Surf Forecasts:
Pelican Watch surf forecast from 26 Aug 2026:
- Best quality surf: Friday 28 Aug, 2AM (local time) - 2.5ft (0.8m), 5s period, S swell with cross-offshore winds.
- Most powerful swell: Wednesday 2 Sep, 11AM (local time) - 2.5ft (0.7m), 11s period, SE swell with 121 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Friday 28 Aug, 2AM (local time) - 2.5ft (0.8m), 5s 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 Friday (Aug 28) at 2AM. The primary swell is predicted to be 0.4m and 9s period with a secondary swell of 0.1m and 13s. Another secondary swell of 0.8m and 5s is also forecast. 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 0.7m 11s and forecast to arrive on Wednesday (Sep 02) at 11AM. Winds are predicted to be cross-offshore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 1.0m 5s period and expected on Friday (Aug 28) at 5AM.
| Wave Type | Time (EDT) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 2AM (Fri 28th Aug) | 2.5ft (0.8m) 5s |
| Best Surf | 2AM (Fri 28th Aug) | 2.5ft (0.8m) 5s |
| Most Powerful | 11AM (Wed 2nd Sep) | 2.5ft (0.7m) 11s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Pelican Watch over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
Alright, Rusty here again. Let’s talk about the next couple of weeks, and I’m not gonna sugarcoat it – it’s a skinny, slow grind. The first week is pretty much a washout. We’re looking at a long stretch of barely any surf.
Starting things off, Pelican Watch is the only game in town, and it’s a tough one. From the 26th of August through the end of the month, the swell is tiny. We’re talking about knee-high slop, with wave heights around 1 to 2 feet. The combined energy is weak, barely hitting 40. The wind is messy, switching from cross-on to cross-off, but it’s not making anything decent. The water temp is about 84°, which is a touch warmer than average, but you won’t be thinking about that when you’re staring at flat water. The surf is just poor.
We do get a little bit of a glass-off on the 31st of August, Monday morning. A light WNW breeze and a tiny 2-foot swell. It’s clean, but it’s still barely breaking. It’s a solid week of beach days, not surf days.
Then, there’s a tiny flicker on the 2nd of September, Wednesday morning. The swell bumps up to 2 feet from the SE, and the period stretches to 11 seconds. That’s a real groundswell pulse. The combined energy hits 121 (moderate), which is the first real sign of life. The wind is clean and cross-off from the SW. It’s the best we’ve got in the first week.
After that, it’s back to the doldrums. Tiny 1 to 2 foot waves for days. The 9th of September, Wednesday, offers a bit of a tease. The swell is still just 2 feet, but the period is a solid 12 seconds from the east. The combined energy is 139 (moderate), and we have clean, cross-off winds. The waves will be long and lined up, but you’ll be hunting for any size.
The only real standout is that 9th of September. The swell direction is from the east, not the ideal southeast, but the long period and clean conditions mean the sets that come through will have some shape. It’s the pick of a very average bunch.
Bottom line: the first ten days are a bust. The second week has a little more pulse, but it’s still small. If you’re really itching, aim for the 2nd or the 9th of September. Otherwise, save your energy.
Rusty.
