Surf Forecasts:
Pelican Watch surf forecast from 23 Aug 2026:
- Best quality surf: Monday 24 Aug, 8PM (local time) - 2.5ft (0.8m), 5s period, S swell with cross-offshore winds.
- Most powerful swell: Monday 24 Aug, 8AM (local time) - 1.5ft (0.4m), 12s period, SE swell with 35 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Monday 24 Aug, 8PM (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 Monday (Aug 24) at 8PM. The primary swell is predicted to be 0.8m and 5s period with a secondary swell of 0.2m 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 0.4m 12s and forecast to arrive on Monday (Aug 24) at 8AM. 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 6s period and expected on Tuesday (Aug 25) at 8AM.
| Wave Type | Time (EDT) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 8PM (Mon 24th Aug) | 2.5ft (0.8m) 5s |
| Best Surf | 8PM (Mon 24th Aug) | 2.5ft (0.8m) 5s |
| Most Powerful | 8AM (Mon 24th Aug) | 1.5ft (0.4m) 12s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Pelican Watch over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
Imperial Version
Alright, this is Rusty checking in from the coast.
Look, the next week or so is a bit of a write-off. The swell's tiny and the conditions are messy. It’s not looking great until we get into the first few days of September. There’s a long gap from now until then.
Let's start with the first real glimmer of hope. Pelican Watch is the only game in town. We’ve got a few mornings that might be worth a paddle, but you’ve gotta pick your moments. Tuesday the 25th of August is the first thing that’s surfable. It’s early, with a glassy morning, a clean 0.4m (1ft) SE swell. The energy is weak (54), so your longboard or a foamie is the call. It’s a beginner-friendly spot, so the tiny waves won’t be an issue, but the crowds can show up there sometimes.
After that, it's back to very ordinary conditions through the rest of the week until we get a little spike in energy on Monday the 31st of August. That morning sees a pulse of swell with a very long period of 19 seconds and moderate energy (113), but from the SE with a clean 0.4m (1ft) face. That long period will wrap in nicely here. That’s the standout morning for the first week if you’re desperate.
The real action looks to be Wednesday the 2nd of September. The morning is crystal clear with a light offshore wind from the WSW. We’re looking at a clean 1.0m (3ft) SE swell, with a period of 12 seconds and moderate wave energy (354). This is the best on offer. The direction is on point, the conditions will be clean, and it’s not too big. For the more experienced surfers, Thursday the 3rd is no good, but Friday the 4th of September is worth a look in the morning with a clean 0.9m (3ft) SE swell and a cross-off wind from the WNW.
So, to wrap it up: if you’ve got a board that paddles easily, the early morning glass-off on Tuesday the 25th is your best bet for the first week. For the real surf, aim for Wednesday the 2nd of September at Pelican Watch. It’s the one day in the forecast that really stands out.
Stay patient, the wave energy is coming back.
