Surf Forecasts:
Pelican Watch surf forecast from 27 Aug 2026:
- Best quality surf: Wednesday 2 Sep, 5AM (local time) - 1.5ft (0.4m), 12s period, SE swell with cross-offshore winds.
- Most powerful swell: Wednesday 2 Sep, 11AM (local time) - 2.5ft (0.7m), 11s period, SE swell with 119 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Wednesday 2 Sep, 5AM (local time) - 1.5ft (0.4m), 12s period with SE 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 Wednesday (Sep 02) at 5AM. The primary swell is predicted to be 0.5m and 9s period with a secondary swell of 0.4m and 12s. 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 0.7m 5s period and expected on Friday (Aug 28) at 8PM.
| Wave Type | Time (EDT) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 5AM (Wed 2nd Sep) | 1.5ft (0.4m) 12s |
| Best Surf | 5AM (Wed 2nd Sep) | 1.5ft (0.4m) 12s |
| 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, let’s talk about Pelican Watch.
To be honest, looking at the next two weeks, it’s a pretty flat run for this spot. There’s no real swell to get excited about for a long stretch. The first few days are really quiet, with barely a ripple, and it takes a full week before we see any sort of bump in energy.
We start off on Thursday the 27th and right through to Monday the 1st of September, the swell is tiny. We’re talking about 1ft to 2ft of weak, short-period ESE windswell. The combined energy is low, sitting well under 100, meaning there’s just nothing pushing through. Winds are mostly cross-off or glassy, which would be perfect if there was any wave to ride, but the conditions are poor for surfing. Not a single standout in this period.
Then, on Wednesday the 2nd of September morning, the energy finally wakes up a bit. The combined swell energy jumps to 119 – still only moderate, but it’s the best we’ll see. The swell bumps to 2ft from the SE with a period of 11 seconds. That’s a longer period, which is good for shape and energy, but it’s still small. The wind is a light cross-off, keeping the surface clean. The report even says “surfable but very ordinary,” and that’s the truth. It’s the only time in the whole 16 days where the score is anything above zero, so this Wednesday morning is your absolute best bet. But don’t get carried away – it’s still tiny.
The rest of the week after that drops back down to 1ft to 2ft ESE junk with cross-off breezes. By the weekend of the 6th and 7th, the wind turns onshore from the east, with some rain and even a fresh breeze on Monday the 7th. The swell is small and very weak, with energy values down in the teens and twenties. Not worth paddling out for.
Bottom line: this is a very quiet outlook for Pelican Watch. The only window that even offers a whisper of a ride is Wednesday morning, the 2nd of September, with that small, clean, slightly longer period SE swell. Everything else is a flat spell. For a beginner-friendly spot like this, it’s just one of those periods where the ocean takes a nap. Forecasts can change, but right now, it’s a waiting game.
Rusty.
Short Range ForecastHeavy rain (total 34mm), heaviest during Fri afternoon. Warm (max 29°C on Sat afternoon, min 25°C on Fri afternoon). Wind will be generally light. | Days 4-6 Weather SummaryLight rain (total 4mm), mostly falling on Sun night. Warm (max 31°C on Tue afternoon, min 26°C on Tue morning). Wind will be generally light. | ||||||||||||||||||||
Thursday 27 | Friday 28 | Saturday 29 | Sunday 30 | Monday 31 | Tuesday 1 | Wednesday 2 | |||||||||||||||
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) | ESE 9 | ESE 9 | ESE 9 | ESE 9 | ESE 8 | ESE 8 | ESE 8 | ESE 8 | ESE 8 | SE 8 | ESE 8 | SE 8 | SE 8 | ESE 8 | ESE 7 | SE 7 | ESE 7 | SE 9 | SE 11 | SE 10 | ESE 10 |
Wave Graph  | |||||||||||||||||||||
 kJ | 17 | 30 | 32 | 29 | 28 | 27 | 26 | 26 | 26 | 31 | 26 | 40 | 28 | 37 | 20 | 24 | 19 | 40 | 119 | 102 | 80 |
Wind (km/h) | |||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | glassy | cross-off | cross-off | glassy | cross | cross-off | glassy | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off |
High Tide | 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 | 11:57AM1.60m | 00:09AM1.21m | ||||||||
Low Tide | 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 | 5:16AM0.04m | 6:14PM0.18m | ||||||||
 | |  | | | |  | | |  | | | |  |  | | |  | | | | |
 | 6:41 | — | — | 6:41 | — | — | 6:41 | — | — | 6:43 | — | — | 6:43 | — | — | 6:43 | — | — | 6:45 | — | — |
 | — | 7:44 | — | — | 7:43 | — | — | 7:40 | — | — | 7:39 | — | — | 7:38 | — | — | 7:37 | — | — | 7:36 | — |
mm | 6 | 1 | 5 | 5 | 9 | 7 | — | — | 1 | — | — | 2 | — | 1 | 1 | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Temp °C | 27 | 28 | 27 | 27 | 26 | 27 | 27 | 29 | 28 | 28 | 30 | 28 | 29 | 30 | 28 | 30 | 31 | 28 | 30 | 32 | 28 |
Feels °C | 30 | 28 | 28 | 29 | 28 | 30 | 31 | 30 | 30 | 32 | 32 | 30 | 33 | 31 | 30 | 33 | 31 | 30 | 32 | 33 | 30 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | S 4 | ESE 9 | ESE 9 | ESE 9 | ESE 8 | S 5 | S 5 | ESE 8 | ESE 8 | SE 8 | ESE 8 | SE 8 | SE 8 | ESE 8 | ESE 7 | SE 7 | ESE 7 | SE 9 | SE 11 | SE 10 | ESE 10 |
| kJ | 10 | 30 | 32 | 29 | 28 | 12 | 12 | 26 | 26 | 31 | 26 | 40 | 28 | 37 | 20 | 24 | 19 | 40 | 119 | 102 | 80 |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | ESE 8 | E 13 | E 13 | E 12 | E 11 | ESE 8 | ESE 8 | E 10 | E 10 | S 4 | SW 4 | E 10 | E 9 | E 9 | E 9 | — | SE 13 | SE 12 | — | — | — |
| kJ | 11 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 27 | 26 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | — | 7 | 23 | — | — | — |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | ESE 9 | — | — | — | — | E 11 | E 11 | E 10 | — | — | E 9 | — | — | — | — | — | SE 13 | — | — | — | — |
| kJ | 17 | — | — | — | — | 2 | 2 | 2 | — | — | 2 | — | — | — | — | — | 7 | — | — | — | — |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | S 4 | S 4 | S 4 | S 5 | — | SW 5 | S 5 | SSW 4 | — | S 4 | SSW 2 | — | — | SSW 3 | SW 3 | SSW 3 | SSW 3 | SSW 3 | SSW 3 | SW 4 |
| kJ | — | 10 | 14 | 14 | 16 | — | 6 | 11 | 3 | — | 1 | 1 | — | — | 1 | 1 | 5 | 4 | 1 | 8 | 12 |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 253 | 1230 | 351 | 294 | 110 | 54 | 54 | 1573 | 282 | 129 | 1670 | 282 | 1670 | 1231 | 1231 | 976 | 976 | 304 | 0 | 837 | 54 |
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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