Short Range ForecastHeavy rain (total 21mm), heaviest during Wed night. Warm (max 29°C on Thu morning, min 26°C on Thu night). Wind will be generally light. | Days 4-6 Weather SummaryLight rain (total 6mm), mostly falling on Sat afternoon. Warm (max 31°C on Mon afternoon, min 25°C on Sat morning). Wind will be generally light. | ||||||||||||||||||||
Wednesday 26 | Thursday 27 | Friday 28 | Saturday 29 | Sunday 30 | Monday 31 | Tuesday 1 | |||||||||||||||
AM | 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) | SE 9 | SE 9 | SE 9 | S 5 | S 5 | S 5 | ESE 9 | S 5 | ESE 8 | ESE 8 | ESE 8 | SE 8 | SE 8 | SE 8 | SE 8 | ESE 7 | ESE 7 | ESE 7 | SE 7 | ESE 7 | SE 12 |
Wave Graph  | |||||||||||||||||||||
 kJ | 22 | 21 | 22 | 16 | 30 | 32 | 29 | 35 | 27 | 26 | 26 | 31 | 30 | 31 | 29 | 37 | 36 | 20 | 24 | 19 | 39 |
Wind (km/h) | |||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | cross-on | cross | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-on | glassy | glassy | cross | cross | cross-off | glassy | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off |
High Tide | 7:32PM1.54m | 7:45AM1.26m | 8:08PM1.56m | 8:23AM1.34m | 8:43PM1.55m | 9:01AM1.42m | 9:19PM1.52m | 9:40AM1.49m | 9:56PM1.46m | 10:22AM1.55m | 10:36PM1.39m | 11:07AM1.58m | 11:19PM1.30m | ||||||||
Low Tide | 12:54PM0.10m | 1:46AM0.15m | 1:36PM0.07m | 2:18AM0.10m | 2:16PM0.05m | 2:50AM0.06m | 2:58PM0.04m | 3:23AM0.04m | 3:41PM0.05m | 3:57AM0.03m | 4:27PM0.08m | 4:34AM0.03m | 5:18PM0.13m | ||||||||
 |  |  | | | | |  | | | | | | |  | | |  | | | | |
 | 6:39 | — | — | 6:41 | — | — | 6:41 | — | — | 6:41 | — | — | 6:43 | — | — | 6:43 | — | — | 6:43 | — | — |
 | — | 7:45 | — | — | 7:44 | — | — | 7:43 | — | — | 7:40 | — | — | 7:39 | — | — | 7:38 | — | — | 7:37 | — |
mm | — | 2 | 6 | 3 | 1 | 6 | 2 | — | 1 | 1 | 2 | 3 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Temp °C | 28 | 28 | 28 | 29 | 29 | 28 | 29 | 29 | 26 | 26 | 28 | 28 | 27 | 29 | 28 | 29 | 31 | 28 | 30 | 32 | 28 |
Feels °C | 29 | 29 | 30 | 30 | 30 | 28 | 31 | 30 | 28 | 30 | 30 | 32 | 30 | 31 | 31 | 32 | 33 | 30 | 32 | 33 | 30 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SE 9 | SE 9 | SE 9 | S 5 | ESE 9 | ESE 9 | ESE 9 | ESE 8 | ESE 8 | S 5 | ESE 8 | SE 8 | SE 8 | SE 8 | SE 8 | ESE 7 | ESE 7 | ESE 7 | SE 7 | ESE 7 | SE 9 |
| kJ | 22 | 21 | 22 | 16 | 30 | 32 | 29 | 28 | 27 | 10 | 26 | 31 | 30 | 31 | 29 | 37 | 36 | 20 | 24 | 19 | 39 |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | S 4 | E 6 | E 8 | ESE 8 | — | E 13 | E 12 | E 11 | E 11 | ESE 8 | SE 6 | E 10 | SW 4 | SW 4 | E 10 | E 9 | E 9 | E 9 | E 15 | ESE 9 | SE 12 |
| kJ | 1 | 1 | 5 | 11 | — | 3 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 26 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 4 | 9 | 37 |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | E 6 | E 16 | E 14 | ESE 9 | E 13 | — | — | — | — | E 11 | E 10 | — | E 9 | E 9 | — | — | — | — | — | SE 13 | — |
| kJ | 1 | 5 | 4 | 8 | 3 | — | — | — | — | 2 | 2 | — | 2 | 2 | — | — | — | — | — | 7 | — |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SE 3 | SE 3 | S 4 | — | S 5 | S 5 | S 5 | S 5 | S 5 | — | S 4 | SSW 4 | — | — | — | — | — | SW 3 | WSW 3 | SSW 3 | SW 4 |
| kJ | 2 | 3 | 10 | — | 27 | 31 | 37 | 35 | 18 | — | 10 | 4 | — | — | — | — | — | 2 | 1 | 7 | 6 |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 575 | 2032 | 565 | 304 | 1230 | 0 | 3 | 304 | 54 | 54 | 82 | 282 | 129 | 282 | 282 | 892 | 1050 | 1231 | 1231 | 1237 | 321 |
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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