Surf Forecasts:
Pelican Watch surf forecast from 28 Jul 2026:
- Best quality surf: Wednesday 29 Jul, 11AM (local time) - 2.5ft (0.8m), 6s period, S swell with cross-offshore winds.
- Most powerful swell: Monday 3 Aug, 8AM (local time) - 5ft (1.6m), 8s period, SSE swell with 276 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Wednesday 29 Jul, 11AM (local time) - 2.5ft (0.8m), 6s 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 Wednesday (Jul 29) at 11AM. The primary swell is predicted to be 0.8m and 6s period with a secondary swell of 0.2m 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 1.6m 8s and forecast to arrive on Monday (Aug 03) 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 1.4m 6s period and expected on Wednesday (Jul 29) at 2AM.
| Wave Type | Time (EDT) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 11AM (Wed 29th Jul) | 2.5ft (0.8m) 6s |
| Best Surf | 11AM (Wed 29th Jul) | 2.5ft (0.8m) 6s |
| Most Powerful | 8AM (Mon 3rd Aug) | 5ft (1.6m) 8s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Pelican Watch over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
Alright folks, Rusty here. Let’s have a look at what’s on the cards for the next couple of weeks.
Right off the bat, I gotta be straight with you – the surf is going to be a real struggle for a long stretch. We’re looking at a solid week of tiny, weak swell with poor conditions, starting from Tuesday the 28th of July. The first ten days are basically a write-off. A few little pulses of 1ft to 3ft swell from the south and southeast roll through, but the energy is pathetic, reading around 27 to 70 for that combined energy figure. The winds are mostly cross-off or cross-shore, but there's just nothing to work with. It’s gonna be a whole lot of flat, clean water with no real push.
The only glimmer of hope, and I mean the *only* one, shows up on Monday the 3rd of August. There’s a sudden jump in the swell energy, hitting 433 on the meter, with a 5ft swell from the south. That’s a decent bump. The morning looks best with a risk of thunderstorms and a clean cross-off breeze from the WSW at 12 mph. That’s a window worth keeping an eye on, but the period is a short 7 seconds, so it’ll be a bit lumpy and disorganised. The afternoon sees the energy drop and the wind pick up, making it messy.
Tuesday the 4th of August holds a bit of residual energy. The morning is still in the game with a 4ft south swell, light WSW wind at 6 mph, and clean conditions. The combined energy is still solid at 239. This is your best bet if you want a few waves with some push. It’s a short-period swell again, but the morning conditions will be the cleanest of the whole run.
After that, the bottom drops out again. From Wednesday the 5th of August right through to the end of the forecast on Wednesday the 12th of August, it’s back to tiny, weak surf. The swell drops to 0.7ft to 2ft, and the energy reading sits mostly below 30. It’s going to be a flat spell.
The standout for the entire period is the morning of Monday the 3rd of August, and then the morning of Tuesday the 4th of August. That’s where the energy is. For a spot like Pelican Watch, which is a beginner-friendly, exposed beach break, that 4ft to 5ft of south swell will be a welcome change. The best of it will be the Tuesday morning, with light winds and cleaner conditions. It won’t be epic, but it’ll be the best we’ve got. The water temperature is about average for this time of year, no real surprises there.
So, the long and short of it: load up on the coffee and wait for the 3rd of August. The rest is a flat, quiet stretch.
Rusty.
