Rodanthe Pier Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, it’s Rusty here. Let’s be straight with you – the next two weeks around Rodanthe Pier are looking pretty flat. We’ve got a long stretch of tiny, weak waves and the kind of conditions that make you wonder why you even waxed up. The first solid recommendation doesn’t show up at all; the whole 16-day window is a write-off for any decent surf. That’s just how it goes sometimes in this part of the world – a blank run like this is more normal for the area than a constant supply of swell.

Starting Tuesday the 28th of July, we’re looking at a meager 1 ft of swell from the ESE with a short period, and combined wave energy is a weak 29. The winds are a cross-offshore, but the waves are just too poor to bother. This same sad story rolls through the rest of the week. Wednesday the 29th, Thursday the 30th, Friday the 31st – all offering tiny waves (0.7 ft to 1 ft) with weak energy readings (down to 11 at one point). The wind shifts around, giving us a few clean windows, but the swell just isn’t there.

Heading into August, it’s more of the same. Saturday the 1st and Sunday the 2nd are flat with weak energy and onshore or cross-shore breezes. On Sunday afternoon, we get a little bump to 2 ft from the SE with a period of 9 seconds, and the energy climbs to 85. It’s still classified as poor surf, and with a risk of thunderstorms and a fresh breeze, it’s a messy, low-energy lump. Monday the 3rd is similar – 2 ft, clean cross-offshore wind, but the energy is only 54. Not worth a paddle.

The only slight glimmer comes on Tuesday the 4th of August. A morning of clean offshore wind from the WNW, and the swell is only 1 ft, but the energy is still a weak 25. Then in the afternoon, it goes glassy, with a light W wind and a flat 1 ft from the SE. It’s clean, but it’s tiny. For a beginner, maybe a fun little knee-high day, but for anyone else, it’s a barefoot session.

The rest of the window is a total washout. From Wednesday the 5th through to Wednesday the 12th of August, the swell never gets above 2 ft, periods are short, and energy readings are all below 50. There are a few days with clean cross-offshore breezes, but the waves are just too small to do anything with. The best you can hope for is a little ankle-snapper on the 9th and 10th with 1 ft from the ENE and energy around 45, but it’s not going to get your heart racing.

Honestly, for this stretch, you’re better off keeping the board in the car and waiting for the next real swell. There’s nothing here worth chasing.

Rusty.

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