will be way better. Crowds are likely here, so get in early.

After that, from Tuesday the 21st through to the end of the run, it’s back to tiny surf again. We see a few clean mornings with cross-off winds, but the swell never gets above 3ft. It’s a long stretch of knee-to-waist high dribble. Even towards the very end on Sunday the 26th of July, you get glassy conditions in the afternoon with zero wind, but the swell is a pathetic 1ft from the SE – more of a lake paddle than a surf.

So, bottom line: if you’re desperate, the best chance for a halfway decent wave is Monday the 20th of July at Pelican Watch. Clean, cross-off winds, and a bit of ESE energy. That’s your pick. Everything else is either flat or too choppy to bother.

Rusty.

Short Range Forecast

Heavy rain (total 24mm), heaviest during Sun night. Warm (max 32°C on Sun afternoon, min 22°C on Mon night). Wind will be generally light.

Days 5-7 Weather Summary

Mostly dry. Warm (max 31°C on Thu afternoon, min 27°C on Wed night). Wind will be generally light.

Sun
12
Monday
13
Tuesday
14
Wednesday
15
Thursday
16
Friday
17
Saturday
18
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
Rating
(10 max)
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
Swell
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Wave
Height (m)
Direction
Period (s)
0.4
SE
10
0.4
SE
10
0.4
SE
9
0.4
SE
9
0.4
SE
9
0.7
E
7
0.4
SE
9
0.4
SE
9
0.4
SE
9
0.4
SE
9
0.4
SE
8
0.4
SE
8
0.3
E
7
0.2
ESE
8
0.5
SSW
6
0.4
SSW
5
0.9
E
5
1
E
5
0.9
ESE
5
1
ESE
5
1.1
ESE
5
Wave Graph
Metric surfscale
Energy kJ
33
32
29
28
29
45
31
27
22
19
17
16
8
6
18
10
37
42
30
44
64
Wind (km/h)
10
SE
5
NNW
10
NNE
15
ENE
10
N
15
NNE
20
ENE
5
ENE
10
ENE
15
S
15
SW
15
SSW
25
SSW
20
WSW
20
ENE
20
ESE
25
SE
20
ESE
25
ESE
20
SE
10
ESE
Wind State
cross-on
glassy
cross
on
cross
cross-on
on
on
cross-on
cross
cross-off
cross-off
cross-off
cross-off
cross-on
on
cross-on
on
cross-on
cross-on
cross-on
High Tide
6:44PM1.80m
6:59AM1.15m
7:40PM1.85m
7:57AM1.22m
8:33PM1.85m
8:52AM1.28m
9:25PM1.80m
9:47AM1.33m
10:15PM1.71m
10:41AM1.36m
11:04PM1.59m
11:36AM1.37m
11:52PM1.44m
12:31PM1.36m
Low Tide
1:11AM-0.04m
12:47PM-0.22m
2:05AM-0.09m
1:46PM-0.24m
2:56AM-0.12m
2:43PM-0.22m
3:45AM-0.14m
3:39PM-0.17m
4:32AM-0.13m
4:35PM-0.10m
5:19AM-0.10m
5:31PM-0.00m
6:05AM-0.06m
part cloud
thunderstorm
thunderstorm
thunderstorm
thunderstorm
part cloud
thunderstorm
clear
clear
clear
clear
clear
clear
clear
clear
clear
clear
part cloud
clear
part cloud
part cloud
<span class="translation_missing" title="translation missing: en.weather_tables.sunrise">Sunrise</span>
6:09
6:09
6:11
6:11
6:11
6:11
6:13
<span class="translation_missing" title="translation missing: en.weather_tables.sunset">Sunset</span>
8:23
8:23
8:23
8:22
8:22
8:22
8:22
8:21
 mm
15
2
3
3
1
Temp °C
32
25
27
28
26
26
27
27
27
29
27
30
31
29
28
29
27
27
27
27
27
Feels °C
35
30
29
29
29
28
28
29
29
30
28
32
31
30
30
30
27
27
26
27
30
  • Map Icons:
  • Break
  • Live Wave Height (m)
  • Live Wind Speed (km/h)
  • Surf Rating (10 Max)
  • Ocean Swells (m)
  • Wind Speed (km/h)
Map placeholder
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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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