Pelican Watch Surf Break

Lat Long: 34.04° N 77.89° W

Pelican Watch Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Issued: 1 pm 24 Jul 2026 (local time)

Forecast update in  hr  min

Today's Pelican Watch sea temperature is
28.7° C
0.5° 

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 24 Jul 2026:

  • Best quality surf: Saturday 25 Jul, 8PM (local time) - 2.5ft (0.7m), 8s period, SE swell with offshore winds.
  • Most powerful swell: Wednesday 29 Jul, 5AM (local time) - 4ft (1.2m), 6s period, SSW swell with 107 kJ wave energy.
  • Next surfable swell (1★+): Saturday 25 Jul, 8PM (local time) - 2.5ft (0.7m), 8s 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 Saturday (Jul 25) at 8PM. The primary swell is predicted to be 0.7m and 8s period with a secondary swell of 0.1m and 6s. 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 1.2m 6s and forecast to arrive on Wednesday (Jul 29) at 5AM. Winds are predicted to be 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 Wednesday (Jul 29) at 2AM.

Wave TypeTime (EDT) & Date Wave Height & Period
Next good surf (1 star+) 8PM (Sat 25th Jul)2.5ft (0.7m) 8s
Best Surf 8PM (Sat 25th Jul)2.5ft (0.7m) 8s
Most Powerful 5AM (Wed 29th Jul)4ft (1.2m) 6s

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


The Lowdown

G'day, Rusty here, and I've gotta be straight with you—this stretch for Pelican Watch is lean. Real lean. Over the next sixteen days, there's barely a bump worth paddling for, and a whole lot of flat spells in between. The only spot that pops up is Pelican Watch itself, and even that's a tough sell.

Let's talk about the first few days. Friday the 24th through the rest of July, the swell is tiny—around 1.3ft to 2ft out of the southeast, with a short period of 8 seconds. That's a weak, windswelly pulse. The energy is pitiful, with combined wave energy readings in the 30s and 50s (59 on Friday morning). The wind is mostly cross-off or cross, so it's not totally blown out, but when the swell is that small, it's just not doing anything. The water temp is sitting at 83.7°, about 0.9° warmer than normal, so it's a typical summer bath.

The only half-glance of hope comes on Wednesday the 29th. The swell jumps to 5ft in the morning, from the southwest, with a period of just 6 seconds. That's a short, lumpy period, and the combined energy hits 281—moderate, but not groundswell. The wind is cross-off at 25 km/h, which is clean enough, but that short period means it's going to be a bit of a mess. Still, for a beginner-friendly break like Pelican Watch, 5ft is about the top of the comfort zone, so it's not too big for a learner. The good news? Thursday the 30th offers glassy conditions in the morning, with a light northwesterly breeze, and the swell holds at 2.6ft from the SSE. It's small, but glassy is glassy, and that's a rare treat. The energy is up to 138, so there's a bit of push in the water.

After that, it's a long, dusty run. From Friday the 31st of July all the way through to Saturday the 8th of August, the swell drops back to 0.7ft to 2.6ft, with periods as short as 4 seconds. The combined energy falls into the teens and twenties—weak, weak, weak. The wind is mostly cross-on or onshore, so it's not even clean. There's a few patches of cross-off wind on the 3rd, 4th, and 7th of August, but with swell that tiny, it's basically a lake.

The standout? If you're desperate, the glassy Thursday morning of the 30th of July is your best bet. It's small, but it'll be clean, and the water's warm. The other flicker is the Wednesday morning of the 29th—5ft and cross-off, but that short period will make it a bit of a washing machine. Neither is a ripper, but that's the pick of a rough bunch.

Honestly, this is one of those runs where the forecast can change, but right now, it's a waiting game. Don't expect much, and you won't be disappointed.

Short Range Forecast

Heavy rain (total 67mm), heaviest during Sat night. Warm (max 31°C on Fri afternoon, min 21°C on Sat night). Wind will be generally light.

Days 5-7 Weather Summary

Light rain (total 3mm), mostly falling on Wed night. Warm (max 34°C on Wed afternoon, min 25°C on Thu morning). Winds decreasing (fresh winds from the SW on Tue night, calm by Thu morning).

Fri
24
Saturday
25
Sunday
26
Monday
27
Tuesday
28
Wednesday
29
Thursday
30
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
Rating
(10 max)
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
1
0
0
0
0
Swell
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Wave
Height (m)
Direction
Period (s)
0.6
SE
8
0.6
ESE
8
0.6
ESE
8
0.6
SE
7
0.7
SE
8
0.5
ESE
8
0.5
ESE
8
0.5
E
8
0.4
ESE
8
0.4
ESE
8
0.4
ESE
8
0.5
SE
8
0.5
SE
8
0.3
ESE
9
0.9
S
6
0.6
SE
7
0.8
S
7
0.6
S
6
0.6
S
7
0.5
SE
7
Wave Graph
Metric surfscale
Energy kJ
50
39
37
44
58
35
36
30
23
19
23
29
31
15
59
34
61
28
35
23
Wind (km/h)
20
SSW
10
WSW
15
SW
15
SW
10
N
10
NNE
15
SSE
10
SSE
10
S
15
S
15
S
20
SSW
25
SSW
35
SW
15
NW
5
W
25
SSW
5
S
10
S
15
ESE
Wind State
cross-off
off
cross-off
cross-off
cross
cross
cross
cross
cross
cross
cross-off
cross-off
cross-off
cross-off
cross-off
off
cross-off
glassy
cross
on
High Tide
5:09PM1.37m
5:17AM0.91m
5:58PM1.41m
6:07AM0.93m
6:43PM1.45m
6:52AM0.98m
7:24PM1.49m
7:34AM1.02m
8:03PM1.52m
8:14AM1.08m
8:39PM1.53m
8:53AM1.12m
9:14PM1.52m
Low Tide
11:40PM0.26m
10:58AM0.15m
00:28AM0.23m
11:47AM0.12m
1:11AM0.20m
12:33PM0.09m
1:49AM0.16m
1:16PM0.06m
2:25AM0.12m
1:57PM0.05m
2:59AM0.09m
2:37PM0.04m
3:32AM0.06m
part cloud
thunderstorm
mod rain
thunderstorm
thunderstorm
clear
part cloud
thunderstorm
thunderstorm
part cloud
clear
clear
clear
part cloud
part cloud
clear
rain showers
clear
part cloud
thunderstorm
<span class="translation_missing" title="translation missing: en.weather_tables.sunrise">Sunrise</span>
6:16
6:18
6:18
6:18
6:20
6:20
<span class="translation_missing" title="translation missing: en.weather_tables.sunset">Sunset</span>
8:17
8:17
8:16
8:15
8:15
8:15
8:14
 mm
11
6
7
38
4
1
3
1
Temp °C
31
28
24
26
26
25
28
26
28
29
27
29
30
28
31
34
31
29
29
28
Feels °C
31
30
26
28
29
26
30
28
30
30
28
30
30
29
32
36
34
32
31
31
  • Map Icons:
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  • Live Wave Height (m)
  • Live Wind Speed (km/h)
  • Surf Rating (10 Max)
  • Ocean Swells (m)
  • Wind Speed (km/h)
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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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