Pelican Watch Surf Break

Lat Long: 34.04° N 77.89° W

Pelican Watch Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Issued: 1 am 27 Aug 2026 (local time)

Forecast update in  hr  min

Today's Pelican Watch sea temperature is
28.5°C
0.6° 

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 27 Aug 2026:

  • Best quality surf: Friday 28 Aug, 8PM (local time) - 2.5ft (0.7m), 5s period, S swell with cross-offshore winds.
  • Most powerful swell: Wednesday 2 Sep, 11AM (local time) - 2.5ft (0.7m), 11s period, SE swell with 121 kJ wave energy.
  • Next surfable swell (1★+): Friday 28 Aug, 8PM (local time) - 2.5ft (0.7m), 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 Friday (Aug 28) at 8PM. The primary swell is predicted to be 0.4m and 8s period with a secondary swell of 0.7m 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 0.7m 11s and forecast to arrive on Wednesday (Sep 02) at 11AM. 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 5s period and expected on Thursday (Sep 03) at 5AM.

Wave TypeTime (EDT) & Date Wave Height & Period
Next good surf (1 star+) 8PM (Fri 28th Aug)2.5ft (0.7m) 5s
Best Surf 8PM (Fri 28th Aug)2.5ft (0.7m) 5s
Most Powerful11AM (Wed 2nd Sep)2.5ft (0.7m) 11s

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


The Lowdown

Alright folks, it’s Rusty here. Looking at this stretch ahead, it’s a tough one. We’ve got a lot of small, weak surf on the menu, and honestly, for the first week, there’s just nothing that’s gonna get you out of bed. The swell energy is weak for days, with readings mostly in the 30s to 50s, which is just limp. The water’s sitting at 83°F and about 1°F warmer than usual, so it’s pretty standard for this time of year, but that’s about the only thing that’s normal.

The first real chance of anything comes on Wednesday the 2nd of September. We finally see the swell energy bump up into the three-digit range, hitting 121 in the morning. That’s still just moderate energy, but it’s a step up from the gutless stuff before it. Swell is 2ft from the SE with an 11-second period, which is on the edge of being a proper groundswell. The morning looks clean with a light SW cross-offshore breeze. But here’s the thing, Pelican Watch is an exposed beach setup, and a longer-period swell like that can sometimes just straighten out and close down. It’s a beginner spot too, so with the swell only 2ft, it’s not intimidating for the less experienced. Honestly, it’s a far cry from epic, but it’s the only window that has any life in it. The afternoon backs off a bit.

After that, it’s more of the same. We’re looking at a stretch of days where the swell drops back into the 2ft range with periods under 10 seconds, and the energy sinks back down into the 50s and 30s. There’s a lot of clean mornings and light winds, but without the swell, it’s just a lake. You’re looking at a pretty blank run for the rest of the first week and into the second. The swell direction’s all over the shop, coming from ESE then swinging a bit more S, and even a bit of E. It’s just messy and small.

There’s a lot of wind to pick through, but nothing that’s making waves. We see a few mornings with glassy conditions and light breezes which would be perfect if there was any surf. But there isn’t. It’s the kind of period where you check the cam and see nothing but ripples. Even the points and reefs aren't going to do much with this little energy.

The second week is more of the same. The energy numbers stay low, mostly below 60, and the swell height never gets above 1ft. There’s a lot of cross-shore breeze and some periods of onshore junk, especially around the 5th and 7th, which will just add chop to an already flat ocean. Honestly, this is a week where the board stays in the car. For beginners, it’s too weak to even learn on, and for everyone else, it’s a write-off.

So, to sum it up: the entire 16-day window is lean. The only thing even worth a mention is that Wednesday the 2nd, and even then, it’s just a *surfable* wave, not a good one. There’s a solid run of days after that with absolutely nothing. But this spot is usually fairly consistent, so this kind of flat spell doesn't usually last forever. We just gotta wait for the ocean to wake up.

That’s the look from here. Keep the faith, check back later, and maybe find a lake to jump in instead. This is Rusty, signing off.

Short Range Forecast

Heavy rain (total 29mm), heaviest during Thu morning. Warm (max 30°C on Fri afternoon, min 24°C on Fri night). Wind will be generally light.

Days 4-6 Weather Summary

Light rain (total 3mm), mostly falling on Sun afternoon. Warm (max 33°C on Tue afternoon, min 26°C on Tue morning). Wind will be generally light.

Thursday
27
Friday
28
Saturday
29
Sunday
30
Monday
31
Tuesday
1
Wednesday
2
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
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
1
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)
0.3
ESE
9
0.4
ESE
9
0.4
ESE
9
0.4
ESE
9
0.7
S
5
0.4
ESE
8
0.4
ESE
8
0.4
ESE
8
0.4
ESE
8
0.4
ESE
8
0.5
SE
8
0.4
ESE
8
0.6
ESE
8
0.6
ESE
7
0.4
ESE
7
0.6
SE
7
0.4
ESE
7
0.4
SE
12
0.7
SE
11
0.7
SE
10
0.6
ESE
10
Wave Graph
Metric surfscale
Energy kJ
17
30
32
29
28
27
26
26
26
23
33
24
39
37
20
31
19
37
121
102
61
Wind (km/h)
10
SSW
20
S
15
SSW
15
SW
20
S
10
SW
0
WSW
10
S
10
SW
0
NW
15
SSE
10
SW
5
W
20
SSW
15
SW
10
WSW
20
SW
20
WSW
10
SW
20
SSW
20
SW
Wind State
cross-off
cross
cross-off
cross-off
cross
cross-off
glassy
cross
cross-off
glassy
cross
cross-off
glassy
cross-off
cross-off
off
cross-off
cross-off
cross-off
cross-off
cross-off
High Tide
8:08PM1.56m
8:23AM1.34m
8:43PM1.55m
9:01AM1.42m
9:19PM1.52m
9:40AM1.49m
9:56PM1.46m
10:22AM1.55m
10:36PM1.39m
11:07AM1.58m
11:19PM1.30m
11:57AM1.60m
00:09AM1.21m
Low Tide
1:36PM0.07m
2:18AM0.10m
2:16PM0.05m
2:50AM0.06m
2:58PM0.04m
3:23AM0.04m
3:41PM0.05m
3:57AM0.03m
4:27PM0.08m
4:34AM0.03m
5:18PM0.13m
5:16AM0.04m
6:14PM0.18m
thunderstorm
thunderstorm
thunderstorm
thunderstorm
part cloud
thunderstorm
thunderstorm
part cloud
thunderstorm
part cloud
thunderstorm
rain showers
clear
part cloud
clear
clear
clear
clear
clear
clear
clear
<span class="translation_missing" title="translation missing: en.weather_tables.sunrise">Sunrise</span>
6:41
6:41
6:41
6:43
6:43
6:43
6:45
<span class="translation_missing" title="translation missing: en.weather_tables.sunset">Sunset</span>
7:44
7:43
7:40
7:39
7:38
7:37
7:36
 mm
6
2
6
2
8
1
4
1
2
Temp °C
28
29
27
29
30
27
27
29
28
28
30
28
29
31
28
31
33
29
31
32
28
Feels °C
30
30
28
30
30
29
31
31
31
32
32
30
33
33
30
33
34
31
33
32
30
  • Map Icons:
  • Break
  • Live Wave Height (m)
  • Live Wind Speed (km/h)
  • Surf Rating (10 Max)
  • Ocean Swells (m)
  • Wind Speed (km/h)
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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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