Surf Forecasts:
Pelican Watch surf forecast from 16 Jul 2026:
- Best quality surf: Wednesday 22 Jul, 8PM (local time) - 4.5ft (1.4m), 6s period, S swell with cross-offshore winds.
- Most powerful swell: Monday 20 Jul, 2AM (local time) - 6ft (1.9m), 7s period, SSW swell with 369 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Wednesday 22 Jul, 11AM (local time) - 5ft (1.5m), 6s period with SSW 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 22) at 11AM. The primary swell is predicted to be 1.5m and 6s period with a secondary swell of 0.4m and 9s. 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 1.9m 7s and forecast to arrive on Monday (Jul 20) at 2AM. 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 Sunday (Jul 19) at 2AM.
| Wave Type | Time (EDT) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 11AM (Wed 22nd Jul) | 5ft (1.5m) 6s |
| Best Surf | 8PM (Wed 22nd Jul) | 4.5ft (1.4m) 6s |
| Most Powerful | 2AM (Mon 20th Jul) | 6ft (1.9m) 7s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Pelican Watch over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
Right, listen up. I’m Rusty, and I’ve been staring at the charts for your local stretch. Gotta be straight with you—this is a grim run of it. The forecast shows a long, dry spell with barely a ripple worth paddling for. We’re talking days and days of nothing.
For the first week, from Thursday the 16th through to almost the end of July, the only break on offer is Pelican Watch. The water temp is sitting at 83°, which is about average for the time of year, so nothing weird there.
The first real chance to get wet doesn’t come until Wednesday the 22nd. Even then, it’s not exactly a celebration. You’ve got a 5 ft swell from the SSW, but it’s a short period windswell with a weak energy reading (190). The winds are cross-offshore, which is the only thing saving it from being a total washout. It’s surfable, but only just—very ordinary conditions. The afternoon looks slightly better with a 4 ft swell from the south, a light offshore breeze, and some glassy texture, but the energy is still weak (124).
After that, the window slams shut again. There’s another small window around Sunday the 26th and Monday the 27th, with small 4 ft and 3 ft swells, but the wind is up and down. The morning of the 27th shows a 3 ft SSE swell with a gentle offshore wind and a clean surface, but it’s a weak energy (87). It’s surfable, but you’ll be working for it.
Honestly, there’s no standout session here. The pick of a very sorry bunch is the afternoon of Wednesday the 22nd. The light offshore wind and 4 ft S swell will give you a few clean little runners at Pelican Watch, but don’t expect any power. It’s a beginner-friendly break, so the small size and short period make it safe for learners, but the crowds are often there, so you won’t be alone.
The second week is more of the same. A few blips of energy on the 30th with a 5 ft SSW swell (326 energy), but it’s onshore and messy. Then a little clean-up on the 31st with a 2 ft SE swell and offshore wind, but it’s tiny. For a stretch that’s usually fairly consistent, this is a dry spell. It won’t stay poor forever, but for now, the forecast is a tough read.
That’s all I’ve got. Keep an eye on the sky.
Rusty.
