Surf Forecasts:
Pelican Watch surf forecast from 10 Aug 2026:
- Best quality surf: Saturday 15 Aug, 2AM (local time) - 2.5ft (0.7m), 6s period, SSE swell with cross-offshore winds.
- Most powerful swell: Monday 17 Aug, 2PM (local time) - 2ft (0.6m), 9s period, SE swell with 68 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Saturday 15 Aug, 2AM (local time) - 2.5ft (0.7m), 6s period with SSE 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 15) at 2AM. The primary swell is predicted to be 0.7m and 6s period with a secondary swell of 0.6m and 5s. 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 0.6m 9s and forecast to arrive on Monday (Aug 17) at 2PM. Winds are predicted to be offshore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 1.2m 5s period and expected on Friday (Aug 14) at 8PM.
| Wave Type | Time (EDT) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 2AM (Sat 15th Aug) | 2.5ft (0.7m) 6s |
| Best Surf | 2AM (Sat 15th Aug) | 2.5ft (0.7m) 6s |
| Most Powerful | 2PM (Mon 17th Aug) | 2ft (0.6m) 9s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Pelican Watch over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
Alright, grab a coffee and listen up. It’s Rusty here, and I gotta be straight with you—this forecast is a tough one.
We’re looking at Pelican Watch, and right now, the ocean is basically on holiday. There’s a long stretch of nothing but poor surf conditions stretching from Monday the 10th right through until the middle of the following week. The waves are tiny, mostly under 2 ft, and the energy is weak (energy values mostly between 10 and 48). The wind is a mix of cross-off and onshore, but the swell just isn’t there to work with. It’s a real quiet period.
The water temperature is sitting at 83°, which is about normal for this time of year, so at least the paddle won’t be a shock to the system.
We finally get a little flicker of life on Monday the 17th of August. The morning session shows a 2 ft swell from the SE with a 10-second period, which is a bit longer period, giving the waves a bit more shape. The wind is light and cross-off (5 km/h from the SW), so it’ll be clean. The energy bumps up to 92, so it’s still weak but at least it’s something. It’s surfable but very ordinary—definitely not a standout.
The only real highlight in this whole 16-day window is shaping up to be Tuesday the 25th of August. It’s a long way off, so treat this as promising but not locked in. The morning shows a 3 ft swell from the ENE, but the period is a short 5 seconds, so it’ll be a bit fat and weak. By the afternoon, the swell builds to 5 ft from the ENE, still with a short 6-second period, and the energy jumps to 179 (moderate energy). The wind is onshore from the ESE at 15 km/h, so it’ll be a bit choppy. It’s not perfect, but it’s the biggest swell we’ve got in the whole forecast. For a beginner-friendly spot like Pelican Watch, 5 ft is getting towards the upper limit, but it’s still manageable. The swell direction (ENE) isn’t a perfect match for the optimum SE direction, so it won’t be at its best.
Honestly, if you’re a kite surfer, that Tuesday afternoon with the moderate energy and onshore wind might be more interesting than for paddle surfing. There’s a big gap of no real surf from the 10th to the 17th, and then another gap of poor conditions until the 25th. It’s a blank run, and for this area, it happens.
Stay patient, check back in a few days, and maybe the forecasts will change. For now, it’s a waiting game.
