
Surf Forecasts:
Pelican Watch surf forecast from 7 Jul 2026:
- Best quality surf: Saturday 11 Jul, 5AM (local time) - 5ft (1.5m), 7s period, SSW swell with offshore winds.
- Most powerful swell: Saturday 11 Jul, 5AM (local time) - 5ft (1.5m), 7s period, SSW swell with 186 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Tuesday 7 Jul, 11AM (local time) - 2.5ft (0.8m), 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 (Jul 07) at 11AM. The primary swell is predicted to be 0.8m and 6s period with a secondary swell of 0.4m and 10s. 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 Saturday (Jul 11) at 5AM. Winds are predicted to be offshore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 1.5m 6s period and expected on Friday (Jul 10) at 5PM.
| Wave Type | Time (EDT) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 11AM (Tue 7th Jul) | 2.5ft (0.8m) 6s |
| Best Surf | 5AM (Sat 11th Jul) | 5ft (1.5m) 7s |
| Most Powerful | 5AM (Sat 11th Jul) | 5ft (1.5m) 7s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Pelican Watch over the next 16 days.
Updates in hr min s Forecast update imminent
Alright, let me tell you how things are shaping up here at Pelican Watch.
Look, it’s gonna be a bit of a waiting game, to be honest. We’ve got a solid 16-day window ahead, but the first several days are a real bummer. You’ll see some small swell trying to push in, but it’ll be mostly messy cross-offshore winds making a mess of it, or just not enough size to get excited about. The water temp is sitting at 83°F, which is pretty normal for this time of year.
We glide through the first week with no real recommendations. Monday the 6th through to Thursday the 10th is a write-off with poor surf conditions. There’s a tiny glimmer on Friday morning the 10th, with 3ft of SSW swell and clean offshore winds from the WSW. The combined energy is moderate at best (112), but the swell period is a short 7 seconds, so it’ll be a bit crumbly. It’s surfable, but honestly, very ordinary. Not worth paddling out for unless you’re desperate.
Saturday the 11th morning is more of the same with 4ft SSW swell, but again, it’s a short-period windswell. The wind will be offshore, so it’ll look clean, but the energy (179) is still nothing special. Then we hit a dry spell again through mid-week.
Now, here’s where it gets interesting. Keep your eyes on Saturday, July 18th. The early morning is the standout of the whole outlook. We’ve got 5ft of SSW swell rolling in with a 6-second period, and the wind is light and cross-offshore from the SW. Combined energy jumps to a solid 235 – moderate but the strongest we’ll see. The forecast says “expect good surf conditions,” and I’d agree. It won’t be massive, but it’ll be clean and rideable.
Just a heads up though, Pelican Watch is a beginner-friendly break, and at 5ft, it’s still manageable for most, but it is fairly consistent. It’s also often crowded, so expect company if you’re out there. This spot does best with a SE swell direction, so this SSW pulse isn’t exactly optimal, but it should still produce some fun waves.
After that, Sunday the 19th brings a jump in size to 5ft from the S, but the wind goes onshore and choppy, so that’s a bust.
So, bottom line: if you want a surf, Saturday morning the 18th is your only real call. It’s promising, but it’s also a week and a half out, so don’t set your watch by it just yet. The rest of the window is pretty quiet with lots of gaps. Most breaks around here are fairly consistent, so I’d stay optimistic – it tends not to stay flat for long.
Rusty.
