Rodanthe Pier Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Hey folks, Rusty here. I gotta be straight with you—this outlook for the Rodanthe Pier area is a tough one. We're looking at a 16-day window starting now, but honestly, there's nothing to get excited about for the vast majority of it. The first hint of anything surfable doesn't even show up until Wednesday, September 2nd, and even then, it's barely a ripple.

Starting off, we've got a long, flat spell from Monday, August 31st, right through into the first part of the week. The wind is all over the place, but the swell is just non-existent. It's a real bummer for a spot that can be consistent. We're talking days of clean, crumbly little waves that are just too small to paddle for. The water temp is about average for this time of year, so at least you won't be freezing while you're sitting there waiting for nothing.

Come Wednesday, September 2nd, the morning shows a tiny pulse of 2 ft swell from the ESE with a period of 10 seconds. The combined energy is weak, just 106 (moderate wave energy). The wind is light and cross-offshore, so the surface will be clean. It's surfable, but it's very ordinary. The afternoon actually drops off again. This is the best we get, and it's a shadow of what this place can do.

Thursday, September 3rd, and Friday, September 4th, are back to small, poor surf. The wind is either moderate or fresh, and the swell is tiny. Saturday, September 5th, sees a brief bump of 3 ft from the NNE, but it's short period, only 5 seconds, and the wind is messy. Not worth a second look.

The following week just continues the story. Monday, September 7th, has a bit more energy in the water (153 combined energy, moderate), but it's 3 ft from the ENE with a moderate cross-onshore wind. It's choppy and poor. Tuesday, September 8th, is the closest we get to a decent window: 3 ft from the ENE at 11 seconds, with light cross-offshore wind. The energy is 161 (moderate). It's clean, but the waves are still very small and ordinary.

The rest of the forecast into mid-September is just a repeat of these small, clean, but powerless conditions. There are no standouts. No days where you'd want to make the trip. The swell direction is mostly ESE, which is fine for the pier, but the size is just not there. The water is clean, but the ocean is giving us nothing.

So, to sum it up: this is a 16-day stretch with a massive gap of flatness at the start, and then just a few days of very small, ordinary surf. If you're a kite surfer, the setup might be more interesting, but for a paddle surfer, you're better off doing something else. Forecasts can change, but right now, it's looking like a long, slow period.

Rusty.

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