Pelican Watch Surf Break

Lat Long: 34.04° N 77.89° W

Pelican Watch Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Issued: 1 pm 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, 5AM (local time) - 3.5ft (1.0m), 7s period, ESE swell with cross-offshore winds.
  • Most powerful swell: Tuesday 8 Sep, 5AM (local time) - 5ft (1.5m), 7s period, E swell with 196 kJ wave energy.
  • Next surfable swell (1★+): Thursday 10 Sep, 5AM (local time) - 3.5ft (1.0m), 7s period with ESE 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 5AM. The primary swell is predicted to be 1.0m and 7s period. 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 5AM. Winds are predicted to be onshore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 1.3m 5s period and expected on Saturday (Sep 12) at 2AM.

Wave TypeTime (EDT) & Date Wave Height & Period
Next good surf (1 star+) 5AM (Thu 10th Sep)3.5ft (1.0m) 7s
Best Surf 5AM (Thu 10th Sep)3.5ft (1.0m) 7s
Most Powerful 5AM (Tue 8th Sep)5ft (1.5m) 7s

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


The Lowdown

Alright, let me take a look at what we’ve got for the next couple of weeks. I’ll be honest with you, it’s a pretty lean stretch. The whole 16-day window is a flat spell with barely a bump worthy of getting wet for. We’re talking about a lot of days with nothing doing, and even the few moments where there’s a little push, the conditions are just ordinary.

The only spot that comes up at all is Pelican Watch. This is a beginner-friendly, fairly consistent spot that’s exposed to the swell. The water temp is sitting at 84°F, which is a touch warmer than normal for this time of year, so you won’t need a thick suit.

The first real chance of anything surfable comes on Thursday, the 10th of September, in the morning. We’ve got a tiny 3ft swell from the ESE, with a period of 7 seconds. The combined energy is weak, only 68. The wind is a light cross-offshore from the WSW, which will keep it clean, but let’s be real – it’s marginal. The report calls it “surfable waves but very ordinary conditions,” and I’d agree. It’s a 1 out of 10, so don’t get your hopes up.

After that, there’s a long, dry gap. The next flicker of life doesn’t show up until Wednesday, the 16th of September, in the morning. Again, we’re looking at a tiny 1.0ft swell from the ESE, with a 9-second period. The energy is only 51. The wind is light and cross-off from the SSW, so it’ll be clean, but it’s barely a ripple. Another “surfable but ordinary” day.

Then, on Thursday, the 17th of September, in the morning, we get a similar story: a weak 3ft swell from the ENE, but with a short, choppy period of just 5 seconds. The energy is low at 55. The wind is cross-off from the SW, so it’ll be clean, but the swell is just too weak and short to make anything of it.

That’s it. There’s no standout session, no big day to mark on the calendar. The best on offer is honestly just those two mornings where you might find a clean, knee-high wave if you’re desperate. With such consistently poor surf quality and strong onshore winds for most of the period, this setup looks more interesting for a kite surfer than a paddle surfer. For a board and a fin, it’s a quiet fortnight.

Stay patient. It tends not to stay this poor for long around here, and the forecasts can change.

Rusty.

Short Range Forecast

Light rain (total 7mm), mostly falling on Sun night. Warm (max 27°C on Sun afternoon, min 26°C on Sun night). Wind will be generally light.

Days 5-7 Weather Summary

Heavy rain (total 28mm), heaviest during Fri night. Warm (max 29°C on Thu afternoon, min 25°C on Fri night). Wind will be generally light.

Sun
6
Monday
7
Tuesday
8
Wednesday
9
Thursday
10
Friday
11
Saturday
12
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
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)
0.3
ESE
9
1.1
E
5
1
E
5
1.1
E
5
1.5
E
6
1.5
E
6
1.4
ESE
7
1.3
ESE
7
1.1
ESE
7
1.1
ESE
7
1
ESE
7
0.9
ESE
7
0.7
ESE
7
0.4
ESE
6
0.5
S
4
0.4
SE
8
0.7
SSW
5
0.4
SE
8
0.4
SE
8
0.4
SE
9
Wave Graph
Metric surfscale
Energy kJ
16
52
43
55
156
182
163
153
127
120
96
68
40
16
10
17
27
25
17
30
Wind (km/h)
20
E
20
E
25
ENE
25
ENE
25
ENE
25
E
20
E
15
E
15
E
15
ESE
10
SE
10
WSW
20
SW
20
SW
0
W
20
S
5
N
15
ENE
20
ENE
10
E
Wind State
on
on
on
on
on
on
on
on
on
cross-on
cross-on
cross-off
cross-off
cross-off
glassy
cross
glassy
cross-on
on
on
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
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
thunderstorm
thunderstorm
part cloud
part cloud
rain showers
part cloud
clear
clear
clear
part cloud
rain showers
thunderstorm
clear
thunderstorm
thunderstorm
thunderstorm
thunderstorm
thunderstorm
part cloud
rain showers
<span class="translation_missing" title="translation missing: en.weather_tables.sunrise">Sunrise</span>
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
4
2
1
2
3
4
2
15
1
1
Temp °C
27
27
27
27
26
27
27
26
26
27
26
28
29
28
27
29
27
27
27
26
Feels °C
28
27
25
25
25
25
25
25
27
27
28
31
29
29
31
30
29
28
27
27
  • 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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