Short Range ForecastSome drizzle, heaviest during Fri night. Warm (max 31°C on Thu afternoon, min 26°C on Thu morning). Winds increasing (light winds from the WSW on Thu morning, fresh winds from the SSW by Sat night). | Days 4-6 Weather SummaryHeavy rain (total 24mm), heaviest during Mon night. Warm (max 30°C on Sun morning, min 27°C on Sun night). Mainly fresh winds. | ||||||||||||||||||||
Thursday 16 | Friday 17 | Saturday 18 | Sunday 19 | Monday 20 | Tuesday 21 | Wednesday 22 | |||||||||||||||
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 8 | ESE 8 | ESE 8 | ESE 8 | ESE 8 | ESE 8 | S 6 | S 7 | S 7 | SSW 7 | SSE 7 | SSE 6 | S 6 | S 6 | SE 8 | S 6 | SSW 6 | S 6 | S 7 |
Wave Graph  | |||||||||||||||||||||
 kJ | 16 | 12 | 6 | 6 | 6 | 13 | 13 | 6 | 0 | 235 | 278 | 369 | 121 | 70 | 119 | 60 | 14 | 213 | 170 | 112 | 56 |
Wind (km/h) | |||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | 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 | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | off | cross-on |
High Tide | 9:47AM1.33m | 10:15PM1.71m | 10:41AM1.36m | 11:04PM1.59m | 11:36AM1.37m | 11:52PM1.44m | 12:31PM1.36m | 00:41AM1.29m | 1:26PM1.35m | 1:32AM1.14m | 2:23PM1.34m | 2:26AM1.03m | 3:20PM1.34m | 3:23AM0.94m | |||||||
Low Tide | 3:39PM-0.17m | 4:32AM-0.13m | 4:35PM-0.10m | 5:19AM-0.10m | 5:31PM-0.00m | 6:05AM-0.06m | 6:30PM0.10m | 6:50AM-0.00m | 7:31PM0.18m | 7:37AM0.06m | 8:36PM0.25m | 8:25AM0.11m | 9:42PM0.28m | ||||||||
 | |  | | |  | | | |  | | |  | |  | | | | | | | |
 | 6:11 | — | — | 6:11 | — | — | 6:11 | — | — | 6:13 | — | — | 6:13 | — | — | 6:13 | — | — | 6:15 | — | — |
 | — | 8:22 | — | — | 8:22 | — | — | 8:22 | — | — | 8:21 | — | — | 8:21 | — | — | 8:20 | — | — | 8:20 | — |
mm | — | — | — | — | — | 1 | — | — | — | 1 | — | 1 | — | 2 | 16 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 36 | 23 |
Temp °C | 30 | 31 | 28 | 31 | 31 | 28 | 29 | 30 | 28 | 30 | 30 | 28 | 29 | 28 | 27 | 29 | 29 | 27 | 31 | 30 | 23 |
Feels °C | 33 | 32 | 30 | 33 | 31 | 30 | 31 | 31 | 29 | 30 | 29 | 28 | 30 | 27 | 28 | 29 | 29 | 27 | 33 | 31 | 25 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SE 8 | ESE 8 | ESE 8 | ESE 8 | ESE 8 | ESE 8 | ESE 8 | ESE 8 | — | — | — | SSW 7 | — | SSE 6 | SSE 7 | ESE 8 | SE 8 | SE 9 | SE 9 | SE 9 | S 7 |
| kJ | 16 | 12 | 6 | 6 | 6 | 13 | 13 | 6 | — | — | — | 214 | — | 70 | 73 | 6 | 14 | 3 | 20 | 12 | 56 |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | E 6 | E 6 | E 6 | E 6 | E 6 | — | E 13 | E 13 | — | — | — | — | E 12 | — | E 5 | — | — | — | — | — | SE 8 |
| kJ | 6 | 3 | 3 | 1 | 1 | — | 4 | 3 | — | — | — | — | 3 | — | 1 | — | — | — | — | — | 23 |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | — | — | — | — | E 14 | — | E 9 | — | — | — | — | — | E 12 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| kJ | — | — | — | — | — | 4 | — | 2 | — | — | — | — | — | 3 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SW 4 | S 3 | SW 4 | SSW 3 | SSW 4 | SSW 4 | SSW 4 | SSW 4 | S 6 | S 7 | S 7 | SSW 7 | SSE 7 | — | S 6 | S 6 | S 6 | S 6 | SSW 6 | S 6 | ENE 4 |
| kJ | 1 | 7 | 6 | 2 | 16 | 6 | 5 | 16 | 139 | 235 | 278 | 369 | 121 | — | 119 | 60 | 78 | 213 | 170 | 112 | 25 |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 974 | 842 | 923 | 2144 | 1573 | 815 | 1583 | 575 | 519 | 352 | 304 | 99 | 282 | 973 | 973 | 357 | 562 | 519 | 0 | 0 | 138 |
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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