Surf Forecasts:
Pelican Watch surf forecast from 20 Aug 2026:
- Best quality surf: Sunday 23 Aug, 5AM (local time) - 3ft (0.9m), 6s period, SSW swell with offshore winds.
- Most powerful swell: Thursday 27 Aug, 2AM (local time) - 3ft (0.9m), 6s period, S swell with 56 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Sunday 23 Aug, 5AM (local time) - 3ft (0.9m), 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 Sunday (Aug 23) at 5AM. The primary swell is predicted to be 0.9m and 6s period with a secondary swell of 0.2m and 8s. The wind is predicted to be offshore as the swell arrives.
The most powerful waves expected at Pelican Watch in the next 16 days are 0.9m 6s and forecast to arrive on Thursday (Aug 27) at 2AM. Winds are predicted to be cross-onshore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 1.2m 6s period and expected on Sunday (Aug 23) at 5AM.
| Wave Type | Time (EDT) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 5AM (Sun 23rd Aug) | 3ft (0.9m) 6s |
| Best Surf | 5AM (Sun 23rd Aug) | 3ft (0.9m) 6s |
| Most Powerful | 2AM (Thu 27th Aug) | 3ft (0.9m) 6s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Pelican Watch over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
Alright folks, Rusty here. Let's have a look at what's on the table for the next couple of weeks at Pelican Watch.
Straight up, the first week and a half is a tough slog. We’re looking at a pretty grim run of small, weak, and mostly messy surf from now through the end of August. The energy is just not there, with combined swell readings stuck way down in the low double digits (20 to 60) for most of that time. The wind is swinging all over the place, but mostly cross or onshore, chopping up what little bump there is. You’ll see a couple of mornings with light offshore breezes from the west on Sunday the 23rd and again on Thursday the 27th, but the swell is tiny and short-period, so it’s barely a ripple. It’s a long wait for anything worthwhile.
The first real glimmer of hope shows up on Thursday the 3rd of September. The morning looks promising with a 5ft swell from the east-northeast and a light offshore wind from the west-southwest. The combined energy jumps to 278, which is a solid, moderate pulse. The water is sitting at a warm 84°, with a 1° anomaly, so it’s about average for this time of year.
That Thursday morning is the standout. Pelican Watch will have clean, lined-up waves on offer. The swell is a manageable size, so it’s good for a wide range of surfers, but the crowds are listed as "often," so expect plenty of company out there. The wind will be light and offshore, keeping the surface glassy. The afternoon holds up too, with a similar 5ft ENE swell and a clean cross-off breeze, though the wind picks up a touch.
The next day, Friday the 4th, sees the swell holding size but the wind swings back to a strong onshore from the east-northeast, chopping it right up. The quality drops right off.
So, to sum it up: the first 11 days are a write-off. You’re better off doing something else. But mark your calendar for the morning of Thursday the 3rd of September. That’s the one to chase. Clean, waist-to-chest high waves from the east-northeast with glassy conditions. It’s the only real window of quality in the whole 16-day stretch.
Rusty.
