Surf Forecasts:
Pelican Watch surf forecast from 20 Jul 2026:
- Best quality surf: Monday 27 Jul, 5AM (local time) - 2.5ft (0.7m), 6s period, S swell with cross-offshore winds.
- Most powerful swell: Wednesday 22 Jul, 5AM (local time) - 5.5ft (1.7m), 7s period, S swell with 250 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Monday 27 Jul, 5AM (local time) - 2.5ft (0.7m), 6s period with S 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 27) at 5AM. The primary swell is predicted to be 0.7m and 6s period with a secondary swell of 0.4m and 8s. 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 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 1.5m 6s period and expected on Wednesday (Jul 22) at 8PM.
| Wave Type | Time (EDT) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 5AM (Mon 27th Jul) | 2.5ft (0.7m) 6s |
| Best Surf | 5AM (Mon 27th Jul) | 2.5ft (0.7m) 6s |
| 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 break down what’s happening at Pelican Watch over the next couple of weeks.
First off, I gotta be straight with you – the start of this period is flat out grim. Monday the 20th has you scratching for a 0.7ft dribble from the ESE with a cross-off breeze, and the combined energy is a measly 9 – that’s not even a ripple. Tuesday through to the end of the first week is a write-off. We’re talking a solid 0 out of 10 for days on end. The water temp is sitting at a normal 84° for this time of year, so at least a dip won’t shock you, but there’s nothing to ride.
We finally get a pulse on Wednesday the 22nd with a 5ft to 5ft SSW swell, but it’s short-period windswell at 6 seconds, and the wind is a cross-off from the SW. The combined energy climbs to 183 to 200 (moderate), but the conditions are still labelled poor. The wave quality just isn’t there for a paddle. With that swell height and the messy setup, this honestly looks more interesting for a kite surfer than a regular surfer. Thursday the 23rd morning is a bit similar, but by Thursday afternoon the wind goes glassy with a light W breeze at 5 km/h on a tiny 1ft SE swell. It’s clean, but there’s no wave to speak of.
The next week is a slog. From Friday the 24th right through to Monday the 3rd of August, it’s mostly tiny swells under 3ft, poor directions, and onshore or cross-shore winds. The only thing that catches my eye is Tuesday the 28th of July. We get a 3ft SSW swell pushing through in the morning (combined energy 100 – just on moderate), and the wind is a light cross-off from the SSW at 10 km/h. The report says “surfable waves but very ordinary conditions,” so it’s not a standout, just a slight glimmer. The afternoon jumps to 6ft with a 248 energy, but the wind picks up to 25 km/h, making it more of a challenge.
Thursday the 30th of July is the biggest swell of the window – 7ft from the SSW, with a 528 combined energy (strong). That’s expert territory. The period is short at 7 seconds, and the wind is a light cross-shore from the S at 10 km/h. The report says the conditions are marginal, but if you’re a solid charger, that’s your window for a bit of size. After that, it fades back into nothing.
The takeaway? There’s no real standout here. The best on offer is that Thursday the 30th for the size, but it’s only for the experienced crew due to the height. The rest is a long, flat stretch. Stick with it – forecasts can change.
Rusty.
Short Range ForecastLight rain (total 9mm), mostly falling on Thu morning. Warm (max 30°C on Mon afternoon, min 27°C on Wed night). Mainly fresh winds. | Days 5-7 Weather SummaryHeavy rain (total 53mm), heaviest during Thu night. Warm (max 26°C on Thu afternoon, min 21°C on Fri morning). Wind will be generally light. | |||||||||||||||||||
Mon 20 | Tuesday 21 | Wednesday 22 | Thursday 23 | Friday 24 | Saturday 25 | Sunday 26 | ||||||||||||||
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 8 | SE 8 | S 6 | S 6 | S 6 | SSW 6 | SSW 6 | SE 8 | SSW 6 | SE 8 | S 5 | SE 8 | SE 8 | SE 8 | ESE 8 | ESE 8 | ESE 8 | ESE 8 | ESE 8 | ESE 8 |
Wave Graph  | ||||||||||||||||||||
 kJ | 6 | 9 | 0 | 0 | 202 | 160 | 176 | 24 | 112 | 16 | 28 | 65 | 65 | 60 | 50 | 37 | 33 | 35 | 35 | 20 |
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 | glassy | cross-on | cross | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | cross | glassy |
High Tide | 1:32AM1.14m | 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 | ||||||||
Low Tide | 7:31PM0.18m | 7:37AM0.06m | 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 | |||||||
 |  |  |  |  | | | | | |  |  |  | |  | | | | | | |
 | — | — | 6:13 | — | — | 6:15 | — | — | 6:16 | — | — | 6:16 | — | — | 6:16 | — | — | 6:18 | — | — |
 | 8:21 | — | — | 8:20 | — | — | 8:20 | — | — | 8:19 | — | — | 8:17 | — | — | 8:17 | — | — | 8:16 | — |
mm | — | 2 | 1 | — | — | 2 | — | 1 | 3 | 18 | 23 | 8 | 1 | 3 | — | — | — | — | — | 1 |
Temp °C | 30 | 28 | 30 | 30 | 28 | 29 | 30 | 28 | 30 | 26 | 23 | 22 | 25 | 25 | 25 | 26 | 24 | 26 | 26 | 26 |
Feels °C | 30 | 30 | 30 | 29 | 29 | 29 | 29 | 28 | 31 | 28 | 26 | 23 | 25 | 26 | 25 | 26 | 24 | 26 | 26 | 27 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | ESE 8 | SE 8 | — | — | SE 8 | SE 8 | SE 8 | SE 8 | SE 8 | SE 8 | S 5 | SE 8 | SE 8 | SE 8 | ESE 8 | ESE 8 | SSW 5 | ESE 8 | ESE 8 | ESE 8 |
| kJ | 6 | 9 | — | — | 28 | 23 | 24 | 24 | 22 | 16 | 28 | 65 | 65 | 60 | 50 | 37 | 17 | 35 | 35 | 20 |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | E 12 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | ESE 8 | — | SSW 5 | — | — | — | ESE 8 | S 5 | S 5 | — |
| kJ | 3 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 24 | — | 23 | — | — | — | 33 | 18 | 13 | — |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| kJ | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SSW 5 | S 5 | S 6 | S 6 | S 6 | SSW 6 | SSW 6 | S 6 | SSW 6 | S 6 | S 6 | S 5 | S 5 | SSW 5 | SSW 4 | SSW 4 | SSW 5 | SW 5 | — | SSW 5 |
| kJ | 32 | 51 | 94 | 141 | 202 | 160 | 176 | 165 | 112 | 77 | 49 | 25 | 13 | 9 | 13 | 25 | 28 | 64 | — | 21 |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | ||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 1670 | 456 | 1230 | 1230 | 359 | 352 | 352 | 364 | 19 | 3 | 23 | 54 | 42 | 23 | 22 | 54 | 22 | 23 | 243 | 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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