- Rusty
Short Range ForecastModerate rain (total 11mm), heaviest on Sun night. Warm (max 32°C on Mon afternoon, min 24°C on Sun morning). Wind will be generally light. | Days 5-7 Weather SummaryModerate rain (total 17mm), heaviest on Tue night. Warm (max 30°C on Wed afternoon, min 27°C on Tue night). Wind will be generally light. | ||||||||||||||||||
Sunday 23 | Monday 24 | Tuesday 25 | Wednesday 26 | Thursday 27 | Friday 28 | ||||||||||||||
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) | ESE 13 | S 5 | ESE 12 | ESE 12 | ESE 12 | ESE 11 | SE 11 | SE 11 | SE 10 | SE 10 | SE 9 | SE 9 | SE 9 | SE 9 | ESE 9 | ESE 9 | ESE 9 | ESE 8 | ESE 8 |
Wave Graph  | |||||||||||||||||||
 kJ | 17 | 15 | 15 | 14 | 13 | 13 | 30 | 29 | 28 | 28 | 22 | 21 | 20 | 20 | 32 | 32 | 30 | 28 | 27 |
Wind (km/h) | |||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | cross-off | off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | off | glassy | cross-off | cross-off | glassy | cross | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off |
High Tide | 4:45AM0.96m | 5:28PM1.40m | 5:38AM1.01m | 6:14PM1.45m | 6:24AM1.09m | 6:55PM1.50m | 7:06AM1.17m | 7:32PM1.54m | 7:45AM1.26m | 8:08PM1.56m | 8:23AM1.34m | 8:43PM1.55m | |||||||
Low Tide | 11:06PM0.34m | 10:29AM0.23m | 11:54PM0.30m | 11:22AM0.19m | 00:36AM0.26m | 12:10PM0.15m | 1:12AM0.20m | 12:54PM0.10m | 1:46AM0.15m | 1:36PM0.07m | 2:18AM0.10m | 2:16PM0.05m | 2:50AM0.06m | ||||||
 |  |  | | |  |  |  | | | | | | | | | | | | |
 | — | 6:37 | — | — | 6:39 | — | — | 6:39 | — | — | 6:39 | — | — | 6:41 | — | — | 6:41 | — | — |
 | 7:50 | — | 7:49 | — | — | 7:47 | — | — | 7:46 | — | — | 7:45 | — | — | 7:44 | — | — | 7:43 | — |
mm | 3 | 1 | — | 5 | 1 | — | — | 1 | — | 3 | 4 | — | 4 | 2 | — | 2 | 2 | — | 4 |
Temp °C | 28 | 28 | 31 | 28 | 31 | 32 | 30 | 27 | 29 | 27 | 29 | 30 | 29 | 29 | 29 | 28 | 30 | 30 | 28 |
Feels °C | 30 | 30 | 32 | 29 | 31 | 32 | 32 | 30 | 30 | 29 | 32 | 31 | 31 | 31 | 29 | 30 | 29 | 29 | 29 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | ESE 8 | S 5 | ESE 12 | ESE 12 | ESE 12 | ESE 11 | S 5 | S 6 | SE 10 | S 5 | S 5 | SE 9 | SE 9 | SE 9 | ESE 9 | ESE 9 | ESE 9 | ESE 8 | ESE 8 |
| kJ | 14 | 13 | 15 | 14 | 13 | 13 | 20 | 24 | 28 | 8 | 13 | 21 | 20 | 20 | 32 | 32 | 30 | 28 | 27 |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | ESE 13 | ESE 8 | ESE 8 | ESE 8 | E 7 | ESE 9 | SE 11 | SE 11 | E 7 | SE 10 | SE 9 | E 16 | E 15 | E 14 | E 13 | E 12 | E 12 | E 11 | E 11 |
| kJ | 17 | 7 | 7 | 6 | 1 | 8 | 30 | 29 | 1 | 28 | 22 | 5 | 4 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 2 |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | ESE 13 | ESE 12 | E 8 | E 8 | SE 7 | E 7 | E 8 | E 7 | E 7 | E 7 | E 7 | E 7 | — | — | S 6 | — | — | — | — |
| kJ | 17 | 15 | 5 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | — | — | 1 | — | — | — | — |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | S 5 | — | S 5 | S 5 | S 5 | SSW 5 | SSW 5 | — | S 6 | — | — | S 5 | S 5 | S 5 | S 5 | SSW 5 | S 5 | S 5 | S 5 |
| kJ | 16 | — | 25 | 22 | 33 | 42 | 56 | — | 22 | — | — | 12 | 15 | 22 | 21 | 37 | 34 | 53 | 42 |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 3 | 253 | 567 | 642 | 142 | 278 | 0 | 0 | 780 | 708 | 892 | 1153 | 253 | 278 | 1230 | 532 | 298 | 641 | 304 |
Best forecast wave conditions in North Carolina | |||||||||||||||||||
Best forecast wave conditions in United States | |||||||||||||||||||
Header Global | |||||||||||||||||||
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The surf report / weather widget below is available to embed on third party websites free of charge and provides a summary of our Pelican Watch surf forecast. Simply grab the html code snippet that we provide and paste it into your own site. You can choose your preferred language and metric/imperial units for the surf forecast feed to suit users of your site. Click here to get the code.
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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