Surf Forecasts:
Pelican Watch surf forecast from 4 Sep 2026:
- Best quality surf: Friday 4 Sep, 5AM (local time) - 2ft (0.6m), 8s period, SE swell with cross-offshore winds.
- Most powerful swell: Monday 7 Sep, 8PM (local time) - 7ft (2.1m), 7s period, E swell with 445 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Friday 4 Sep, 5AM (local time) - 2ft (0.6m), 8s 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 Friday (Sep 04) at 5AM. The primary swell is predicted to be 0.6m and 8s period with a secondary swell of 0.5m and 7s. 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 2.1m 7s and forecast to arrive on Monday (Sep 07) at 8PM. Winds are predicted to be cross-onshore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 1.1m 5s period and expected on Saturday (Sep 05) at 8PM.
| Wave Type | Time (EDT) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 5AM (Fri 4th Sep) | 2ft (0.6m) 8s |
| Best Surf | 5AM (Fri 4th Sep) | 2ft (0.6m) 8s |
| Most Powerful | 8PM (Mon 7th Sep) | 7ft (2.1m) 7s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Pelican Watch over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
Alright, let's be real with each other. I've looked over this 16-day stretch for Pelican Watch, and it's a total bummer. There are no good surf options on the table at all. I'm not going to sugarcoat it.
The whole thing kicks off with a couple of unremarkable pulses on Friday the 4th – nothing but knee-high slop at about 2ft with weak energy. It's surfable but so ordinary it's hardly worth the paddle out. The water temp is about spot-on for the season. That's the only spark before everything just flatlines.
From there, we're in for one hell of a dry spell that stretches over a week. The swell tries to fill in a bit on the 7th and 8th with some moderate energy, but it's all short-period, onshore junk from the east. It gets messy and lumpy, and a spike on Monday the 7th brings 5ft of wind-blown chaos with a 6-second period. That's not surfing, that's a battle, and it probably looks more fun for kite surfers than anyone with a paddle board.
The winds do eventually clean up around Thursday the 10th and Friday the 11th, turning light and offshore. But you guessed it – the swell disappears completely. We're left with an empty ocean. Glassy conditions with ankle-biters. It's just the ocean mocking us.
And that's the story for the rest of the period. The second week follows the same pattern, and while there are a few swells with an impressive-sounding 13-second period around the 17th and 18th, the wave height is basically nonexistent and there's no energy behind them. It's all show and no go, especially for a beach break where a long period just makes things too fat.
So, there you have it. A week or more of nothing to surf. It's a real dry patch, but that's the way it goes around here sometimes. Don't get too down; it won't stay this bad forever. Keep an eye on the charts, but save your energy for another day.
Rusty.
Short Range ForecastHeavy rain (total 55mm), heaviest during Sat night. Warm (max 32°C on Sat afternoon, min 23°C on Sat night). Wind will be generally light. | Days 5-7 Weather SummaryModerate rain (total 17mm), heaviest on Sun night. Warm (max 26°C on Sun night, min 24°C on Sun night). Winds decreasing (fresh winds from the ENE on Mon morning, light winds from the E by Tue night). | ||||||||||||||||||
Friday 4 | Saturday 5 | Sunday 6 | Monday 7 | Tuesday 8 | Wednesday 9 | ||||||||||||||
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) | SE 8 | SE 8 | SE 8 | ESE 8 | SE 8 | ESE 8 | SSW 5 | S 5 | ESE 9 | SSW 5 | ENE 4 | ENE 6 | E 7 | E 7 | E 7 | ESE 6 | ESE 6 | ESE 6 | ESE 6 |
Wave Graph  | |||||||||||||||||||
 kJ | 34 | 54 | 17 | 13 | 16 | 11 | 37 | 17 | 8 | 24 | 28 | 154 | 339 | 247 | 157 | 90 | 42 | 28 | 19 |
Wind (km/h) | |||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | off | cross-off | cross-off | off | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | on | cross-on | on | on | on | cross-on | cross |
High Tide | 1:06AM1.14m | 2:00PM1.60m | 2:13AM1.10m | 3:10PM1.61m | 3:27AM1.12m | 4:20PM1.64m | 4:38AM1.18m | 5:23PM1.68m | 5:42AM1.29m | 6:19PM1.70m | 6:39AM1.41m | 7:10PM1.71m | |||||||
Low Tide | 7:02AM0.09m | 8:28PM0.26m | 8:08AM0.10m | 9:41PM0.25m | 9:21AM0.09m | 10:47PM0.21m | 10:32AM0.05m | 11:44PM0.14m | 11:37AM0.00m | 00:35AM0.08m | 12:36PM-0.04m | 1:20AM0.02m | |||||||
 |  | | | | |  |  | | |  | |  | | | | | | | |
 | — | 6:46 | — | — | 6:47 | — | — | 6:48 | — | — | 6:48 | — | — | 6:48 | — | — | 6:50 | — | — |
 | 7:35 | — | 7:32 | — | — | 7:31 | — | — | 7:30 | — | — | 7:29 | — | — | 7:28 | — | — | 7:27 | — |
mm | — | — | — | — | — | — | 49 | 4 | 2 | 11 | — | 3 | 3 | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Temp °C | 28 | 29 | 30 | 28 | 30 | 32 | 25 | 26 | 28 | 26 | 26 | 26 | 25 | 26 | 26 | 26 | 26 | 26 | 25 |
Feels °C | 32 | 32 | 31 | 30 | 32 | 33 | 26 | 30 | 31 | 26 | 24 | 24 | 22 | 25 | 25 | 25 | 26 | 26 | 25 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SE 8 | SE 8 | SE 8 | ESE 8 | ESE 8 | ESE 8 | SSW 5 | S 5 | ESE 9 | SSW 5 | S 5 | S 5 | — | S 5 | — | E 10 | ESE 6 | ESE 6 | ESE 6 |
| kJ | 34 | 54 | 17 | 13 | 12 | 11 | 37 | 17 | 8 | 24 | 4 | 2 | — | 1 | — | 8 | 42 | 28 | 19 |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SSE 6 | E 6 | E 6 | SSE 6 | SE 8 | E 6 | ESE 8 | ESE 8 | E 6 | ESE 9 | SE 8 | SSW 5 | — | — | — | S 6 | ESE 8 | SE 8 | SE 9 |
| kJ | 7 | 1 | 1 | 4 | 16 | 1 | 6 | 6 | 1 | 16 | 18 | 5 | — | — | — | 1 | 7 | 11 | 12 |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | E 6 | E 6 | E 6 | E 6 | — | SE 9 | E 7 | — | NE 4 | E 10 | — | — | — | — | — | E 9 | E 10 | E 9 |
| kJ | — | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | — | 3 | 1 | — | 1 | 2 | — | — | — | — | — | 7 | 7 | 6 |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | S 3 | — | S 3 | SSW 4 | SSW 5 | SSW 4 | SW 5 | SSW 5 | SSW 5 | — | ENE 4 | ENE 6 | E 7 | E 7 | E 7 | ESE 6 | — | — | S 2 |
| kJ | 2 | — | 8 | 14 | 13 | 37 | 66 | 25 | 18 | — | 28 | 154 | 339 | 247 | 157 | 90 | — | — | 1 |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 529 | 0 | 2162 | 59 | 54 | 2162 | 22 | 129 | 833 | 605 | 605 | 762 | 110 | 110 | 140 | 304 | 299 | 956 | 529 |
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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