Rusty
Short Range ForecastLight rain (total 9mm), mostly falling on Mon morning. Warm (max 33°C on Tue afternoon, min 26°C on Mon morning). Wind will be generally light. | Days 4-6 Weather SummaryModerate rain (total 19mm), heaviest on Fri night. Warm (max 33°C on Fri afternoon, min 23°C on Fri night). Wind will be generally light. | ||||||||||||||||||||
Monday 10 | Tuesday 11 | Wednesday 12 | Thursday 13 | Friday 14 | Saturday 15 | Sunday 16 | |||||||||||||||
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) | SSE 7 | SE 6 | SE 6 | ESE 6 | ESE 9 | ESE 8 | S 5 | SE 8 | SE 8 | SSW 5 | SE 8 | SE 8 | SE 8 | SE 6 | SSE 6 | S 6 | SSE 6 | S 6 | SE 8 | SE 8 | SSE 8 |
Wave Graph  | |||||||||||||||||||||
 kJ | 25 | 20 | 6 | 4 | 7 | 7 | 13 | 10 | 11 | 15 | 10 | 10 | 16 | 8 | 34 | 26 | 18 | 22 | 18 | 32 | 40 |
Wind (km/h) | |||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | off | cross-off | off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-on | cross | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | glassy | cross-off | cross-off | cross-on | cross | on | cross-on | cross-on | cross-off |
High Tide | 6:33PM1.76m | 6:48AM1.25m | 7:27PM1.79m | 7:44AM1.34m | 8:17PM1.78m | 8:37AM1.43m | 9:05PM1.73m | 9:27AM1.48m | 9:50PM1.63m | 10:16AM1.51m | 10:35PM1.51m | 11:04AM1.50m | 11:19PM1.37m | ||||||||
Low Tide | 11:40AM-0.10m | 00:55AM0.02m | 12:41PM-0.15m | 1:45AM-0.03m | 1:38PM-0.16m | 2:32AM-0.08m | 2:32PM-0.15m | 3:16AM-0.09m | 3:25PM-0.11m | 3:59AM-0.08m | 4:16PM-0.03m | 4:40AM-0.04m | 5:08PM0.06m | ||||||||
 | |  | |  |  | | | |  | |  | | | | | | | | | | |
 | 6:28 | — | — | 6:28 | — | — | 6:30 | — | — | 6:31 | — | — | 6:31 | — | — | 6:31 | — | — | 6:33 | — | — |
 | — | 8:04 | — | — | 8:02 | — | — | 8:01 | — | — | 8:00 | — | — | 8:00 | — | — | 7:58 | — | — | 7:57 | — |
mm | 4 | 1 | 3 | 1 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 17 | — | 1 | 1 | — | — | — |
Temp °C | 30 | 32 | 29 | 30 | 33 | 30 | 29 | 31 | 29 | 30 | 32 | 30 | 31 | 33 | 29 | 26 | 28 | 27 | 28 | 29 | 28 |
Feels °C | 33 | 33 | 30 | 32 | 33 | 31 | 32 | 33 | 31 | 32 | 32 | 33 | 35 | 35 | 33 | 29 | 30 | 31 | 31 | 32 | 32 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SSE 7 | SE 6 | SE 6 | ESE 6 | ESE 6 | ESE 6 | S 5 | SSW 5 | SE 8 | SSW 5 | SE 8 | SE 8 | S 5 | SE 6 | SSE 6 | S 6 | SSE 6 | S 6 | S 5 | SE 8 | SSE 8 |
| kJ | 25 | 20 | 6 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 13 | 9 | 11 | 15 | 10 | 10 | 13 | 8 | 34 | 26 | 18 | 22 | 13 | 32 | 40 |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SE 10 | SE 10 | SE 9 | SE 9 | ESE 9 | ESE 8 | SE 8 | SE 8 | — | SE 8 | — | E 13 | SE 8 | ESE 8 | SW 5 | ESE 8 | ESE 8 | ENE 5 | SE 8 | SSW 5 | E 5 |
| kJ | 4 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 7 | 7 | 11 | 10 | — | 10 | — | 3 | 16 | 6 | 18 | 6 | 6 | 2 | 18 | 5 | 8 |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | E 9 | E 8 | E 8 | E 8 | — | E 12 | E 11 | E 11 | E 11 | — | E 7 | — | — | E 12 | SE 8 | — | — | ESE 8 | SE 6 | SSW 5 | SE 9 |
| kJ | 2 | 1 | 1 | 1 | — | 3 | 2 | 2 | 2 | — | 1 | — | — | 3 | 9 | — | — | 7 | 2 | 10 | 31 |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | SW 3 | SSW 5 | SSW 5 | SSW 4 | SSW 5 | — | — | SSW 5 | SW 5 | SSW 4 | SSW 4 | — | SSW 5 | NNW 2 | — | ENE 3 | — | E 3 | E 5 | — |
| kJ | — | 5 | 28 | 14 | 30 | 28 | — | — | 8 | 29 | 10 | 23 | — | 21 | 2 | — | 1 | — | 5 | 15 | — |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 529 | 2549 | 102 | 54 | 576 | 352 | 142 | 837 | 102 | 1573 | 2037 | 131 | 129 | 243 | 0 | 129 | 839 | 30 | 304 | 1231 | 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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