Surf Forecasts:
Pelican Watch surf forecast from 17 Jul 2026:
- Best quality surf: Monday 20 Jul, 2AM (local time) - 5ft (1.6m), 7s period, SSW swell with cross-offshore winds.
- Most powerful swell: Sunday 19 Jul, 8PM (local time) - 5.5ft (1.7m), 7s period, SSW swell with 277 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Monday 20 Jul, 2AM (local time) - 5ft (1.6m), 7s 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 Monday (Jul 20) at 2AM. The primary swell is predicted to be 1.6m and 7s period with a secondary swell of 1.2m and 7s. Another secondary swell of 0.1m and 8s is also forecast. 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 1.7m 7s and forecast to arrive on Sunday (Jul 19) at 8PM. Winds are predicted to be cross-offshore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 1.6m 6s period and expected on Wednesday (Jul 22) at 5PM.
| Wave Type | Time (EDT) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 2AM (Mon 20th Jul) | 5ft (1.6m) 7s |
| Best Surf | 2AM (Mon 20th Jul) | 5ft (1.6m) 7s |
| Most Powerful | 8PM (Sun 19th Jul) | 5.5ft (1.7m) 7s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Pelican Watch over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
Alright folks, Rusty here. Let’s be straight with you: the next 16 days at Pelican Watch are a tough pill to swallow. This is a beginner-friendly, exposed SE-facing spot, but the swell is just not cooperating. We’re looking at a long, dry spell with nothing but tiny, weak waves and messy conditions for most of the outlook.
The water temp is sitting at a normal 83°, so at least it’ll be warm while you’re sitting there staring at flatness.
The first real pulse of energy rolls in on the morning of Saturday, the 19th of July. The swell jumps to 5 ft from the S, but with a short period (7 seconds) and a fresh 19 mph cross-offshore wind, it’s a messy, weak combo. The combined energy is moderate at 226, but the surf quality is still poor. By Sunday the 20th, the morning drops to 4 ft, again straight S, poor conditions. The afternoon of the 20th is the only time we see a glimmer of hope – the swell is 3 ft from the S, a 6-second period, cross-off wind, and the comment says "surfable waves but very ordinary conditions." It’s not good, but it’s the best on offer the whole run.
After that, it’s a bleak stretch of tiny, weak waves from the SE and ESE, rarely exceeding 2 ft, with periods of 8 seconds or less. The combined energy drops to pathetic two-digit numbers (15, 19, 7…) and the wind is a horror show of cross-shore, cross-on, and even onshore by the 28th. There’s a brief moment on the morning of Friday the 24th of July when the wind goes glassy, but the swell is a tiny 2 ft from the SE – surfable, but barely.
From the 21st of July through the end of the month, the surf is practically non-existent. The biggest swell in that window is a 4 ft SSW pulse on the 22nd, but it’s only 6 seconds and still poor. The rest is flat to ankle-high with a lot of wind.
If you’re into kite surfing, the window from the 19th to the 22nd of July might actually be interesting, with strong cross-offshore winds and a bit of bump on the water. But for a paddle surfer, this is a long, blank run. The entire 16-day outlook offers virtually nothing worth getting wet for. Forecasts can change, but right now, it’s a big pass.
Rusty.
Short Range ForecastLight rain (total 4mm), mostly falling on Fri night. Warm (max 32°C on Fri afternoon, min 27°C on Fri night). Winds increasing (light winds from the WSW on Fri morning, fresh winds from the SSW by Sun afternoon). | Days 5-7 Weather SummaryHeavy rain (total 31mm), heaviest during Mon afternoon. Warm (max 29°C on Tue afternoon, min 25°C on Mon afternoon). Mainly fresh winds. | ||||||||||||||||||
Friday 17 | Saturday 18 | Sunday 19 | Monday 20 | Tuesday 21 | Wednesday 22 | ||||||||||||||
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 8 | ESE 8 | ESE 8 | ESE 8 | ESE 8 | ESE 8 | E 13 | S 7 | SSW 6 | SSW 7 | S 7 | ESE 8 | S 6 | S 6 | S 6 | S 6 | SSW 6 | SE 7 | SSW 7 |
Wave Graph  | |||||||||||||||||||
 kJ | 6 | 6 | 6 | 13 | 6 | 6 | 3 | 179 | 225 | 247 | 91 | 6 | 76 | 71 | 83 | 190 | 119 | 18 | 220 |
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 | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off |
High Tide | 10:15PM1.71m | 10:41AM1.36m | 11:04PM1.59m | 11:36AM1.37m | 11:52PM1.44m | 12:31PM1.36m | 00:41AM1.29m | 1:26PM1.35m | 1:32AM1.14m | 2:23PM1.34m | 2:26AM1.03m | 3:20PM1.34m | 3:23AM0.94m | ||||||
Low Tide | 4:32AM-0.13m | 4:35PM-0.10m | 5:19AM-0.10m | 5:31PM-0.00m | 6:05AM-0.06m | 6:30PM0.10m | 6:50AM-0.00m | 7:31PM0.18m | 7:37AM0.06m | 8:36PM0.25m | 8:25AM0.11m | 9:42PM0.28m | |||||||
 | | |  | | | |  |  | | |  |  | | |  | | | | |
 | — | 6:11 | — | — | 6:11 | — | — | 6:13 | — | — | 6:13 | — | — | 6:13 | — | — | 6:15 | — | — |
 | 8:22 | — | 8:22 | — | — | 8:22 | — | — | 8:21 | — | — | 8:21 | — | — | 8:20 | — | — | 8:20 | — |
mm | — | — | — | 1 | — | — | 1 | 2 | — | 1 | 5 | 9 | 11 | 5 | — | — | — | — | 23 |
Temp °C | 29 | 31 | 32 | 28 | 29 | 30 | 28 | 30 | 31 | 28 | 27 | 26 | 27 | 28 | 29 | 28 | 29 | 29 | 28 |
Feels °C | 31 | 33 | 32 | 30 | 31 | 31 | 29 | 30 | 30 | 28 | 28 | 26 | 27 | 29 | 27 | 28 | 28 | 29 | 28 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | ESE 8 | ESE 8 | ESE 8 | ESE 8 | ESE 8 | ESE 8 | — | — | — | S 7 | S 7 | ESE 8 | SE 8 | SE 7 | SE 8 | SE 8 | SE 8 | SE 7 | SE 8 |
| kJ | 6 | 6 | 6 | 13 | 6 | 6 | — | — | — | 143 | 91 | 6 | 9 | 14 | 20 | 23 | 20 | 18 | 22 |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | E 6 | E 6 | E 6 | — | E 13 | E 13 | E 13 | — | E 13 | SE 8 | SE 8 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| kJ | 3 | 1 | 1 | — | 4 | 3 | 3 | — | 3 | 2 | 2 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | — | — | E 14 | — | — | — | — | — | — | E 12 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| kJ | — | — | — | 4 | — | — | — | — | — | — | 3 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SSW 4 | SW 4 | SSW 4 | SSW 4 | S 4 | SSW 4 | SSW 6 | S 7 | SSW 6 | SSW 7 | — | SSW 6 | S 6 | S 6 | S 6 | S 6 | SSW 6 | SSW 6 | SSW 7 |
| kJ | 9 | 3 | 11 | 9 | 7 | 22 | 131 | 179 | 225 | 247 | — | 126 | 76 | 71 | 83 | 190 | 119 | 171 | 220 |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 1573 | 1580 | 1573 | 785 | 1580 | 575 | 357 | 352 | 641 | 0 | 243 | 559 | 219 | 575 | 576 | 519 | 352 | 321 | 0 |
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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