Pelican Watch Surf Break

Lat Long: 34.04° N 77.89° W

Pelican Watch Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Issued: 7 am 27 Aug 2026 (local time)

Forecast update in  hr  min

Today's Pelican Watch sea temperature is
28.5°C
0.6° 

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 27 Aug 2026:

  • Best quality surf: Wednesday 2 Sep, 5AM (local time) - 1.5ft (0.4m), 12s period, SE swell with cross-offshore winds.
  • Most powerful swell: Wednesday 2 Sep, 11AM (local time) - 2.5ft (0.7m), 11s period, SE swell with 119 kJ wave energy.
  • Next surfable swell (1★+): Wednesday 2 Sep, 5AM (local time) - 1.5ft (0.4m), 12s 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 0.5m and 9s period with a secondary swell of 0.4m and 12s. 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 0.7m 11s and forecast to arrive on Wednesday (Sep 02) at 11AM. Winds are predicted to be cross-offshore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 0.7m 5s period and expected on Friday (Aug 28) at 8PM.

Wave TypeTime (EDT) & Date Wave Height & Period
Next good surf (1 star+) 5AM (Wed 2nd Sep)1.5ft (0.4m) 12s
Best Surf 5AM (Wed 2nd Sep)1.5ft (0.4m) 12s
Most Powerful11AM (Wed 2nd Sep)2.5ft (0.7m) 11s

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


The Lowdown

Alright, Rusty here, let’s talk about Pelican Watch.

To be honest, looking at the next two weeks, it’s a pretty flat run for this spot. There’s no real swell to get excited about for a long stretch. The first few days are really quiet, with barely a ripple, and it takes a full week before we see any sort of bump in energy.

We start off on Thursday the 27th and right through to Monday the 1st of September, the swell is tiny. We’re talking about 1ft to 2ft of weak, short-period ESE windswell. The combined energy is low, sitting well under 100, meaning there’s just nothing pushing through. Winds are mostly cross-off or glassy, which would be perfect if there was any wave to ride, but the conditions are poor for surfing. Not a single standout in this period.

Then, on Wednesday the 2nd of September morning, the energy finally wakes up a bit. The combined swell energy jumps to 119 – still only moderate, but it’s the best we’ll see. The swell bumps to 2ft from the SE with a period of 11 seconds. That’s a longer period, which is good for shape and energy, but it’s still small. The wind is a light cross-off, keeping the surface clean. The report even says “surfable but very ordinary,” and that’s the truth. It’s the only time in the whole 16 days where the score is anything above zero, so this Wednesday morning is your absolute best bet. But don’t get carried away – it’s still tiny.

The rest of the week after that drops back down to 1ft to 2ft ESE junk with cross-off breezes. By the weekend of the 6th and 7th, the wind turns onshore from the east, with some rain and even a fresh breeze on Monday the 7th. The swell is small and very weak, with energy values down in the teens and twenties. Not worth paddling out for.

Bottom line: this is a very quiet outlook for Pelican Watch. The only window that even offers a whisper of a ride is Wednesday morning, the 2nd of September, with that small, clean, slightly longer period SE swell. Everything else is a flat spell. For a beginner-friendly spot like this, it’s just one of those periods where the ocean takes a nap. Forecasts can change, but right now, it’s a waiting game.

Rusty.

Short Range Forecast

Heavy rain (total 34mm), heaviest during Fri afternoon. Warm (max 29°C on Sat afternoon, min 25°C on Fri afternoon). Wind will be generally light.

Days 4-6 Weather Summary

Light rain (total 4mm), mostly falling on Sun night. Warm (max 31°C on Tue afternoon, min 26°C on Tue morning). Wind will be generally light.

Thursday
27
Friday
28
Saturday
29
Sunday
30
Monday
31
Tuesday
1
Wednesday
2
AM
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
0
0
0
0
1
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)
0.3
ESE
9
0.4
ESE
9
0.4
ESE
9
0.4
ESE
9
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
SE
8
0.5
SE
8
0.6
ESE
8
0.4
ESE
7
0.5
SE
7
0.4
ESE
7
0.5
SE
9
0.7
SE
11
0.7
SE
10
0.7
ESE
10
Wave Graph
Metric surfscale
Energy kJ
17
30
32
29
28
27
26
26
26
31
26
40
28
37
20
24
19
40
119
102
80
Wind (km/h)
10
SW
15
SSW
15
SSW
20
SW
10
SW
10
SSW
5
W
15
SSW
10
SW
0
NW
15
SSE
10
SW
5
NW
15
SSW
10
SW
10
WSW
20
SSW
15
SW
10
SW
20
SSW
20
SW
Wind State
cross-off
cross-off
cross-off
cross-off
cross-off
cross-off
glassy
cross-off
cross-off
glassy
cross
cross-off
glassy
cross-off
cross-off
cross-off
cross-off
cross-off
cross-off
cross-off
cross-off
High Tide
8:08PM1.56m
8:23AM1.34m
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
Low Tide
1:36PM0.07m
2:18AM0.10m
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
thunderstorm
thunderstorm
thunderstorm
thunderstorm
thunderstorm
thunderstorm
part cloud
part cloud
thunderstorm
clear
part cloud
thunderstorm
clear
rain showers
rain showers
clear
clear
clear
clear
clear
clear
<span class="translation_missing" title="translation missing: en.weather_tables.sunrise">Sunrise</span>
6:41
6:41
6:41
6:43
6:43
6:43
6:45
<span class="translation_missing" title="translation missing: en.weather_tables.sunset">Sunset</span>
7:44
7:43
7:40
7:39
7:38
7:37
7:36
 mm
6
1
5
5
9
7
1
2
1
1
Temp °C
27
28
27
27
26
27
27
29
28
28
30
28
29
30
28
30
31
28
30
32
28
Feels °C
30
28
28
29
28
30
31
30
30
32
32
30
33
31
30
33
31
30
32
33
30
  • Map Icons:
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  • 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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