Pelican Watch Surf Break

Lat Long: 34.04° N 77.89° W

Pelican Watch Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Issued: 1 am 06 Sep 2026 (local time)

Forecast update in  hr  min

Today's Pelican Watch sea temperature is
28.6°C
1.1° 

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 6 Sep 2026:

  • Best quality surf: Thursday 10 Sep, 2PM (local time) - 2.5ft (0.7m), 6s period, SE swell with cross-offshore winds.
  • Most powerful swell: Tuesday 8 Sep, 11AM (local time) - 5ft (1.5m), 7s period, E swell with 238 kJ wave energy.
  • Next surfable swell (1★+): Thursday 10 Sep, 2PM (local time) - 2.5ft (0.7m), 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 2PM. The primary swell is predicted to be 0.7m and 6s period with a secondary swell of 0.4m 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 1.5m 7s and forecast to arrive on Tuesday (Sep 08) at 11AM. 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 Friday (Sep 11) at 5PM.

Wave TypeTime (EDT) & Date Wave Height & Period
Next good surf (1 star+) 2PM (Thu 10th Sep)2.5ft (0.7m) 6s
Best Surf 2PM (Thu 10th Sep)2.5ft (0.7m) 6s
Most Powerful11AM (Tue 8th Sep)5ft (1.5m) 7s

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


The Lowdown

Alright folks, Rusty here. Let's get into it.

To be straight with you, this stretch of the coast is lookin' pretty quiet on the surf front for a while. The swell energy is just not showing up with any punch, and we've got a lot of onshore wind that's gonna keep things messy for the first week or so.

Kickin' off at Pelican Watch, and we're not exactly off to a flyer. The water's sitting at a balmy 84°, which is a touch warmer than usual for this time of year – feels more like a bath than a proper surf zone, but hey, at least you won't need a hood.

For the first few days, from Sunday the 6th right through to Thursday the 10th, it's pretty grim. We're talking tiny waves – nothing over 5 feet and mostly under 3 feet – with onshore winds from the east and northeast that are just gonna turn the surface to a choppy mess. The combined swell energy is weak, hanging around the 11 to 238 mark, which tells you there's no real power behind it. Conditions are consistently described as poor, and the scores reflect that.

Now, we do finally see a small glimmer late in the week. Friday morning, the 11th, the wind swings around to the west and drops off to just 6 mph, blowin' offshore. The swell is tiny – 3 feet from the south-southeast, period a short 6 seconds – but with that offshore flow, the surface gets clean. It's surfable but very ordinary, nothing to get excited about. The combined energy is a weak 52.

Saturday the 12th stays small, with clean conditions in the morning under a light cross-offshore breeze, but the swell is only 1 feet.

Here's the one that might get a couple of locals out: Sunday morning, the 13th. We get a glassy session with the wind from the west-southwest at just 3 mph. The swell is a tiny 2 feet from the southeast, but the period stretches to 10 seconds. That's a bit of a longer period groundswell, so it'll have more shape and energy than the usual wind slop, even if the height is minimal. Combined energy is still low at 48. The sets will be cleaner and more defined, perfect for a longboard if you're keen.

From there, the outlook just fades out. Monday the 14th through to Monday the 21st, we're back to small, weak swell (1 foot to 3 feet) and persistent cross-onshore winds from the north-northeast and northeast, keeping the surface choppy and lumpy. The combined swell energy stays well under 100, and conditions are consistently poor. This is a long stretch of nothing, mate.

So, there's no real standout in this window. The only session that even hints at something half-decent is the glassy Sunday morning on the 13th. If you're desperate for a paddle and you own a log, that's your window. Otherwise, the next couple of weeks are looking like a good time to wax the board, fix the dings, and wait for a better forecast.

Rusty.

Short Range Forecast

Light rain (total 5mm), mostly falling on Sun night. Warm (max 28°C on Tue afternoon, min 23°C on Sun morning). Wind will be generally light.

Days 4-6 Weather Summary

Moderate rain (total 13mm), heaviest on Thu afternoon. Warm (max 31°C on Fri afternoon, min 25°C on Wed morning). Wind will be generally light.

Sunday
6
Monday
7
Tuesday
8
Wednesday
9
Thursday
10
Friday
11
Saturday
12
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
1
0
0
0
0
1
Swell
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Wave
Height (m)
Direction
Period (s)
0.2
ESE
8
0.7
ENE
4
1.2
E
5
1.1
E
5
1.3
E
5
1.5
E
6
1.5
E
7
1.4
ESE
7
1.2
ESE
7
1
ESE
7
0.9
ESE
6
0.8
ESE
6
0.7
SE
6
0.7
ESE
7
0.7
SE
7
0.8
SSE
6
0.4
ESE
6
0.4
ESE
7
0.4
SE
9
0.4
SE
9
0.6
SE
9
Wave Graph
Metric surfscale
Energy kJ
6
15
74
61
95
154
238
188
128
83
66
51
38
46
47
44
17
20
19
20
52
Wind (km/h)
15
NE
20
E
20
E
20
ENE
25
ENE
25
ENE
25
ENE
20
E
15
E
15
E
15
ESE
10
SE
15
SSE
15
SSW
20
SW
10
W
20
SSW
5
SW
10
SSW
15
S
10
SSW
Wind State
cross-on
on
on
on
on
on
on
on
on
on
on
cross-on
cross
cross-off
cross-off
off
cross-off
glassy
cross-off
cross
cross-off
High Tide
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
8:18AM1.59m
8:41PM1.62m
9:03AM1.64m
9:23PM1.53m
Low Tide
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
2:21PM-0.05m
2:43AM-0.01m
3:09PM-0.01m
3:21AM0.01m
clear
part cloud
thunderstorm
light rain
part cloud
rain showers
rain showers
clear
clear
clear
clear
clear
thunderstorm
thunderstorm
thunderstorm
thunderstorm
part cloud
thunderstorm
clear
clear
part cloud
<span class="translation_missing" title="translation missing: en.weather_tables.sunrise">Sunrise</span>
6:48
6:48
6:48
6:50
6:50
6:50
6:52
<span class="translation_missing" title="translation missing: en.weather_tables.sunset">Sunset</span>
7:30
7:29
7:28
7:27
7:24
7:23
7:22
 mm
1
1
1
2
3
4
4
1
1
Temp °C
26
27
27
26
27
26
27
28
27
26
26
26
27
28
27
29
31
28
30
31
29
Feels °C
28
28
26
26
25
25
25
26
27
26
26
28
30
30
30
31
32
31
32
32
32
  • 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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