Surf Forecasts:
Pelican Watch surf forecast from 8 Sep 2026:
- Best quality surf: Sunday 13 Sep, 8AM (local time) - 1.5ft (0.5m), 10s period, SE swell with cross-offshore winds.
- Most powerful swell: Wednesday 9 Sep, 5AM (local time) - 4.5ft (1.3m), 7s period, ESE swell with 137 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Sunday 13 Sep, 8AM (local time) - 1.5ft (0.5m), 10s 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 Sunday (Sep 13) at 8AM. The primary swell is predicted to be 0.5m and 10s period with a secondary swell of 0.3m and 4s. 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 1.3m 7s and forecast to arrive on Wednesday (Sep 09) 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 0.8m 4s period and expected on Monday (Sep 14) at 2AM.
| Wave Type | Time (EDT) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 8AM (Sun 13th Sep) | 1.5ft (0.5m) 10s |
| Best Surf | 8AM (Sun 13th Sep) | 1.5ft (0.5m) 10s |
| Most Powerful | 5AM (Wed 9th Sep) | 4.5ft (1.3m) 7s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Pelican Watch over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
Alright, I’ll level with you – it’s looking pretty dead for a while. There’s a big gap from right now all the way until the morning of Sunday, September 13th, with nothing worth paddling out for. That’s your first sniff of a wave, but it’s not much to write home about.
Sunday morning, September 13th – The first real chance. Swell is a tiny 0.5m from the SE with a period around 10 seconds. The combined wave energy is a weak 52. The wind is light and cross-offshore from the SW, so the surface will be clean. But it’s marginal at best. For a beginner break like Pelican Watch, that’s as small as it gets. The water temp is 28°, which is pretty standard for the time of year.
After that, we slide right back into the doldrums. For the rest of that week and into the next, it’s all tiny, weak pulses – swells under 1.0ft, mostly short-period windswell with periods of 5-8 seconds. The energy readings are mostly in the 20s and 30s. There are a few glassy moments on the 14th and 16th when the wind goes dead, but with waves only 0.4m and 0.3m, there’s just nothing to work with.
By Tuesday the 22nd and Wednesday the 23rd, the wind cranks up. Strong breezes from the NE at 40 km/h are hammering the coast. There’s a slight bump to 0.8m on the 23rd, but it’s all short-period, onshore junk. Honestly, that’s more of a kite-surfing setup than a paddle-surfing one. Just blown-out and messy.
No standouts here. It’s a long, flat stretch for Pelican Watch. Don’t lose hope – forecasts can change – but for the next two weeks, you’re better off finding something else to do.
- Rusty
Short Range ForecastLight rain (total 8mm), mostly falling on Thu morning. Warm (max 29°C on Fri morning, min 25°C on Tue night). Wind will be generally light. | Days 5-7 Weather SummaryModerate rain (total 14mm), heaviest on Sun night. Warm (max 31°C on Fri afternoon, min 25°C on Mon morning). Wind will be generally light. | |||||||||||||||||||
Tue 8 | Wednesday 9 | Thursday 10 | Friday 11 | Saturday 12 | Sunday 13 | Monday 14 | ||||||||||||||
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) | E 6 | ESE 6 | ESE 6 | ESE 6 | SE 6 | SE 6 | SE 6 | SE 8 | SE 8 | ESE 7 | SE 7 | SE 8 | SE 9 | SE 10 | SE 10 | SE 9 | SE 9 | SE 9 | ESE 9 | E 6 |
Wave Graph  | ||||||||||||||||||||
 kJ | 109 | 80 | 78 | 60 | 54 | 53 | 43 | 16 | 28 | 19 | 23 | 34 | 38 | 45 | 45 | 41 | 39 | 38 | 30 | 62 |
Wind (km/h) | ||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | on | on | on | cross-on | cross | cross | cross-off | cross-off | off | cross-off | glassy | cross-on | cross-on | cross | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | glassy | cross-on |
High Tide | 6:19PM1.70m | 6:39AM1.41m | 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 | |||||||
Low Tide | 00:35AM0.08m | 12:36PM-0.04m | 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 | |||||||
 |  | | | |  | |  | |  | | | |  | |  | | | | | |
 | — | — | 6:50 | — | — | 6:50 | — | — | 6:50 | — | — | 6:52 | — | — | 6:52 | — | — | 6:52 | — | — |
 | 7:28 | — | — | 7:27 | — | — | 7:24 | — | — | 7:23 | — | — | 7:22 | — | — | 7:21 | — | — | 7:20 | — |
mm | — | — | — | — | — | 3 | 1 | 4 | — | — | 2 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 1 | — | 6 | — | 11 | 1 |
Temp °C | 26 | 26 | 26 | 26 | 26 | 28 | 28 | 27 | 29 | 31 | 28 | 28 | 29 | 28 | 29 | 30 | 28 | 28 | 29 | 28 |
Feels °C | 25 | 25 | 27 | 26 | 27 | 30 | 29 | 29 | 32 | 33 | 30 | 31 | 31 | 31 | 32 | 31 | 30 | 32 | 32 | 32 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | E 9 | E 9 | ESE 6 | SE 6 | E 9 | SE 8 | SE 6 | SE 8 | ESE 7 | SE 7 | SE 8 | SE 9 | SE 10 | SE 10 | SE 9 | SE 9 | SE 9 | ESE 9 | SE 9 |
| kJ | — | 2 | 6 | 60 | 54 | 2 | 16 | 16 | 28 | 19 | 23 | 34 | 38 | 45 | 45 | 41 | 39 | 38 | 30 | 20 |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | — | — | E 9 | SE 9 | E 9 | E 9 | SE 8 | SSW 4 | ESE 8 | SSW 4 | S 4 | SSW 4 | E 6 | SSW 4 | ENE 5 | E 5 | SSW 5 | SSW 5 | SSW 5 |
| kJ | — | — | — | 2 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 16 | 6 | 7 | 4 | 1 | 4 | 1 | 4 | 2 | 2 | 7 | 4 | 2 |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | — | — | — | E 8 | — | E 9 | E 9 | E 9 | E 8 | — | — | ENE 3 | NE 6 | ENE 5 | — | — | — | E 6 | — |
| kJ | — | — | — | — | 1 | — | 2 | 2 | 2 | 1 | — | — | 1 | 1 | 3 | — | — | — | 1 | — |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | E 6 | ESE 6 | ESE 6 | — | — | SE 6 | SE 6 | SSW 4 | — | SSW 4 | — | — | — | SSW 4 | SW 4 | S 4 | SW 4 | — | E 2 | E 6 |
| kJ | 109 | 80 | 78 | — | — | 53 | 43 | 11 | — | 6 | — | — | — | 4 | 10 | 10 | 24 | — | 1 | 62 |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | ||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 140 | 140 | 1803 | 2003 | 140 | 304 | 712 | 489 | 82 | 728 | 923 | 1237 | 1573 | 456 | 0 | 253 | 142 | 54 | 54 | 529 |
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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