Short Range ForecastLight rain (total 7mm), mostly falling on Tue night. Warm (max 33°C on Wed afternoon, min 23°C on Thu morning). Winds increasing (calm on Mon night, fresh winds from the SSW by Tue night). | Days 5-7 Weather SummaryLight rain (total 8mm), mostly falling on Sat night. Warm (max 30°C on Fri morning, min 26°C on Fri morning). Wind will be generally light. | ||||||||||||||||||
Tuesday 28 | Wednesday 29 | Thursday 30 | Friday 31 | Saturday 1 | Sunday 2 | ||||||||||||||
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 8 | ESE 8 | ESE 8 | SE 8 | S 6 | S 6 | E 9 | S 7 | S 6 | SSW 6 | SE 7 | S 6 | S 6 | ESE 9 | SSE 6 | SE 5 | SE 5 | SE 8 | SE 7 |
Wave Graph  | |||||||||||||||||||
 kJ | 23 | 24 | 26 | 16 | 47 | 25 | 2 | 57 | 40 | 39 | 11 | 31 | 27 | 8 | 13 | 53 | 51 | 36 | 33 |
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-off | off | cross | cross-off | cross | cross-off | cross | cross | cross-on | cross-on | cross | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off |
High Tide | 7:34AM1.02m | 8:03PM1.52m | 8:14AM1.08m | 8:39PM1.53m | 8:53AM1.12m | 9:14PM1.52m | 9:31AM1.18m | 9:49PM1.50m | 10:10AM1.23m | 10:24PM1.45m | 10:50AM1.29m | 11:02PM1.38m | |||||||
Low Tide | 1:49AM0.16m | 1:16PM0.06m | 2:25AM0.12m | 1:57PM0.05m | 2:59AM0.09m | 2:37PM0.04m | 3:32AM0.06m | 3:17PM0.05m | 4:03AM0.05m | 3:58PM0.07m | 4:36AM0.03m | 4:43PM0.09m | |||||||
 |  |  |  | |  |  | | |  | | | | | | | | |  | |
 | — | 6:18 | — | — | 6:20 | — | — | 6:20 | — | — | 6:20 | — | — | 6:22 | — | — | 6:22 | — | — |
 | 8:15 | — | 8:15 | — | — | 8:15 | — | — | 8:14 | — | — | 8:13 | — | — | 8:12 | — | — | 8:10 | — |
mm | 1 | — | — | 4 | — | — | 2 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 7 | 1 | — | — |
Temp °C | 28 | 30 | 31 | 29 | 31 | 33 | 31 | 27 | 31 | 29 | 30 | 30 | 28 | 29 | 29 | 27 | 28 | 29 | 27 |
Feels °C | 32 | 32 | 30 | 29 | 32 | 33 | 32 | 27 | 32 | 31 | 31 | 29 | 29 | 30 | 29 | 29 | 29 | 29 | 28 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | ESE 8 | ESE 8 | ESE 8 | SE 8 | S 6 | S 6 | E 9 | S 7 | S 6 | S 6 | SSW 6 | SE 9 | ESE 9 | SSE 6 | ESE 9 | E 7 | E 6 | SE 8 | SE 7 |
| kJ | 23 | 24 | 26 | 16 | 47 | 25 | 2 | 57 | 40 | 28 | 7 | 3 | 8 | 3 | 8 | 1 | 1 | 36 | 33 |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SSW 5 | SSE 5 | E 6 | — | ESE 8 | ESE 8 | E 9 | E 8 | — | SE 10 | SE 7 | — | — | SSW 5 | SW 5 | — | — | E 6 | — |
| kJ | 2 | 2 | 1 | — | 6 | 12 | 2 | 1 | — | 4 | 11 | — | — | 3 | 1 | — | — | 1 | — |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | E 6 | E 6 | — | — | SE 10 | E 9 | — | — | SE 9 | E 8 | SE 9 | ESE 9 | SE 7 | ESE 9 | E 7 | — | — | — | — |
| kJ | 1 | 1 | — | — | 4 | 2 | — | — | 3 | 1 | 3 | 8 | 2 | 8 | 1 | — | — | — | — |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | SW 3 | SSW 4 | SSW 6 | WNW 2 | — | S 5 | NNE 3 | — | SSW 6 | — | S 6 | S 6 | SSE 4 | SSE 6 | SE 5 | SE 5 | SE 5 | SSE 4 |
| kJ | — | 2 | 28 | 119 | 1 | — | 56 | 1 | — | 39 | — | 31 | 27 | 4 | 13 | 53 | 51 | 33 | 32 |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 298 | 858 | 839 | 352 | 0 | 30 | 142 | 22 | 54 | 282 | 243 | 837 | 527 | 352 | 945 | 946 | 1573 | 575 | 351 |
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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