
Surf Forecasts:
Pelican Watch surf forecast from 1 Aug 2026:
- Best quality surf: Tuesday 4 Aug, 5AM (local time) - 4.5ft (1.4m), 6s period, SSW swell with cross-offshore winds.
- Most powerful swell: Monday 3 Aug, 2AM (local time) - 7ft (2.1m), 8s period, S swell with 531 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Tuesday 4 Aug, 5AM (local time) - 4.5ft (1.4m), 6s period with SSW 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 5AM. The primary swell is predicted to be 1.4m 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 2.1m 8s and forecast to arrive on Monday (Aug 03) at 2AM. Winds are predicted to be cross-offshore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 0.9m 6s period and expected on Tuesday (Aug 04) at 2PM.
| Wave Type | Time (EDT) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 5AM (Tue 4th Aug) | 4.5ft (1.4m) 6s |
| Best Surf | 5AM (Tue 4th Aug) | 4.5ft (1.4m) 6s |
| Most Powerful | 2AM (Mon 3rd Aug) | 7ft (2.1m) 8s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Pelican Watch over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
Alright, let's break down what's on offer for the Pelican Watch area over the next sixteen days.
Honestly, mate, it's looking like a tough stretch for paddle surfing. We've got a long dry spell here. The first real chance of anything surfable doesn't show up until Thursday the 13th of August, and even then, we're talking about tiny, weak conditions. Before that, it’s pretty much a write-off. We're looking at a solid week to ten days with basically no recommendations.
Let's talk about Pelican Watch itself. This is a beginner-friendly, exposed spot that's fairly consistent. It likes a swell from the SE. The water temp is a warm 83°, which is bang on average for this time of year.
The main issue is the swell energy. For the first week, it’s weak as dishwater. Most days the combined energy is barely cracking 100, often sitting down around 35 to 80 (that's weak). The swell heights are mostly under 3 ft, with a super short period of 4 to 7 seconds – that’s just wind slop, not real groundswell. On top of that, we've got a persistent cross-onshore wind, which is chopping it all up.
There is a slight pulse around the 2nd and 3rd of August where the swell bumps up to 5 ft to 6 ft, and the energy climbs into the mid-to-high 100s and even 355. That sounds promising, but the wind is a cross-offshore, which can be tricky for a beginner spot and the period is still short, so the waves will be crumbly and not well-shaped. The guidance marks all this as poor surf.
The only faint glimmer of light is on the morning of Thursday the 13th of August. We get a glassy morning with the wind going dead calm – "glass" is what we want to hear. The swell is only 2 ft from the SSW with a short 5-second period, and the energy is just 50, so it's not going to be epic, but it might be surfable and very clean for a beginner. It's rated as "surfable but very ordinary".
Then on Sunday the 16th of August, we get another glassy morning, 2 ft from the E with 5-second period and 45 energy. Again, tiny and clean, but not much push.
Given the long stretch of weak, choppy, wind-affected swells and the fact that the best we can hope for are a couple of tiny glassy mornings, the setup here is honestly looking more interesting for a kite surfer than someone on a paddle board. There's just not enough energy or quality in the water for a proper surf.
This is a pretty normal pattern for the area when it goes quiet. It tends not to stay this poor for too long, so keep an eye on the charts.
Stay patient.
Rusty.
Short Range ForecastHeavy rain (total 70mm), heaviest during Mon morning. Warm (max 29°C on Sat afternoon, min 25°C on Sun night). Winds decreasing (fresh winds from the SSW on Sun night, light winds from the SSW by Mon night). | Days 5-7 Weather SummaryModerate rain (total 13mm), heaviest on Tue afternoon. Warm (max 29°C on Wed afternoon, min 27°C on Tue afternoon). Wind will be generally light. | |||||||||||||||||||
Sat 1 | Sunday 2 | Monday 3 | Tuesday 4 | Wednesday 5 | Thursday 6 | Friday 7 | ||||||||||||||
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) | SSE 4 | SSE 5 | SSE 6 | SSE 7 | S 8 | S 8 | S 7 | S 7 | SE 7 | SE 6 | SE 6 | SE 6 | SE 6 | SSE 6 | SE 6 | SE 6 | SE 6 | SE 7 | SE 7 | SE 8 |
Wave Graph | ||||||||||||||||||||
35 | 56 | 140 | 355 | 531 | 282 | 303 | 126 | 63 | 51 | 58 | 66 | 66 | 65 | 38 | 43 | 53 | 69 | 73 | 101 | |
Wind (km/h) | ||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | cross-on | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross | cross | cross | cross | cross-on | cross-on | cross | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on |
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 | 3:58PM0.07m | 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 | 3 | 5 | 13 | 18 | 7 | 12 | 8 | 5 | 3 | — | — | 1 | 1 | — | 1 | 2 | 1 | — |
Temp °C | 29 | 27 | 28 | 28 | 26 | 26 | 26 | 26 | 27 | 28 | 27 | 28 | 29 | 28 | 29 | 29 | 28 | 28 | 29 | 27 |
Feels °C | 29 | 29 | 29 | 28 | 24 | 26 | 26 | 25 | 29 | 29 | 30 | 31 | 31 | 31 | 32 | 31 | 31 | 31 | 32 | 30 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | ESE 8 | E 6 | — | — | — | — | ESE 7 | SE 7 | SE 6 | SE 6 | SE 6 | SE 6 | — | SE 6 | — | E 10 | SE 7 | SE 7 | SE 8 |
— | 7 | 1 | — | — | — | — | 37 | 63 | 51 | 58 | 66 | 66 | — | 38 | — | 2 | 69 | 73 | 101 | |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | SW 6 | — | — | E 13 | E 11 | E 11 | — | E 9 | E 9 | E 9 |
— | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 8 | — | — | 3 | 2 | 3 | — | 2 | 2 | 2 | |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | E 12 | — | E 10 | — | — | E 11 | — | — |
— | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 3 | — | 2 | — | — | 2 | — | — | |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SSE 4 | SSE 5 | SSE 6 | SSE 7 | S 8 | S 8 | S 7 | S 7 | SSW 6 | SSW 6 | — | SW 5 | SW 5 | SSE 6 | — | SE 6 | SE 6 | — | — | — |
35 | 56 | 140 | 355 | 531 | 282 | 303 | 126 | 50 | 35 | — | 7 | 7 | 65 | — | 43 | 53 | — | — | — | |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | ||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 821 | 1205 | 723 | 1742 | 559 | 355 | 562 | 19 | 82 | 294 | 321 | 299 | 946 | 1165 | 298 | 2162 | 769 | 351 | 140 | 140 |
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.











