Surf Forecasts:
Pelican Watch surf forecast from 4 Sep 2026:
- Best quality surf: Friday 11 Sep, 2AM (local time) - 3.5ft (1.0m), 6s period, SSW swell with offshore winds.
- Most powerful swell: Tuesday 8 Sep, 5AM (local time) - 5.5ft (1.7m), 7s period, E swell with 310 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Friday 11 Sep, 2AM (local time) - 3.5ft (1.0m), 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 Friday (Sep 11) at 2AM. The primary swell is predicted to be 1.0m and 6s period with a secondary swell of 0.2m and 8s. 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 1.7m 7s and forecast to arrive on Tuesday (Sep 08) at 5AM. Winds are predicted to be onshore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 1.6m 6s period and expected on Friday (Sep 11) at 2AM.
| Wave Type | Time (EDT) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 2AM (Fri 11th Sep) | 3.5ft (1.0m) 6s |
| Best Surf | 2AM (Fri 11th Sep) | 3.5ft (1.0m) 6s |
| Most Powerful | 5AM (Tue 8th Sep) | 5.5ft (1.7m) 7s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Pelican Watch over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
Alright folks, Rusty here. Gotta be straight with you—this stretch into mid-September is a bit of a flat spell for the region. There's simply nothing worth paddling out for in the first week. We're looking at a long, dry gap from now until the second week of the month before anything even approaches rideable.
The first real chance to wet a line comes around Monday, September 14th in the morning. Nothing to get excited about, but if you're jonesing, Pelican Watch might offer a tiny window. You're looking at a tiny 2ft of swell, but it's coming from the east with a period of 8 seconds, so it's a weak, short-period affair. The combined energy of all swells directed here is a feeble 87 (weak energy). The real kicker is the wind: it's glassy. That's a major positive for clean conditions. The water temp is sitting at 83°, which is about average for this time of year. It's a beginner-friendly spot, fairly consistent, and the offshore wind is from the W. The only issue is it's a beach break, so with that long-period swell (8 seconds is borderline), it might break a bit straight. Waves will be small and clean, but it's not a standout by any stretch.
The rest of the second week is a write-off. Tuesday, September 15th, sees a tiny 1ft swell with cross-off winds, still poor. Wednesday, September 16th, is glassy again but with a pathetic 1.0ft swell. The following days are just as flat, with the occasional bump of 3ft on Friday, September 18th, but it's cross-onshore and choppy.
Honestly, if you're holding out for something decent, you'll be waiting a long time. The setup looks more interesting for kite surfing than paddle surfing if the wind picks up. Forecasts can change, but right now, it's a lean period. Expect a few more days of nothing before the outlook improves.
Rusty.
Short Range ForecastHeavy rain (total 53mm), heaviest during Sat night. Warm (max 31°C on Fri afternoon, min 24°C on Sat night). Winds increasing (light winds from the NW on Sun morning, fresh winds from the ENE by Mon morning). | Days 5-7 Weather SummaryLight rain (total 6mm), mostly falling on Mon afternoon. Warm (max 29°C on Thu morning, min 25°C on Mon night). Winds decreasing (fresh winds from the ENE on Mon afternoon, light winds from the ENE by Wed morning). | |||||||||||||||||||
Fri 4 | Saturday 5 | Sunday 6 | Monday 7 | Tuesday 8 | Wednesday 9 | Thursday 10 | ||||||||||||||
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) | S 6 | S 4 | SE 8 | ESE 8 | ESE 8 | SE 8 | S 5 | ENE 5 | E 6 | E 6 | E 7 | E 7 | E 7 | E 7 | ESE 7 | ESE 7 | E 6 | ESE 6 | ESE 9 | SSW 6 |
Wave Graph  | ||||||||||||||||||||
 kJ | 21 | 13 | 16 | 6 | 6 | 18 | 8 | 75 | 200 | 187 | 294 | 302 | 200 | 120 | 77 | 47 | 28 | 12 | 15 | 75 |
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-on | cross-off | on | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | on | on | on | on | on | cross-on | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | off |
High Tide | 2:13AM1.10m | 3:10PM1.61m | 3:27AM1.12m | 4:20PM1.64m | 4:38AM1.18m | 5:23PM1.68m | 5:42AM1.29m | 6:19PM1.70m | 6:39AM1.41m | 7:10PM1.71m | 7:30AM1.51m | 7:57PM1.68m | ||||||||
Low Tide | 8:28PM0.26m | 8:08AM0.10m | 9:41PM0.25m | 9:21AM0.09m | 10:47PM0.21m | 10:32AM0.05m | 11:44PM0.14m | 11:37AM0.00m | 00:35AM0.08m | 12:36PM-0.04m | 1:20AM0.02m | 1:30PM-0.05m | 2:03AM-0.01m | |||||||
 |  | | |  |  | | | | | |  | | | | | | | |  | |
 | — | — | 6:47 | — | — | 6:48 | — | — | 6:48 | — | — | 6:48 | — | — | 6:50 | — | — | 6:50 | — | — |
 | 7:32 | — | — | 7:31 | — | — | 7:30 | — | — | 7:29 | — | — | 7:28 | — | — | 7:27 | — | — | 7:24 | — |
mm | — | — | — | — | 28 | 1 | 10 | 11 | 3 | 3 | 3 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 1 |
Temp °C | 31 | 28 | 30 | 31 | 28 | 28 | 28 | 26 | 26 | 27 | 26 | 27 | 26 | 26 | 26 | 27 | 26 | 29 | 31 | 28 |
Feels °C | 32 | 30 | 32 | 31 | 30 | 32 | 31 | 29 | 24 | 25 | 25 | 25 | 24 | 25 | 28 | 28 | 28 | 31 | 31 | 29 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SE 8 | S 4 | ESE 8 | ESE 8 | ESE 8 | S 5 | S 5 | S 5 | SSW 5 | SW 5 | — | S 5 | — | — | ESE 7 | ESE 7 | E 6 | ESE 6 | ESE 9 | SSW 6 |
| kJ | 17 | 13 | 12 | 6 | 6 | 11 | 8 | 4 | 2 | 1 | — | 1 | — | — | 77 | 47 | 28 | 12 | 15 | 75 |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | E 6 | ESE 8 | SE 8 | — | SE 9 | ESE 8 | ESE 9 | SE 9 | SSW 5 | — | — | — | — | — | — | ESE 9 | ESE 9 | ESE 9 | E 6 | ESE 8 |
| kJ | 1 | 13 | 16 | — | 3 | 6 | 8 | 13 | 2 | — | — | — | — | — | — | 7 | 8 | 8 | 3 | 7 |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | E 6 | E 6 | — | E 7 | SE 8 | E 6 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | E 9 | E 10 | E 9 | E 8 | — |
| kJ | — | 1 | 1 | — | 1 | 18 | 1 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 2 | 2 | 2 | 1 | — |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | S 6 | WSW 3 | S 5 | SSW 4 | S 5 | — | E 3 | ENE 5 | E 6 | E 6 | E 7 | E 7 | E 7 | E 7 | — | — | — | SW 4 | SSW 5 | SW 6 |
| kJ | 21 | 5 | 17 | 34 | 17 | — | 3 | 75 | 200 | 187 | 294 | 302 | 200 | 120 | — | — | — | 12 | 83 | 172 |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | ||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 892 | 54 | 54 | 1117 | 243 | 817 | 793 | 630 | 672 | 837 | 140 | 700 | 140 | 138 | 23 | 278 | 529 | 538 | 866 | 0 |
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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