Surf Forecasts:
Pelican Watch surf forecast from 21 Aug 2026:
- Best quality surf: Saturday 22 Aug, 5PM (local time) - 3ft (0.9m), 5s period, S swell with cross-offshore winds.
- Most powerful swell: Friday 28 Aug, 8AM (local time) - 3.5ft (1.0m), 6s period, S swell with 66 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Saturday 22 Aug, 5PM (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 Saturday (Aug 22) at 5PM. The primary swell is predicted to be 0.9m and 5s period with a secondary swell of 0.3m and 9s. Another secondary swell of 0.2m and 13s is also forecast. 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 1.0m 6s and forecast to arrive on Friday (Aug 28) at 8AM. Winds are predicted to be 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 Friday (Aug 28) at 2AM.
| Wave Type | Time (EDT) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 5PM (Sat 22nd Aug) | 3ft (0.9m) 5s |
| Best Surf | 5PM (Sat 22nd Aug) | 3ft (0.9m) 5s |
| Most Powerful | 8AM (Fri 28th Aug) | 3.5ft (1.0m) 6s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Pelican Watch over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
Alright, I'm looking at the charts for the next couple of weeks, and it's a pretty dead run for Pelican Watch. There's a long gap of nothing good coming our way.
The water's sitting about average for the time of year at 84°F, nothing unusual there.
We kick off Friday, August 21st, with a tiny 1ft SE swell at 8 seconds. The morning has a light cross-off breeze, so it's clean, but the energy is a weak 19 – basically flat. The afternoon turns choppy. Saturday the 22nd is similar, but Saturday afternoon you might see a 3ft S swell, except it's got a terrible 5-second period and a cross-off wind. It's just bumpy and weak (energy of 70).
Your best shot in this whole 16-day stretch is Sunday morning, August 23rd. We get a 3ft S swell with a slightly better 6-second period, and the wind goes offshore from the WSW at 6 mph. It'll be clean but small, with low energy (67). It's surfable, but just barely.
After that, it's grim. From Monday the 24th all the way to the end of the forecast, it's mostly 1ft to 2ft slop with onshore or side winds. The energy drops into the 20s and 30s for days. There's a tiny, not-at-all-exciting bump on Wednesday, September 2nd, where the swell hits 2ft and the energy bumps to 59, but it's still knee-high with a messy period.
The only real window is Sunday morning, August 23rd at Pelican Watch, with the clean offshore wind and the biggest swell of the run from the south. It's a beginner-only day. Everything else is a flat spell. This area's looking more like a kiteboarding zone than a surf spot for the next couple of weeks.
Rusty
Short Range ForecastHeavy rain (total 30mm), heaviest during Sat morning. Warm (max 31°C on Fri afternoon, min 22°C on Fri night). Wind will be generally light. | Days 4-6 Weather SummaryModerate rain (total 14mm), heaviest on Wed night. Warm (max 31°C on Mon afternoon, min 25°C on Tue morning). Wind will be generally light. | ||||||||||||||||||||
Friday 21 | Saturday 22 | Sunday 23 | Monday 24 | Tuesday 25 | Wednesday 26 | Thursday 27 | |||||||||||||||
