Rodanthe Pier Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, Rusty here. Let’s look at what’s happening on the Outer Banks. I gotta be straight with you – it’s gonna be a lean stretch. I’ve looked over the whole 16-day window, and there’s not a single day that gets me excited. We’re in for a long, quiet spell at Rodanthe Pier.

For the first week and a half, from August 16th all the way through most of the month, the swell is tiny. We’re talking knee-high dribble, if that. The combined swell energy is weak, often below 100, sometimes barely making it to the mid-70s. A few days, like the 27th of August, see a jump in the numbers – the energy hits 347 on the Thursday afternoon – but that’s a messy, choppy onshore wind event. The wind is pinching the waves, making them lumpy and unrideable. That’s not for paddle surfing; that setup looks more interesting for kite surfing.

There’s a brief moment on Saturday, the 22nd of August. The morning has some light offshore wind from the west, but the swell from the NE is only 2ft at a short period of 6 seconds. It’s clean, but it has no power. The afternoon gets a score of 1, “surfable waves but very ordinary conditions,” which is the best we’re going to see.

For the standout, and I say this with a heavy gut, it’s that Saturday afternoon on the 22nd. The swell is coming from the ESE at about 1ft with a period of 9 seconds. The wind is cross-offshore, so it’ll be clean, but the energy is weak at 67. It’s a session for the longboard if you’re desperate, but don’t expect to get wet past your knees. Even then, crowds are *sometimes* a thing here, so you might have some company for the little bumps.

The rest of the run is more of the same: small swell, wrong wind, or both. The 24th of August Monday morning has glassy conditions, but the swell is a pathetic 1ft. A blank run like this is pretty normal for this area when the sandbars don’t line up and the Atlantic goes quiet. Don’t hold your breath. The long-range stuff around the 29th and 30th shows a bit more size, up to about 5ft, but it’s from the ENE with a short 6-second period and cross-on winds. That’s not surfable, that’s just a washing machine.

So, Rodanthe Pier, you’re on the beach. Keep an eye on the charts, but for now, maybe wax up the log for a flat day paddle. The water temp is a warm 82°, which is about average for this time of year, so at least it’ll be a nice bath.

Rusty.

Read more