Surf Forecasts:
Pelican Watch surf forecast from 2 Aug 2026:
- Best quality surf: Tuesday 4 Aug, 11AM (local time) - 3ft (0.9m), 6s period, S swell with cross-offshore winds.
- Most powerful swell: Monday 3 Aug, 5AM (local time) - 6.5ft (2.0m), 8s period, S swell with 503 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Tuesday 4 Aug, 11AM (local time) - 3ft (0.9m), 6s 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 Tuesday (Aug 04) at 11AM. The primary swell is predicted to be 0.9m and 6s period with a secondary swell of 0.6m and 7s. 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 2.0m 8s and forecast to arrive on Monday (Aug 03) at 5AM. Winds are predicted to be cross-offshore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 1.3m 5s period and expected on Tuesday (Aug 04) at 5PM.
| Wave Type | Time (EDT) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 11AM (Tue 4th Aug) | 3ft (0.9m) 6s |
| Best Surf | 11AM (Tue 4th Aug) | 3ft (0.9m) 6s |
| Most Powerful | 5AM (Mon 3rd Aug) | 6.5ft (2.0m) 8s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Pelican Watch over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
Alright, let me have a look at what we’ve got coming up. Honestly, it’s a pretty grim stretch for the next 16 days around here. There’s a few scraps of surfable waves, but nothing that’s going to get anyone out of bed early.
The only spot on the radar is Pelican Watch. It’s a beginner-friendly, exposed beach break that’s fairly consistent, but the swell window is from the southeast. The problem is, the wind is mostly cross-offshore from the south-southwest, which keeps things clean for a little while, but the swell is just too weak and short-period to really light it up.
The first real chance of anything surfable is Tuesday morning, the 4th of August. We’re looking at tiny 3ft SSE swell with a period of just 6 seconds, and the combined swell energy is a measly 90 (weak). The conditions are described as “surfable but very ordinary,” and I’d agree. It’s not going to be a day to remember, but if you’re desperate, there’s something to push you around on a foamy. The water temperature is about average for the time of year, no major anomaly to note.
Wednesday morning the 5th is a carbon copy – 3ft from the south, period 5 seconds, combined energy 75. Again, tiny, weak, and just barely surfable. The wind is a gentle cross-offshore breeze from the SSW, keeping the surface clean, but the waves have no push.
After that, it’s a long, barren stretch. From Thursday the 6th all the way through to the end of the 16-day window, the swell drops into the 0.5ft to 3ft range, with periods mostly between 6 and 8 seconds, and combined energy figures that are barely two digits. The wave comment is consistently “poor surf conditions” with a score of 0. There’s a few days, like Saturday the 15th, where the wind goes offshore from the west, but with only 0.5ft of swell, there’s nothing to ride. It’s just a flat, clean ocean.
So, the bottom line: there are no standouts. The best on offer is a couple of mornings in the first week with tiny, weak, short-period waves that are just barely surfable for a beginner. If you’re a more experienced surfer, there’s nothing here for you. It’s a quiet period, and we’ll have to wait for the next weather system to bring some life back into the water.
Stay patient, keep an eye on the charts, and don’t bother waxing up just yet.
Rusty.
Short Range ForecastHeavy rain (total 75mm), heaviest during Sun night. Warm (max 28°C on Sun afternoon, min 24°C on Mon afternoon). Winds decreasing (fresh winds from the SSW on Sun afternoon, light winds from the SSW by Tue afternoon). | Days 5-7 Weather SummaryModerate rain (total 10mm), heaviest on Tue night. Warm (max 29°C on Wed afternoon, min 25°C on Tue night). Wind will be generally light. | ||||||||||||||||||
Sunday 2 | Monday 3 | Tuesday 4 | Wednesday 5 | Thursday 6 | Friday 7 | ||||||||||||||
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) | SSE 5 | SSE 6 | SSE 7 | S 8 | S 7 | S 7 | S 6 | S 6 | ESE 7 | SSE 5 | S 5 | ESE 7 | SSE 6 | SE 7 | SSE 7 | SE 6 | SE 7 | SE 7 | SE 8 |
Wave Graph  | |||||||||||||||||||
 kJ | 44 | 119 | 284 | 486 | 330 | 199 | 165 | 54 | 31 | 73 | 43 | 34 | 62 | 22 | 40 | 42 | 51 | 64 | 88 |
Wind (km/h) | |||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | cross | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross | cross | cross-off | cross | cross | cross-off | cross | cross-off | cross | cross | cross-off |
High Tide | 10:24PM1.45m | 10:50AM1.29m | 11:02PM1.38m | 11:33AM1.34m | 11:43PM1.30m | 12:22PM1.40m | 00:29AM1.21m | 1:16PM1.46m | 1:22AM1.12m | 2:17PM1.51m | 2:24AM1.07m | 3:23PM1.57m | 3:32AM1.05m | ||||||
Low Tide | 4:36AM0.03m | 4:43PM0.09m | 5:10AM0.03m | 5:32PM0.13m | 5:48AM0.02m | 6:27PM0.17m | 6:32AM0.02m | 7:30PM0.20m | 7:23AM0.02m | 8:39PM0.21m | 8:22AM0.01m | 9:51PM0.20m | |||||||
 | | |  | | | |  | |  | |  | | |  |  | | | | |
 | — | 6:22 | — | — | 6:24 | — | — | 6:24 | — | — | 6:24 | — | — | 6:26 | — | — | 6:26 | — | — |
 | 8:12 | — | 8:10 | — | — | 8:10 | — | — | 8:09 | — | — | 8:08 | — | — | 8:07 | — | — | 8:07 | — |
mm | 4 | 5 | 5 | 15 | 11 | 14 | 10 | 9 | 2 | 4 | 2 | — | 2 | 2 | — | — | — | — | 1 |
Temp °C | 27 | 27 | 28 | 27 | 26 | 24 | 26 | 27 | 27 | 27 | 28 | 29 | 28 | 28 | 29 | 28 | 29 | 29 | 28 |
Feels °C | 28 | 28 | 28 | 26 | 26 | 25 | 27 | 28 | 29 | 29 | 30 | 31 | 31 | 30 | 31 | 30 | 33 | 30 | 30 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | ESE 8 | — | — | — | — | — | SE 7 | S 6 | ESE 7 | — | ESE 7 | ESE 7 | — | SE 7 | — | E 10 | SE 7 | SE 7 | SE 8 |
| kJ | 7 | — | — | — | — | — | 43 | 54 | 31 | — | 32 | 31 | — | 22 | — | 2 | 51 | 64 | 88 |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | E 6 | — | — | — | — | — | — | SE 7 | — | — | — | E 12 | E 13 | — | E 10 | E 11 | E 9 | — | E 9 |
| kJ | 1 | — | — | — | — | — | — | 36 | — | — | — | 3 | 3 | — | 2 | 2 | 2 | — | 2 |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | E 11 | — | — |
| kJ | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 2 | — | — |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SSE 5 | SSE 6 | SSE 7 | S 8 | S 7 | S 7 | S 6 | SSW 6 | S 5 | SSE 5 | S 5 | S 5 | SSE 6 | S 5 | SSE 7 | SE 6 | — | — | — |
| kJ | 44 | 119 | 284 | 486 | 330 | 199 | 165 | 97 | 99 | 73 | 43 | 34 | 62 | 15 | 40 | 42 | — | — | — |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 1205 | 1707 | 592 | 562 | 321 | 541 | 304 | 0 | 278 | 351 | 0 | 2030 | 529 | 780 | 973 | 793 | 16 | 762 | 0 |
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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