Short Range ForecastLight rain (total 7mm), mostly falling on Mon night. Warm (max 34°C on Wed afternoon, min 28°C on Mon night). Wind will be generally light. | Days 5-7 Weather SummaryLight rain (total 2mm), mostly falling on Thu night. Warm (max 35°C on Sat afternoon, min 28°C on Thu night). Winds decreasing (fresh winds from the WSW on Fri afternoon, light winds from the WSW by Sat morning). | ||||||||||||||||||||
Tuesday 7 | Wednesday 8 | Thursday 9 | Friday 10 | Saturday 11 | Sunday 12 | Mon 13 | |||||||||||||||
Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | |
Swell Height Map | |||||||||||||||||||||
Wave Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SE 10 | S 6 | SE 9 | SE 9 | S 6 | SE 9 | ESE 9 | SSW 6 | SE 9 | SSW 6 | SSW 6 | SE 9 | SSW 6 | S 6 | SE 9 | SSW 6 | SE 9 | SE 10 | SE 10 | SE 10 | SE 9 |
Wave Graph | |||||||||||||||||||||
23 | 40 | 22 | 21 | 41 | 21 | 33 | 50 | 19 | 146 | 70 | 13 | 133 | 38 | 13 | 42 | 31 | 33 | 33 | 33 | 29 | |
Wind (km/h) | |||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | off | cross-off | cross-off | off | cross-off | off | off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross |
High Tide | 00:57AM1.22m | 1:45PM1.30m | 1:49AM1.15m | 2:43PM1.41m | 2:48AM1.09m | 3:44PM1.51m | 3:50AM1.06m | 4:45PM1.62m | 4:55AM1.06m | 5:46PM1.73m | 5:58AM1.09m | 6:44PM1.80m | 6:59AM1.15m | 7:40PM1.85m | |||||||
Low Tide | 7:09AM0.02m | 7:48PM0.19m | 7:56AM-0.00m | 8:56PM0.18m | 8:49AM-0.04m | 10:06PM0.14m | 9:46AM-0.08m | 11:12PM0.09m | 10:47AM-0.13m | 00:14AM0.02m | 11:48AM-0.18m | 1:11AM-0.04m | 12:47PM-0.22m | ||||||||
— | 6:05 | — | — | 6:07 | — | — | 6:07 | — | — | 6:07 | — | — | 6:07 | — | — | 6:09 | — | — | 6:09 | — | |
8:25 | — | 8:25 | — | — | 8:24 | — | — | 8:24 | — | — | 8:24 | — | — | 8:24 | — | — | 8:23 | — | — | 8:23 | |
mm | 5 | — | 1 | — | — | — | — | — | 1 | 1 | — | — | 1 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Temp °C | 29 | 32 | 32 | 29 | 32 | 34 | 30 | 33 | 34 | 29 | 32 | 34 | 30 | 32 | 35 | 31 | 32 | 35 | 30 | 29 | 31 |
Feels °C | 31 | 34 | 32 | 30 | 34 | 34 | 31 | 34 | 33 | 30 | 32 | 33 | 31 | 33 | 35 | 32 | 31 | 35 | 29 | 30 | 32 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SE 10 | S 6 | SE 9 | SE 9 | S 6 | SE 9 | ESE 9 | SE 9 | SE 9 | SE 8 | SE 9 | SE 9 | SE 9 | S 6 | SE 9 | SSW 6 | S 6 | SE 10 | SE 10 | SSW 6 | SE 9 |
23 | 40 | 22 | 21 | 41 | 21 | 33 | 20 | 19 | 18 | 13 | 13 | 13 | 38 | 13 | 42 | 16 | 33 | 33 | 10 | 29 | |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | SE 10 | E 11 | E 10 | SE 9 | — | E 12 | — | E 8 | E 11 | E 10 | E 9 | E 9 | SE 9 | E 9 | SE 9 | SE 9 | — | S 5 | SE 10 | SSW 5 |
— | 24 | 2 | 2 | 21 | — | 3 | — | 1 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 12 | 2 | 23 | 31 | — | 9 | 33 | 9 | |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | — | — | — | — | — | E 9 | E 11 | E 11 | E 10 | — | E 10 | SE 8 | E 9 | E 9 | E 9 | — | — | — | ENE 5 | ENE 5 |
— | — | — | — | — | — | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | — | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | — | — | — | 7 | 8 | |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SSW 5 | SSW 6 | SSW 6 | SSW 5 | SSW 6 | SSW 6 | SSW 6 | SSW 6 | SSW 5 | SSW 6 | SSW 6 | SSW 6 | SSW 6 | — | SSW 6 | — | — | S 6 | ENE 4 | — | — |
73 | 69 | 50 | 75 | 74 | 65 | 86 | 50 | 82 | 146 | 70 | 138 | 133 | — | 37 | — | — | 16 | 1 | — | — | |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 351 | 0 | 1237 | 278 | 0 | 956 | 456 | 54 | 650 | 304 | 0 | 294 | 263 | 0 | 22 | 0 | 54 | 54 | 54 | 0 | 532 |
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.











