Pelican Watch Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, folks, Rusty here. Let’s cut through the noise and talk about what’s actually gonna be worth your time over the next couple of weeks.

Honestly, the outlook for Pelican Watch is pretty bleak for most of the period. We’re looking at a long stretch of tiny, weak surf with a whole lot of nothing happening. For the first five days, from Saturday the 8th to Wednesday the 12th, there’s just nothing rideable. The swell is barely hitting 2.5 to 3 feet, the energy is weak, and the conditions are ordinary at best. You’re better off doing anything else than staring at a flat ocean.

There’s a small blip of life on Friday morning, August 14th. The swell jumps to about 4.3 feet from the SSW with a short, 6-second period. It’s not pretty, but it’s the first real sign of anything. Still, that’s a flash in the pan; the afternoon drops right back off.

After that, it’s more of the same – ankle-biters and poor conditions through the rest of August. There’s a persistent SE swell direction, but the periods are all over the place, and the energy barely gets into the triple digits. We see a slight increase in energy around August 17th and 18th, but the waves stay small and the cross-shore winds mess things up.

Now, if you’re looking for a standout, you have to fast-forward all the way to Friday morning, August 21st. It’s not perfect, but it’s the best the forecast has to offer. We finally get a pulse of about 4.3 feet of swell, this time from the ENE. The energy is moderate at 170. The catch is the wind is a cross-shore from the NNE, so it won’t be clean perfection, but at least there’s some push. Keep in mind, this is a long-range call, so treat it as promising but not certain.

The thing is, Pelican Watch is a beginner-friendly spot, and it’s exposed to the swell. But with the waves this small and the onshores piling in from the 22nd onward, it looks like a write-off for the rest of the window. For a beach break, long-period swells (over 11 seconds) can cause waves to close out, but we’re not even getting those with any size.

Water temp is sitting at about 82.2°, which is about normal for this time of year, so at least you won’t need a thick suit for those long paddles to nowhere.

Bottom line: There’s one morning on the 21st that might be worth a look if you’re desperate, but otherwise, keep your board in the car and wait for the next system.

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