AM | 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 8 | ESE 8 | ESE 9 | ESE 9 | S 5 | ESE 13 | S 6 | S 6 | S 5 | SE 12 | S 5 | S 5 | SE 11 | SE 10 | SE 10 | SE 9 | SE 9 | SE 9 | SE 9 | SE 9 | ESE 9 |
Wave Graph  | |||||||||||||||||||||
 kJ | 17 | 13 | 15 | 18 | 37 | 17 | 45 | 35 | 14 | 35 | 18 | 18 | 29 | 28 | 28 | 22 | 22 | 21 | 20 | 23 | 34 |
Wind (km/h) | |||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | cross-off | cross | cross-on | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | off | cross-off | glassy | cross-off | cross | cross-off | cross-off | cross | cross-off | cross | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off |
High Tide | 3:36PM1.34m | 3:45AM0.93m | 4:35PM1.36m | 4:45AM0.96m | 5:28PM1.40m | 5:38AM1.01m | 6:14PM1.45m | 6:24AM1.09m | 6:55PM1.50m | 7:06AM1.17m | 7:32PM1.54m | 7:45AM1.26m | 8:08PM1.56m | ||||||||
Low Tide | 8:31AM0.25m | 10:09PM0.37m | 9:31AM0.26m | 11:06PM0.34m | 10:29AM0.23m | 11:54PM0.30m | 11:22AM0.19m | 00:36AM0.26m | 12:10PM0.15m | 1:12AM0.20m | 12:54PM0.10m | 1:46AM0.15m | 1:36PM0.07m | 2:18AM0.10m | |||||||
 |  |  |  | | | | |  | | | |  | |  | |  | | | | | |
 | 6:37 | — | — | 6:37 | — | — | 6:37 | — | — | 6:39 | — | — | 6:39 | — | — | 6:39 | — | — | 6:41 | — | — |
 | — | 7:52 | — | — | 7:50 | — | — | 7:49 | — | — | 7:47 | — | — | 7:46 | — | — | 7:45 | — | — | 7:44 | — |
mm | 3 | — | 10 | 9 | 4 | 4 | — | — | — | — | — | 3 | — | — | 4 | 1 | — | 6 | 1 | 1 | 7 |
Temp °C | 30 | 31 | 28 | 27 | 28 | 28 | 28 | 31 | 30 | 30 | 31 | 29 | 26 | 30 | 28 | 28 | 29 | 28 | 29 | 30 | 27 |
Feels °C | 33 | 33 | 31 | 30 | 31 | 30 | 31 | 31 | 31 | 30 | 31 | 31 | 24 | 27 | 29 | 30 | 28 | 29 | 28 | 29 | 30 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SE 8 | ESE 8 | S 4 | ESE 9 | ESE 9 | ESE 8 | S 6 | S 6 | S 5 | S 5 | ESE 11 | S 5 | S 5 | SE 10 | S 5 | SE 9 | SE 9 | SE 9 | SE 9 | SE 9 | ESE 9 |
| kJ | 17 | 13 | 8 | 16 | 15 | 14 | 45 | 35 | 14 | 8 | 13 | 18 | 18 | 28 | 8 | 22 | 22 | 21 | 20 | 23 | 34 |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SSW 3 | SE 15 | ESE 9 | SE 14 | ESE 13 | ESE 13 | ESE 8 | ESE 12 | ESE 12 | SE 12 | ESE 9 | ESE 9 | SE 11 | E 7 | SE 10 | S 5 | E 16 | E 15 | E 14 | E 13 | E 13 |
| kJ | 1 | 8 | 15 | 7 | 17 | 17 | 7 | 15 | 14 | 35 | 8 | 8 | 29 | 1 | 28 | 4 | 5 | 4 | 4 | 3 | 3 |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | E 6 | E 6 | SE 14 | ESE 13 | E 7 | E 8 | ESE 12 | ESE 8 | ESE 8 | SE 6 | E 7 | ESE 11 | E 7 | — | E 7 | E 7 | — | E 6 | E 8 | E 8 | — |
| kJ | 1 | 1 | 8 | 18 | 1 | 5 | 15 | 7 | 6 | 2 | 1 | 12 | 1 | — | 1 | 1 | — | 1 | 1 | 1 | — |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | SSW 3 | SSW 4 | S 4 | S 5 | SSW 5 | — | SSW 6 | — | ESE 2 | S 5 | SSW 5 | — | S 5 | SSW 5 | WSW 2 | SSW 4 | SSW 5 | SSW 6 | SSW 6 | SSW 6 |
| kJ | — | 2 | 9 | 13 | 37 | 49 | — | 60 | — | 1 | 18 | 35 | — | 20 | 9 | 1 | 22 | 64 | 84 | 80 | 114 |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 960 | 2003 | 219 | 22 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 110 | 243 | 304 | 99 | 54 | 54 | 129 | 282 | 1230 | 532 | 358 | 351 | 99 |
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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