
Surf Forecasts:
Rodanthe Pier surf forecast from 5 Sep 2026:
- Most powerful swell: Tuesday 8 Sep, 2AM (local time) - 3ft (0.9m), 10s period, ENE swell with 159 kJ wave energy.
Best Forecast Surf Conditions for Rodanthe Pier this week:
The most powerful waves expected at Rodanthe Pier in the next 16 days are 0.9m 10s and forecast to arrive on Tuesday (Sep 08) at 2AM. Winds are predicted to be cross-onshore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 0.6m 3s period and expected on Thursday (Sep 10) at 8AM.
| Wave Type | Time (EDT) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | - | - |
| Best Surf | - | - |
| Most Powerful | 2AM (Tue 8th Sep) | 3ft (0.9m) 10s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Rodanthe Pier over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
G’day, Rusty here. I’ve gotta be straight with you—this 16-day window for Rodanthe Pier is a tough one. The swell shows up, sometimes pushing decent size, but the wind is almost always working against us, making for messy, choppy conditions. There’s no standout window of clean, rideable waves, so the best advice is to keep your expectations low.
The water temperature is sitting at 83°, which is a touch warmer than normal for this time of year, so you’ll be in boardshorts or a spring suit at most.
The first few days are a write-off. Saturday the 5th has tiny 0.7 ft swell from the ESE with a short 8-second period and cross-off wind, but it’s just too small to do anything with. Sunday the 6th isn’t any better—1 ft to 3 ft of junk with strong onshore winds. The whole first week is a mess of onshore cross-shore winds, with the swell struggling to get above 4 ft until the middle of the week. On Monday the 7th, the swell hits 4 ft from the ENE, but it’s a short period (6 seconds) and the wind is 19 mph cross-on, making it lumpy and poor. The combined energy is moderate at best (113), but it’s not worth the paddle.
The real energy kicks in about a week from now. From Wednesday the 16th, the swell pushes up to 7 ft and then 8 ft from the ENE, with a combined energy reading of 701 to 848—strong stuff. But here’s the kicker: the wind is cross-on from the NE or ENE, at 9 to 19 mph, and it’s choppy and lumpy. This is big, powerful water, but it’s not clean. For a beach/jetty setup like Rodanthe Pier, this is more of a beatdown than a session. If you’re an expert looking for a challenge, maybe you’ll get a few, but it’s not a recommendation for a good surf. Honestly, this setup looks more interesting for kite surfing than paddle surfing.
The long-range forecast into the second week shows the same pattern: solid swell but poor wind. The 20th of September still has 4 ft swell but with 25 mph cross-on wind, making it messy and strong. There’s no golden day here.
So, plain and simple: there are no good surf options in this 16-day window. The area is copping a rough run of onshore winds, and while the swell does build, it’s never clean. It’s a blank run that’s pretty normal for the Outer Banks when the wind is stubborn. With several breaks being consistent in the area, the tide could turn, but for now, the forecasts need to change.
Rusty.
Short Range ForecastModerate rain (total 10mm), heaviest on Sat night. Warm (max 27°C on Sat morning, min 23°C on Mon night). Winds increasing (light winds from the S on Sat night, fresh winds from the ENE by Mon afternoon). | Days 4-6 Weather SummaryMostly dry. Warm (max 28°C on Thu afternoon, min 23°C on Tue morning). Winds increasing (light winds from the SE on Wed morning, strong winds from the SW by Thu night). | ||||||||||||||||||||
Saturday 5 | Sunday 6 | Monday 7 | Tuesday 8 | Wednesday 9 | Thursday 10 | Friday 11 | |||||||||||||||
