Surf Forecasts:
Pelican Watch surf forecast from 21 Jul 2026:
- Best quality surf: Saturday 25 Jul, 5AM (local time) - 2ft (0.6m), 8s period, ESE swell with offshore winds.
- Most powerful swell: Wednesday 22 Jul, 5AM (local time) - 5.5ft (1.7m), 7s period, SSW swell with 268 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Saturday 25 Jul, 5AM (local time) - 2ft (0.6m), 8s period with ESE 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 Saturday (Jul 25) at 5AM. The primary swell is predicted to be 0.6m and 8s period with a secondary swell of 0.6m and 5s. 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 1.7m 7s and forecast to arrive on Wednesday (Jul 22) at 5AM. Winds are predicted to be cross-offshore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 1.7m 6s period and expected on Tuesday (Jul 21) at 11PM.
| Wave Type | Time (EDT) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 5AM (Sat 25th Jul) | 2ft (0.6m) 8s |
| Best Surf | 5AM (Sat 25th Jul) | 2ft (0.6m) 8s |
| Most Powerful | 5AM (Wed 22nd 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 get straight into it. We’ve got a long stretch of nothing special coming up, so patience is going to be key. The first bit of surf worth talking about doesn’t show up until late in the second week.
The opening week is a write-off. From Tuesday, July 21st, right through to the end of July, we’re looking at a real flat spell. The swell energy is tiny, mostly under 50 (0-51), and the wind is cross-off or cross at best, but the waves are just too small to bother with. The water is sitting at 84°F, which is about 1.0°F above normal, so not a big deal for the time of year.
The only real standout window comes on Wednesday, July 29th, and it’s a bit of a one-hit wonder. Pelican Watch is the only game in town. The swell jumps up to 7ft from the S with a short period of 8 seconds, and the combined energy hits 763 – that’s a solid push of energy. The wind is a light cross-onshore from the NE in the morning, so it’s a bit choppy and not ideal. This is a beach break, so with that much swell and a short period, it’s not going to be a classic. It’s actually more interesting for the kite surfers than for paddle surfing on the Wednesday morning. The afternoon sees the wind swing onshore from the E, making it worse. Still, if you’re an expert looking for some power, this is the only day with any real grunt in the whole 16-day window.
After that, it drops back to nothing. Thursday, July 30th, has a bit of waist-high swell from the S (4-5ft) but the wind is onshore or cross, and the quality is poor. By Friday, July 31st, we’re back to small, clean but tiny waves. The first week of August is more of the same – flat, clean, but utterly surfable? Barely. There’s a glimmer on Tuesday, August 4th, with glassy conditions and 3ft from the ESE, but the energy is only 69, so it’s barely a ripple.
To be honest, if you’re not a kiter, put the board away for the next two weeks. The whole forecast is a bust for paddle surfing. The models could change, but as it stands, it’s one of those blank runs that’s more normal for the area.
Rusty.
Short Range ForecastHeavy rain (total 21mm), heaviest during Fri morning. Warm (max 30°C on Tue afternoon, min 25°C on Fri morning). Winds decreasing (fresh winds from the SSW on Tue afternoon, calm by Thu night). | Days 5-7 Weather SummaryHeavy rain (total 41mm), heaviest during Sat night. Warm (max 30°C on Mon morning, min 22°C on Sat night). Wind will be generally light. | |||||||||||||||||||
Tue 21 | Wednesday 22 | Thursday 23 | Friday 24 | Saturday 25 | Sunday 26 | Monday 27 | ||||||||||||||
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) | S 5 | S 6 | SSW 6 | SE 8 | SE 8 | SE 8 | SE 8 | SE 8 | ESE 8 | SE 8 | ESE 8 | ESE 8 | SSW 5 | ESE 8 | SE 8 | ESE 8 | ESE 8 | SE 8 | ESE 8 | SE 8 |
Wave Graph  | ||||||||||||||||||||
 kJ | 0 | 267 | 147 | 24 | 24 | 16 | 16 | 16 | 45 | 51 | 39 | 37 | 21 | 23 | 30 | 35 | 23 | 28 | 23 | 15 |
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 | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-on | cross | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off |
High Tide | 2:23PM1.34m | 2:26AM1.03m | 3:20PM1.34m | 3:23AM0.94m | 4:16PM1.35m | 4:22AM0.91m | 5:09PM1.37m | 5:17AM0.91m | 5:58PM1.41m | 6:07AM0.93m | 6:43PM1.45m | 6:52AM0.98m | 7:24PM1.49m | |||||||
Low Tide | 8:36PM0.25m | 8:25AM0.11m | 9:42PM0.28m | 9:15AM0.14m | 10:45PM0.28m | 10:07AM0.16m | 11:40PM0.26m | 10:58AM0.15m | 00:28AM0.23m | 11:47AM0.12m | 1:11AM0.20m | 12:33PM0.09m | 1:49AM0.16m | |||||||
 |  |  | | |  | |  | |  | | | |  | | |  | | | | |
 | — | — | 6:15 | — | — | 6:16 | — | — | 6:16 | — | — | 6:16 | — | — | 6:18 | — | — | 6:18 | — | — |
 | 8:20 | — | — | 8:20 | — | — | 8:19 | — | — | 8:17 | — | — | 8:17 | — | — | 8:16 | — | — | 8:15 | — |
mm | — | 1 | — | — | 1 | 2 | 4 | 8 | 5 | 6 | 4 | 2 | 9 | 20 | — | — | — | — | — | 1 |
Temp °C | 30 | 28 | 30 | 30 | 28 | 30 | 30 | 27 | 26 | 24 | 26 | 26 | 28 | 25 | 25 | 27 | 26 | 30 | 31 | 29 |
Feels °C | 30 | 29 | 29 | 29 | 29 | 31 | 32 | 31 | 28 | 26 | 28 | 29 | 31 | 30 | 27 | 29 | 28 | 32 | 32 | 30 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | — | SE 8 | SE 8 | SE 8 | SE 8 | SE 8 | SE 8 | ESE 8 | SE 8 | ESE 8 | ESE 8 | SSW 5 | ESE 8 | SE 8 | ESE 8 | ESE 8 | SE 8 | ESE 8 | SE 8 |
| kJ | — | — | 23 | 24 | 24 | 16 | 16 | 16 | 45 | 51 | 39 | 37 | 20 | 23 | 30 | 35 | 23 | 28 | 23 | 15 |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | SSW 5 | ESE 7 | SSW 5 | SSW 5 | SSW 5 | — | — | E 6 | SE 10 |
| kJ | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 13 | 21 | 8 | 5 | 5 | — | — | 1 | 4 |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | SE 9 | ENE 5 | ENE 4 | — | — | E 6 | — | E 6 |
| kJ | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 3 | 8 | 2 | — | — | 1 | — | 1 |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | S 5 | S 6 | SSW 6 | SSW 6 | SSW 6 | SSW 6 | SSW 5 | S 5 | SSW 5 | SSW 5 | SSW 5 | SW 5 | — | — | — | — | SSW 4 | SSW 4 | S 3 | S 4 |
| kJ | 99 | 267 | 147 | 126 | 113 | 95 | 106 | 69 | 42 | 19 | 24 | 25 | — | — | — | — | 4 | 2 | 4 | 22 |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | ||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 1230 | 456 | 351 | 351 | 304 | 99 | 17 | 17 | 19 | 278 | 142 | 0 | 82 | 129 | 54 | 454 | 298 | 282 | 960 | 548 |
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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