Pelican Watch Surf Break

Lat Long: 34.04° N 77.89° W

Pelican Watch Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Issued: 1 pm 09 Sep 2026 (local time)

Forecast update in  hr  min

Today's Pelican Watch sea temperature is
27.8°C
0.4° 

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 9 Sep 2026:

  • Best quality surf: Thursday 10 Sep, 2AM (local time) - 2.5ft (0.8m), 6s period, SE swell with cross-offshore winds.
  • Most powerful swell: Wednesday 9 Sep, 8PM (local time) - 2.5ft (0.8m), 6s period, ESE swell with 47 kJ wave energy.
  • Next surfable swell (1★+): Thursday 10 Sep, 2AM (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 (Sep 10) at 2AM. The primary swell is predicted to be 0.8m and 6s period with a secondary swell of 0.2m 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 0.8m 6s and forecast to arrive on Wednesday (Sep 09) at 8PM. Winds are predicted to be cross-onshore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 0.6m 4s period and expected on Monday (Sep 14) at 5AM.

Wave TypeTime (EDT) & Date Wave Height & Period
Next good surf (1 star+) 2AM (Thu 10th Sep)2.5ft (0.8m) 6s
Best Surf 2AM (Thu 10th Sep)2.5ft (0.8m) 6s
Most Powerful 8PM (Wed 9th Sep)2.5ft (0.8m) 6s

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


The Lowdown

Alright folks, Rusty here. Let’s have a look at what’s cookin’ for Pelican Watch over the next couple of weeks.

Right off the bat, I gotta be straight with you – the first week and a half is a real struggle. We’re looking at a long stretch of tiny, weak waves and mostly poor conditions, so don’t bother paddling out until we get into the second week. The wait is a long one, but there is a light at the end of the tunnel.

From Wednesday the 9th of September right through to the 18th, it’s pretty much a write-off. Swell is barely a whisper, mostly under 3 ft, and the energy is weak (combined energy values barely cracking 50). The only small mercy is that the wind often swings cross-offshore or goes glassy, keeping the water clean, but there’s just not enough push to get a decent ride. Even the best of this period, like Sunday the 13th morning with a 2 ft swell from the SE and a period of 10 seconds, the combined energy is only 53, and the call is just “surfable but very ordinary.” Not worth getting wet for.

Now, things start to get interesting when we hit the 19th of September. Saturday morning brings a bit of a pulse from the NE, but it’s short period (5 seconds) and only 3 ft, so it’s pretty messy. It’s the Saturday afternoon that gets the heart rate up a little – a jump to 6 ft from the ENE, swinging the combined energy up to 334 (moderate). The wind is cross-offshore, so it’ll be clean, but the report flags it as marginal. The swell is getting there, but it’s not quite lining up.

The real standout, the one you’ve been waiting for, is Monday the 22nd of September. Tuesday morning specifically. We’ve got a solid 7 ft of swell firing from the east, with a period of 8 seconds and the combined energy clocking in at 820 (strong). The wind is a light cross-offshore breeze from the NNW, which is gonna keep those waves looking clean. The forecast is calling for “expect very good surf conditions.” This is the pick of the outlook. It’s a bit of a powerful swell at 7 ft, so it’s getting into that territory where beginners might want to sit this one out, but for the rest of us, it’s game on. Just keep in mind that with the east swell direction, the optimum for Pelican Watch is from the SE, so there might be a bit of an angle to work with, but it’s still the best energy we’ve seen.

The water temp is sitting at a warm 82°F, which is a touch above average (anomaly of +0.7°F), but nothing too wild for this time of year. It’s comfortable.

So, to sum it up: the first 9 days are a bust. Save your energy. The Sunday the 22nd of September is the clear winner, with Tuesday morning offering the best chance at some proper waves. Keep an eye on it, but my gut says that’s the one to mark on the calendar.

Stay salty,
Rusty

Short Range Forecast

Light rain (total 8mm), mostly falling on Thu night. Warm (max 30°C on Fri afternoon, min 26°C on Wed night). Wind will be generally light.

Days 5-7 Weather Summary

Moderate rain (total 12mm), heaviest on Sat night. Warm (max 31°C on Sun afternoon, min 26°C on Sat night). Wind will be generally light.

Wed
9
Thursday
10
Friday
11
Saturday
12
Sunday
13
Monday
14
Tuesday
15
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
Rating
(10 max)
0
1
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
1
0
0
0
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
ESE
6
0.8
SE
6
0.4
SE
9
0.6
ESE
6
0.6
SSE
6
0.6
ESE
7
0.5
SE
7
0.5
SE
7
0.5
SE
8
0.5
SE
9
0.5
SE
9
0.5
SE
10
0.5
SE
9
0.5
SE
9
0.5
SE
9
0.5
SE
9
0.4
ESE
9
0.4
ESE
9
0.4
ESE
8
0.4
ESE
9
Wave Graph
Metric surfscale
Energy kJ
49
40
28
23
22
34
24
23
35
39
43
45
41
39
37
38
30
29
27
29
Wind (km/h)
15
SE
10
SSW
10
S
20
SSW
20
SW
5
SW
20
SSW
10
SW
10
SW
20
SSW
10
WSW
15
SW
20
SW
10
WSW
0
SW
15
SSW
0
SSW
10
E
10
ESE
5
SSE
Wind State
cross-on
cross-off
cross
cross-off
cross-off
cross-off
cross-off
cross-off
cross-off
cross-off
off
cross-off
cross-off
off
glassy
cross-off
glassy
on
on
glassy
High Tide
7:10PM1.71m
7:30AM1.51m
7:57PM1.68m
8:18AM1.59m
8:41PM1.62m
9:03AM1.64m
9:23PM1.53m
9:47AM1.65m
10:04PM1.43m
10:30AM1.62m
10:45PM1.31m
11:13AM1.56m
11:27PM1.20m
Low Tide
1:20AM0.02m
1:30PM-0.05m
2:03AM-0.01m
2:21PM-0.05m
2:43AM-0.01m
3:09PM-0.01m
3:21AM0.01m
3:55PM0.05m
3:59AM0.06m
4:42PM0.13m
4:37AM0.12m
5:30PM0.22m
clear
clear
clear
clear
rain showers
thunderstorm
cloud
thunderstorm
light rain
thunderstorm
thunderstorm
part cloud
clear
thunderstorm
thunderstorm
part cloud
thunderstorm
thunderstorm
clear
clear
<span class="translation_missing" title="translation missing: en.weather_tables.sunrise">Sunrise</span>
6:50
6:50
6:52
6:52
6:52
6:54
<span class="translation_missing" title="translation missing: en.weather_tables.sunset">Sunset</span>
7:27
7:24
7:23
7:22
7:21
7:20
7:17
 mm
5
1
1
1
1
4
3
1
2
1
Temp °C
27
26
28
29
27
28
30
27
27
29
28
29
31
29
29
30
29
28
28
27
Feels °C
27
27
30
30
30
32
32
29
30
32
30
31
31
32
33
32
33
31
31
30
  • Map Icons:
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  • 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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