Pelican Watch Surf Break

Lat Long: 34.04° N 77.89° W

Pelican Watch Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Issued: 1 am 04 Aug 2026 (local time)

Forecast update in  hr  min

Today's Pelican Watch sea temperature is
28.3° C
0.3° 

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 4 Aug 2026:

  • Best quality surf: Thursday 6 Aug, 5AM (local time) - 2.5ft (0.8m), 6s period, SE swell with cross-offshore winds.
  • Most powerful swell: Saturday 8 Aug, 2PM (local time) - 3.5ft (1.0m), 8s period, SE swell with 122 kJ wave energy.
  • Next surfable swell (1★+): Thursday 6 Aug, 5AM (local time) - 2.5ft (0.8m), 6s 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 Thursday (Aug 06) at 5AM. The primary swell is predicted to be 0.8m and 6s period with a secondary swell of 0.1m and 13s. 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 8s and forecast to arrive on Saturday (Aug 08) at 2PM. Winds are predicted to be cross-offshore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 1.0m 6s period and expected on Tuesday (Aug 04) at 11PM.

Wave TypeTime (EDT) & Date Wave Height & Period
Next good surf (1 star+) 5AM (Thu 6th Aug)2.5ft (0.8m) 6s
Best Surf 5AM (Thu 6th Aug)2.5ft (0.8m) 6s
Most Powerful 2PM (Sat 8th Aug)3.5ft (1.0m) 8s

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


The Lowdown

G’day, Rusty here. Look, I’ll be straight with you – this isn’t the kind of forecast that gets you out of bed before dawn. The whole 16-day window is a real struggle for decent surf. We’ve got a long stretch of weak, small energy and tricky conditions, so you’ll need to be patient or find something else to do.

Pelican Watch is the only break on the radar, but it’s a tough watch. The water’s sitting at 83°, which is about average for the time of year, so at least you won’t need a thick suit.

The first few days have next to nothing. Tuesday the 4th and Wednesday the 5th are flat with tiny 3 ft to 2 ft swell from the southeast, mixed with rain and cross-offshore winds. The energy is weak – we’re looking at combined readings between 35 and 72, so it’s barely a ripple. Thursday the 6th is the same story with 3 ft to 3 ft, but the period is a short 5 seconds, so it’s junk.

We finally get a tiny pulse on Friday the 7th morning. Swell sits at 3 ft from the southeast, period 6 seconds, and the conditions are clean with a gentle cross-offshore breeze. The combined energy is 60 – still weak – but it’s surfable in a very ordinary way. Saturday the 8th sees a slight bump: 3 ft to 3 ft from the southeast, period 8 seconds. The morning energy hits 108, so it’s moderate, but it’s still a far cry from good. The Saturday afternoon wind picks up to 12 mph, so it’s not getting any cleaner.

After that, the rest of the week drops off a cliff. From Sunday the 9th, the swell fades to 2 ft and then to 1 ft and 0.7 ft for days on end. The combined energy drops into the teens and single digits. The wind is mostly cross-offshore, but it’s strong – 15 to 19 mph – which makes paddle-out a chore for tiny waves. There’s a glassy moment on the afternoon of Friday the 14th, but the swell is only 1 ft, so it’s not worth the drive.

Honestly, the only half-decent window is the Saturday morning of the 8th, with clean 3 ft swell and moderate energy (220). That’s your best bet, but it’s still a beginner-level wave at best. Don’t get your hopes up for the rest of the run. Keep an eye on the forecasts, because it can’t stay this flat forever.

Rusty.

Short Range Forecast

Heavy rain (total 40mm), heaviest during Tue morning. Warm (max 29°C on Thu afternoon, min 25°C on Tue morning). Wind will be generally light.

Days 4-6 Weather Summary

Moderate rain (total 12mm), heaviest on Sat night. Warm (max 29°C on Fri afternoon, min 26°C on Fri night). Wind will be generally light.

Tuesday
4
Wednesday
5
Thursday
6
Friday
7
Saturday
8
Sunday
9
Monday
10
AM
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
1
0
0
1
1
0
1
0
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)
0.8
SE
7
0.6
SE
7
0.7
SE
7
0.7
SE
6
0.6
SE
6
0.8
SE
6
0.9
SE
5
0.8
SSE
5
0.7
SE
6
0.9
SE
6
0.9
SSE
7
0.9
SSE
8
0.9
SE
8
1
SE
8
0.6
ESE
8
0.7
SE
7
0.5
SE
7
0.4
ESE
7
0.4
SE
7
0.4
SE
6
0.4
SE
6
Wave Graph
Metric surfscale
Energy kJ
57
37
44
42
32
47
41
29
39
56
81
112
107
122
37
54
25
18
11
11
10
Wind (km/h)
15
SSW
15
S
20
S
15
SSW
20
SSW
15
S
15
S
15
S
15
S
15
SSW
15
SSW
15
SSW
15
SSW
20
SSW
15
SSW
10
SW
20
SSW
15
SW
10
WSW
25
SSW
20
SW
Wind State
cross-off
cross
cross
cross-off
cross-off
cross
cross
cross-off
cross
cross-off
cross-off
cross-off
cross-off
cross-off
cross-off
cross-off
cross-off
cross-off
cross-off
cross-off
cross-off
High Tide
12:22PM1.40m
00:29AM1.21m
1:16PM1.46m
1:22AM1.12m
2:17PM1.51m
2:24AM1.07m
3:23PM1.57m
3:32AM1.05m
4:30PM1.64m
4:42AM1.08m
5:33PM1.71m
5:48AM1.15m
6:33PM1.76m
Low Tide
6:27PM0.17m
6:32AM0.02m
7:30PM0.20m
7:23AM0.02m
8:39PM0.21m
8:22AM0.01m
9:51PM0.20m
9:27AM-0.02m
10:59PM0.15m
10:34AM-0.05m
00:01AM0.09m
11:40AM-0.10m
00:55AM0.02m
thunderstorm
mod rain
thunderstorm
thunderstorm
thunderstorm
rain showers
thunderstorm
clear
clear
rain showers
part cloud
clear
clear
clear
rain showers
thunderstorm
part cloud
rain showers
thunderstorm
part cloud
rain showers
<span class="translation_missing" title="translation missing: en.weather_tables.sunrise">Sunrise</span>
6:24
6:24
6:26
6:26
6:26
6:28
6:28
<span class="translation_missing" title="translation missing: en.weather_tables.sunset">Sunset</span>
8:09
8:08
8:07
8:07
8:06
8:05
8:04
 mm
15
6
10
4
1
2
2
1
3
4
4
2
2
Temp °C
25
26
27
28
28
27
28
29
27
28
29
28
28
29
27
28
29
28
30
31
28
Feels °C
28
29
28
30
29
30
30
30
30
30
31
31
30
30
29
31
30
30
33
31
29
  • 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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