
Surf Forecasts:
Pelican Watch surf forecast from 12 Sep 2026:
- Best quality surf: Monday 14 Sep, 5AM (local time) - 1.5ft (0.5m), 9s period, SE swell with offshore winds.
- Most powerful swell: Thursday 17 Sep, 2AM (local time) - 4.5ft (1.3m), 7s period, ENE swell with 157 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Monday 14 Sep, 5AM (local time) - 1.5ft (0.5m), 9s 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 Monday (Sep 14) at 5AM. The primary swell is predicted to be 0.5m and 9s period with a secondary swell of 0.7m and 5s. 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 1.3m 7s and forecast to arrive on Thursday (Sep 17) at 2AM. Winds are predicted to be cross-onshore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 0.8m 4s period and expected on Saturday (Sep 12) at 11PM.
| Wave Type | Time (EDT) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 5AM (Mon 14th Sep) | 1.5ft (0.5m) 9s |
| Best Surf | 5AM (Mon 14th Sep) | 1.5ft (0.5m) 9s |
| Most Powerful | 2AM (Thu 17th Sep) | 4.5ft (1.3m) 7s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Pelican Watch over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
Alright, let me get a look at what we've got here. The coming weeks are looking pretty flat, folks. It's one of those stretches where the ocean just isn't cooperating for a proper paddle session. We've got a solid run of days with hardly any energy, and the few times a little bump shows up, the conditions just aren't coming together to make it worth your while. Don't get your hopes up for a quick fix; we're looking at a real dry spell.
Starting off right now, through the weekend and into the middle of next week, it's pretty grim. The sea is almost asleep, with combined swell energy barely cracking 50 (45 on Saturday afternoon and not much better after that). Swells are tiny, mostly at 2 ft, and coming from the southeast with a short period of 9 seconds. The wind is a mess too, mostly cross or cross-onshore at 12-13 mph, stirring up a frustrating chop. The water is sitting at a warm 81°, which is about what you'd expect for this time of year, but there's nothing to surf in it.
There's a slight change late on Monday the 21st of September when we finally see a score above zero. We get a little pulse of energy from the east-northeast, around 3 ft, but the period is a terrible 4 seconds—that's just wind chop with no push. The winds do turn offshore though, swinging to the west-southwest at a clean 9 mph, so at least the surface will be glassy. Still, this is barely surfable, and I wouldn't recommend rushing out for it.
Tuesday the 22nd of September morning might be the only real standout, and even then, it's not much to write home about. Under glassy skies with no wind, Pelican Watch could have some tiny 3 ft waves from the east at an 8-second period. The combined energy is modest at 79, but the surface will be completely clean. It's a beginner-friendly spot, and with that kind of wind, it'll be as user-friendly as it gets. Just don't expect any power.
After that, it's back to the doldrums. The rest of the second week is dominated by onshore winds and weak, short-period energy. By the final weekend, on the 27th of September, the swell tries to bump up to 4 ft from the east-northeast, but it's a messy 7-second period and those east-northeast winds are blowing straight onshore at 16 mph. That kind of setup is more interesting for the kite surfers than for anyone on a paddle board.
In short, this is a long stretch of poor surf. The one brief window on the morning of the 22nd is your best bet if you *have* to get wet, but keep your expectations on the floor.
Rusty.