Short Range ForecastHeavy rain (total 22mm), heaviest during Fri night. Warm (max 31°C on Thu afternoon, min 23°C on Sat night). Wind will be generally light. | Days 4-6 Weather SummaryHeavy rain (total 23mm), heaviest during Tue night. Warm (max 32°C on Sun afternoon, min 23°C on Sun morning). Wind will be generally light. | ||||||||||||||||||||
Thursday 20 | Friday 21 | Saturday 22 | Sunday 23 | Monday 24 | Tuesday 25 | Wednesday 26 | |||||||||||||||
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 8 | SE 8 | SE 8 | SE 8 | SE 8 | ESE 8 | ESE 9 | ESE 9 | ESE 13 | S 6 | S 6 | S 6 | SE 12 | S 6 | SE 9 | SE 11 | SE 10 | S 5 | S 5 | SE 9 | S 6 |
Wave Graph  | |||||||||||||||||||||
 kJ | 18 | 17 | 17 | 17 | 17 | 12 | 18 | 17 | 17 | 29 | 29 | 23 | 35 | 17 | 12 | 29 | 28 | 55 | 33 | 22 | 56 |
Wind (km/h) | |||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | cross-on | cross | cross-off | cross | cross | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | off | cross-off | off | cross | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on |
High Tide | 2:35PM1.35m | 2:42AM0.95m | 3:36PM1.34m | 3:45AM0.93m | 4:35PM1.36m | 4:45AM0.96m | 5:28PM1.40m | 5:38AM1.01m | 6:14PM1.45m | 6:24AM1.09m | 6:55PM1.50m | 7:06AM1.17m | 7:32PM1.54m | ||||||||
Low Tide | 9:04PM0.36m | 8:31AM0.25m | 10:09PM0.37m | 9:31AM0.26m | 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 | ||||||||
 | |  |  | | |  | |  | | |  | | | | | | | | | | |
 | 6:35 | — | — | 6:37 | — | — | 6:37 | — | — | 6:37 | — | — | 6:39 | — | — | 6:39 | — | — | 6:39 | — | — |
 | — | 7:52 | — | — | 7:52 | — | — | 7:50 | — | — | 7:49 | — | — | 7:47 | — | — | 7:46 | — | — | 7:45 | — |
mm | — | — | 2 | 1 | — | 8 | 3 | 2 | 6 | — | — | — | — | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 15 | 1 | — | 5 |
Temp °C | 30 | 31 | 29 | 30 | 30 | 28 | 28 | 30 | 27 | 28 | 32 | 31 | 30 | 31 | 30 | 29 | 29 | 28 | 26 | 27 | 27 |
Feels °C | 33 | 33 | 33 | 34 | 32 | 31 | 30 | 31 | 27 | 29 | 29 | 30 | 32 | 30 | 32 | 32 | 31 | 29 | 29 | 28 | 29 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SE 8 | SE 8 | SE 8 | SE 8 | SE 8 | ESE 8 | ESE 9 | ESE 9 | ESE 8 | S 6 | ESE 12 | S 6 | S 6 | S 6 | SSE 5 | SE 11 | SE 10 | SE 10 | S 5 | SE 9 | S 6 |
| kJ | 18 | 17 | 17 | 17 | 17 | 12 | 16 | 15 | 14 | 29 | 15 | 23 | 19 | 17 | 9 | 29 | 28 | 23 | 33 | 22 | 56 |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SW 4 | E 6 | E 6 | S 3 | SE 15 | SE 10 | SE 14 | ESE 13 | ESE 13 | ESE 8 | ESE 8 | ESE 12 | SE 12 | ESE 11 | SE 9 | E 7 | E 7 | E 7 | SE 9 | — | SE 9 |
| kJ | 1 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 8 | 4 | 7 | 17 | 17 | 7 | 7 | 14 | 35 | 13 | 12 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 22 | — | 21 |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | E 7 | — | — | E 6 | E 6 | SE 14 | ESE 13 | ESE 13 | E 8 | ESE 12 | E 8 | SE 8 | ESE 4 | E 3 | ESE 11 | — | — | — | E 7 | E 16 | E 15 |
| kJ | 1 | — | — | 1 | 1 | 8 | 18 | 17 | 5 | 15 | 5 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 12 | — | — | — | 1 | 5 | 4 |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | — | S 3 | — | SSW 3 | SSW 4 | S 5 | SSW 5 | S 6 | WSW 5 | S 6 | — | NE 2 | — | — | S 5 | S 5 | S 5 | SSW 5 | SSW 5 | SSW 6 |
| kJ | — | — | 1 | — | 3 | 24 | 24 | 42 | 49 | 15 | 29 | — | 1 | — | — | 17 | 10 | 55 | 62 | 35 | 97 |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 858 | 837 | 352 | 1573 | 2336 | 54 | 304 | 489 | 3 | 0 | 16 | 54 | 110 | 253 | 519 | 142 | 923 | 0 | 23 | 138 | 23 |
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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