Pelican Watch Surf Break

Lat Long: 34.04° N 77.89° W

Pelican Watch Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Issued: 1 pm 28 Aug 2026 (local time)

Forecast update in  hr  min

Today's Pelican Watch sea temperature is
28.5°C
0.5° 

Pelican Watch surf forecast is for near shore open water. Breaking waves will often be smaller at less exposed spots.


Pelican Watch surf forecast from 29 Aug 2026:

  • Best quality surf: Wednesday 2 Sep, 5AM (local time) - 2.5ft (0.7m), 11s period, SE swell with offshore winds.
  • Most powerful swell: Wednesday 2 Sep, 2AM (local time) - 2.5ft (0.7m), 12s period, SE swell with 142 kJ wave energy.
  • Next surfable swell (1★+): Wednesday 2 Sep, 5AM (local time) - 2.5ft (0.7m), 11s 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 0.7m and 11s period. 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 0.7m 12s and forecast to arrive on Wednesday (Sep 02) 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 4s period and expected on Friday (Sep 04) at 5PM.

Wave TypeTime (EDT) & Date Wave Height & Period
Next good surf (1 star+) 5AM (Wed 2nd Sep)2.5ft (0.7m) 11s
Best Surf 5AM (Wed 2nd Sep)2.5ft (0.7m) 11s
Most Powerful 2AM (Wed 2nd Sep)2.5ft (0.7m) 12s

Table - best surf conditions forecast for Pelican Watch over the next 16 days.


The Lowdown

Alright, Rusty here again.

First up, Pelican Watch. A good break for beginners, exposed to southeast swell, and it can get crowded. Water temp is about 83°F, which is standard for this time of year, nothing unusual.

The next week is a long dry spell. From Friday, August 28th, right through to Tuesday, September 1st, it’s pretty much flat. Tiny swell, mixed winds, and very weak energy. Not worth wetting a suit for.

The first real opportunity shows up the morning of Wednesday, September 2nd. A southeast swell around 3 ft with an 11-second period—a little groundswell. The energy steps up to moderate, and with an offshore wind from the west at about 6 mph, the waves will be clean. It’s surfable, but nothing special.

After that, it drops off again for a few days. The next notable window is the morning of Wednesday, September 9th. That SE swell builds to 4 ft with a 13-second period and energy climbing to a solid 361. But the wind swings cross-onshore from the northeast at 9 mph, making it fairly choppy. Not the cleanest.

The next morning, Thursday, September 10th, cleans up nicely. An offshore wind from the west-southwest at 12 mph, with a smaller 2 ft southeast swell. The energy is lower, but it’s clean and rideable.

If I had to point to one session, the morning of Wednesday, September 2nd, is the best bet in this outlook. It’s not big, but clean conditions on a little groundswell make it the pick. The rest of the 16 days is patchy and small. This spot is usually fairly consistent, so a quiet spell like this is a bit of a surprise, but it won’t stay poor forever. Forecasts can always change.

Keep an eye on it.

Rusty.

Short Range Forecast

Heavy rain (total 25mm), heaviest during Sat night. Warm (max 29°C on Sun afternoon, min 24°C on Sat morning). Wind will be generally light.

Days 5-7 Weather Summary

Light rain (total 2mm), mostly falling on Mon night. Warm (max 34°C on Wed afternoon, min 26°C on Wed morning). Wind will be generally light.

Fri
28
Saturday
29
Sunday
30
Monday
31
Tuesday
1
Wednesday
2
Thursday
3
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
Rating
(10 max)
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
1
1
0
0
0
0
Swell
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Wave
Height (m)
Direction
Period (s)
0.4
ESE
8
0.4
ESE
8
0.4
ESE
8
0.4
ESE
8
0.4
ESE
8
0.4
ESE
8
0.5
SE
8
0.4
ESE
8
0.6
ESE
8
0.6
ESE
8
0.5
SE
7
0.5
SE
7
0.5
SE
7
0.7
SE
12
0.8
SE
11
0.7
SE
10
0.6
SE
9
0.6
ESE
9
0.6
ESE
9
0.4
ESE
8
Wave Graph
Metric surfscale
Energy kJ
28
27
26
26
26
26
35
26
40
37
27
25
25
142
134
100
70
53
53
28
Wind (km/h)
20
SSW
10
WSW
10
NE
10
ESE
10
SE
0
ESE
15
SSE
10
SSW
0
S
15
S
15
SW
5
WSW
20
SSW
20
WSW
10
W
15
SSW
10
SE
10
SE
15
S
20
SW
Wind State
cross-off
off
cross-on
cross-on
cross-on
glassy
cross
cross-off
glassy
cross
cross-off
cross-off
cross-off
cross-off
off
cross-off
cross-on
cross-on
cross
cross-off
High Tide
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
12:55PM1.60m
1:06AM1.14m
Low Tide
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
6:05AM0.06m
7:17PM0.23m
cloud
light rain
thunderstorm
light rain
rain showers
thunderstorm
part cloud
part cloud
clear
clear
thunderstorm
thunderstorm
clear
clear
clear
part cloud
clear
clear
clear
clear
<span class="translation_missing" title="translation missing: en.weather_tables.sunrise">Sunrise</span>
6:41
6:43
6:43
6:43
6:45
6:46
<span class="translation_missing" title="translation missing: en.weather_tables.sunset">Sunset</span>
7:43
7:40
7:39
7:38
7:37
7:36
7:35
 mm
4
4
2
11
4
1
1
Temp °C
27
27
25
25
26
27
29
27
28
30
28
30
31
28
31
34
29
29
30
28
Feels °C
28
30
28
28
28
31
32
30
33
32
31
33
32
30
33
37
34
34
33
30
  • Map Icons:
  • Break
  • Live Wave Height (m)
  • Live Wind Speed (km/h)
  • Surf Rating (10 Max)
  • Ocean Swells (m)
  • Wind Speed (km/h)
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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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