Short Range ForecastModerate rain (total 10mm), heaviest on Sat night. Warm (max 32°C on Mon afternoon, min 22°C on Tue morning). Wind will be generally light. | Days 5-7 Weather SummaryModerate rain (total 14mm), heaviest on Fri morning. Warm (max 27°C on Thu afternoon, min 20°C on Tue night). Wind will be generally light. | |||||||||||||||||||
Sat 12 | Sunday 13 | Monday 14 | Tuesday 15 | Wednesday 16 | Thursday 17 | Friday 18 | ||||||||||||||
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) | SE 9 | SE 9 | SE 10 | SE 9 | SE 9 | SE 9 | ESE 9 | ENE 6 | ENE 6 | E 6 | ENE 6 | ENE 6 | E 6 | ENE 7 | ENE 6 | E 6 | E 7 | ESE 12 | ESE 12 | SE 5 |
Wave Graph | ||||||||||||||||||||
39 | 42 | 45 | 41 | 39 | 38 | 30 | 130 | 139 | 114 | 119 | 74 | 139 | 157 | 122 | 39 | 27 | 15 | 14 | 7 | |
Wind (km/h) | ||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | cross | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | on | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | on | on | cross-on | cross-on | cross |
High Tide | 9:23PM1.53m | 9:47AM1.65m | 10:04PM1.43m | 10:30AM1.62m | 10:45PM1.31m | 11:13AM1.56m | 11:27PM1.20m | 11:59AM1.50m | 00:12AM1.10m | 12:50PM1.43m | 1:03AM1.03m | 1:48PM1.37m | 2:03AM0.99m | |||||||
Low Tide | 3:09PM-0.01m | 3:21AM0.01m | 3:55PM0.05m | 3:59AM0.06m | 4:42PM0.13m | 4:37AM0.12m | 5:30PM0.22m | 5:16AM0.20m | 6:21PM0.30m | 5:59AM0.26m | 7:18PM0.37m | 6:49AM0.32m | 8:21PM0.42m | |||||||
— | — | 6:52 | — | — | 6:52 | — | — | 6:54 | — | — | 6:54 | — | — | 6:54 | — | — | 6:56 | — | — | |
7:22 | — | — | 7:21 | — | — | 7:20 | — | — | 7:17 | — | — | 7:16 | — | — | 7:15 | — | — | 7:14 | — | |
mm | 2 | 4 | 1 | 1 | — | — | — | 2 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 3 | 4 | 7 | 2 | 1 |
Temp °C | 28 | 27 | 29 | 30 | 28 | 30 | 32 | 26 | 23 | 26 | 24 | 22 | 26 | 25 | 25 | 27 | 26 | 26 | 27 | 26 |
Feels °C | 29 | 29 | 31 | 31 | 30 | 33 | 34 | 26 | 20 | 22 | 21 | 20 | 23 | 23 | 27 | 29 | 28 | 28 | 29 | 28 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SE 9 | SE 9 | SE 10 | SE 9 | SE 9 | S 5 | ESE 9 | — | E 15 | E 15 | E 14 | E 9 | SE 14 | SE 14 | SE 13 | E 6 | E 7 | SE 5 | SE 5 | SE 5 |
39 | 42 | 45 | 41 | 39 | 13 | 30 | — | 4 | 4 | 4 | 24 | 7 | 7 | 7 | 39 | 27 | 7 | 6 | 6 | |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | — | — | — | E 5 | SE 9 | S 5 | — | — | — | — | SE 14 | — | — | SE 9 | E 7 | ESE 6 | ENE 7 | ENE 7 | ESE 9 |
— | — | — | — | 1 | 38 | 7 | — | — | — | — | 7 | — | — | 3 | 16 | 12 | 10 | 5 | 7 | |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | — | — | — | E 5 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | ESE 12 | SE 13 | ESE 12 | ESE 12 | E 7 |
— | — | — | — | 1 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 15 | 6 | 15 | 14 | 4 | |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | S 4 | S 4 | S 5 | S 5 | SSW 5 | — | — | ENE 6 | ENE 6 | E 6 | ENE 6 | ENE 6 | E 6 | ENE 7 | ENE 6 | — | — | — | SE 5 | — |
6 | 20 | 23 | 22 | 32 | — | — | 130 | 139 | 114 | 119 | 74 | 139 | 157 | 122 | — | — | — | 9 | — | |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | ||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 1232 | 519 | 296 | 302 | 3 | 54 | 817 | 529 | 140 | 140 | 30 | 605 | 73 | 140 | 138 | 956 | 296 | 997 | 821 | 527 |
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.