AM | PM | 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) | ESE 8 | ESE 8 | ESE 9 | ENE 4 | ENE 4 | ENE 5 | ENE 6 | ENE 7 | ENE 10 | ENE 9 | ENE 10 | ENE 9 | ENE 9 | NE 9 | SE 7 | SE 6 | SE 7 | NNE 4 | NNE 6 | NNE 6 | NE 6 |
Wave Graph | |||||||||||||||||||||
6 | 6 | 8 | 16 | 26 | 39 | 113 | 131 | 159 | 76 | 63 | 56 | 32 | 20 | 14 | 11 | 11 | 15 | 91 | 41 | 36 | |
Wind (km/h) | |||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | cross-off | cross-on | cross | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | on | cross-on | cross-on | cross | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross | cross-on | cross-on |
High Tide | 5:30PM0.25m | 5:27AM0.25m | 6:46PM0.25m | 6:54AM0.25m | 8:01PM0.26m | 8:12AM0.25m | 9:08PM0.27m | 9:15AM0.25m | 10:07PM0.28m | 10:10AM0.25m | 10:56PM0.28m | 11:01AM0.25m | 11:37PM0.28m | ||||||||
Low Tide | 10:48AM0.14m | 10:44PM0.16m | 12:06PM0.15m | 11:45PM0.17m | 2:16PM0.15m | 3:14AM0.18m | 3:27PM0.14m | 4:29AM0.17m | 4:24PM0.13m | 5:27AM0.17m | 5:14PM0.13m | 6:17AM0.16m | 6:00PM0.13m | ||||||||
6:35 | — | — | 6:37 | — | — | 6:37 | — | — | 6:37 | — | — | 6:39 | — | — | 6:39 | — | — | 6:41 | — | — | |
— | 7:23 | — | — | 7:22 | — | — | 7:21 | — | — | 7:19 | — | — | 7:17 | — | — | 7:15 | — | — | 7:15 | — | |
mm | — | — | 7 | 3 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Temp °C | 27 | 27 | 26 | 25 | 26 | 26 | 25 | 24 | 24 | 24 | 24 | 24 | 24 | 24 | 25 | 26 | 28 | 27 | 26 | 25 | 23 |
Feels °C | 30 | 29 | 27 | 28 | 24 | 23 | 22 | 20 | 19 | 21 | 22 | 22 | 25 | 25 | 25 | 24 | 26 | 25 | 25 | 23 | 21 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | ESE 8 | ENE 7 | NE 4 | S 5 | — | SE 9 | S 5 | ESE 8 | ESE 8 | ENE 9 | ENE 10 | ENE 9 | ENE 9 | ESE 7 | SE 7 | SE 6 | SE 7 | ESE 10 | ESE 10 | ESE 9 | ESE 9 |
6 | 5 | 4 | 1 | — | 21 | 2 | 24 | 6 | 76 | 63 | 56 | 32 | 18 | 11 | 11 | 11 | 9 | 9 | 8 | 16 | |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | ENE 6 | N 4 | ESE 9 | ESE 9 | S 5 | S 6 | S 5 | ENE 10 | SE 5 | SE 8 | ESE 5 | ESE 6 | ESE 7 | NE 9 | ENE 8 | E 9 | E 9 | ESE 6 | ESE 6 | SE 6 | E 11 |
4 | 1 | 8 | 16 | 5 | 5 | 2 | 33 | 23 | 9 | 11 | 12 | 20 | 20 | 14 | 7 | 7 | 4 | 4 | 1 | 2 | |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | ENE 6 | ESE 8 | ENE 7 | — | E 13 | E 10 | — | S 5 | SE 8 | ESE 9 | ESE 9 | ESE 8 | E 10 | ESE 10 | ESE 9 | NE 7 | — | S 4 | S 5 | S 6 | — |
4 | 6 | 4 | — | 3 | 8 | — | 1 | 15 | 8 | 7 | 6 | 2 | 9 | 8 | 2 | — | 1 | 1 | 1 | — | |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | WNW 2 | — | — | ENE 4 | ENE 4 | ENE 5 | ENE 6 | ENE 7 | ENE 10 | ESE 5 | — | — | — | — | SW 3 | WSW 3 | NNE 3 | NNE 4 | NNE 6 | NNE 6 | NE 6 |
1 | — | — | 16 | 26 | 39 | 113 | 131 | 159 | 15 | — | — | — | — | 3 | 7 | 3 | 15 | 91 | 41 | 36 | |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 229 | 1965 | 379 | 846 | 638 | 423 | 397 | 338 | 260 | 260 | 1045 | 95 | 36 | 420 | 281 | 229 | 141 | 140 | 182 | 264 | 310 |
Best forecast wave conditions in North Carolina | |||||||||||||||||||||
Best forecast wave conditions in United States | |||||||||||||||||||||
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Information about the Rodanthe Pier Surf forecast
The above surf forecast table for Rodanthe Pier provides essential information for determining whether the surfing conditions will be good over the next 16 days. A general guide to surfing at Rodanthe Pier can be found by selecting the local surf guide option on the grey menu. Our Rodanthe Pier 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 (Rodanthe Pier) 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 Rodanthe Pier 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.
Are you planning a vacation in North Carolina? If you are looking for accommodation near Rodanthe Pier, camping, hotels and condos and appartments in North Carolina, consider staying in Cape Hatteras which is 44 km (27 miles) away.










