Surf Forecasts:
Rodanthe Pier surf forecast from 23 Aug 2026:
- Most powerful swell: Thursday 27 Aug, 2AM (local time) - 2ft (0.6m), 8s period, ESE swell with 47 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 0.6m 8s and forecast to arrive on Thursday (Aug 27) at 2AM. Winds are predicted to be cross-shore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 0.7m 5s period and expected on Friday (Aug 28) at 8AM.
| Wave Type | Time (EDT) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | - | - |
| Best Surf | - | - |
| Most Powerful | 2AM (Thu 27th Aug) | 2ft (0.6m) 8s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Rodanthe Pier over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
Alright, folks. Rusty here. Let’s take a look at what’s on the menu for the next couple of weeks.
Honestly, it’s a pretty grim start. We’re looking at a long stretch of tiny, weak waves and a whole lot of “poor surf conditions” warnings. The first week is basically a write-off for any real surfing. From the 23rd of August all the way through to the 31st, the swell is barely a ripple, mostly around 0.7ft to 1ft, with combined wave energy that’s weak (22 to 45). The best you’ll get is a bit of clean, cross-off wind, but with no swell to work with, it’s just a flat, glassy pond. Not worth paddling out for.
The first real glimmer of something happens on the morning of September 1st. The swell starts to build to 2ft from the east, with a period of 15 seconds, that’s proper groundswell. The energy jumps to 129 (moderate), but it’s onshore wind, so it’s going to be a bit bumpy. But then… the afternoon of September 1st? That’s where it gets interesting. Swell jumps to 3ft from the ENE, period 14 seconds, and combined energy hits 422 – that’s strong energy. The wind is still onshore, but the power is there. This is the first real standout of the outlook.
The best of the bunch, however, is shaping up for Wednesday, September 2nd, at Rodanthe Pier. The morning session is looking at 4ft from the ENE, with a 13-second period and a strong energy reading of 563. The wind is a gentle cross-onshore, which will keep it from being perfect, but it’s not a deal-breaker. The size is manageable for most, and the long period groundswell should bring some nice shape. The afternoon pushes the energy up to 739, but the wind picks up a touch, making it a bit choppier. This is the session to target. Expect crowds though, it’s a consistent spot.
The dawn of September 3rd is a bit of a letdown. The swell drops back to 3ft, and the wind is cross-off, so it’s clean, but the energy is down to 247. It’s a marginal call, but workable if you’re keen. The rest of the first week of September sees a pulse of shorter period, mixed-up swell from the NNE, with a lot of cross-shore wind. There’s some size around 3ft to 4ft, but the period drops to 7-8 seconds, so it’ll be a short, chunky, and messy affair. Not great for the pier, as the beach-break section will be hard to handle. For the more experienced, it might be worth a look, but it’s not the clean, lined-up wave we saw on the 2nd.
So, the call is clear: if you’ve got a window, make it the afternoon of September 1st or the morning of September 2nd. The water temp is a touch warmer than normal at 84° and that generally feels good. The rest of the run is a lot of noise and not much signal. Hang in there.
Rusty.
Short Range ForecastModerate rain (total 17mm), heaviest on Mon night. Warm (max 29°C on Sun night, min 22°C on Mon night). Mainly fresh winds. | Days 5-7 Weather SummaryHeavy rain (total 20mm), heaviest during Thu morning. Warm (max 29°C on Fri night, min 26°C on Thu night). Mainly fresh winds. | |||||||||||||||||||
Sun 23 | Monday 24 | Tuesday 25 | Wednesday 26 | Thursday 27 | Friday 28 | Saturday 29 | ||||||||||||||
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) | E 12 | E 12 | ESE 12 | ESE 11 | ESE 11 | ESE 11 | ESE 10 | ESE 11 | E 9 | ESE 8 | ESE 8 | E 9 | ESE 9 | E 9 | ESE 8 | ESE 8 | ESE 8 | ESE 8 | ESE 8 | ESE 8 |
Wave Graph  | ||||||||||||||||||||
 kJ | 11 | 25 | 26 | 25 | 23 | 22 | 22 | 22 | 27 | 24 | 47 | 25 | 29 | 42 | 24 | 24 | 23 | 24 | 13 | 14 |
Wind (km/h) | ||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | off | cross | cross-on | on | on | cross-on | cross | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off |
High Tide | 8:25PM0.24m | 8:39AM0.23m | 9:18PM0.25m | 9:29AM0.23m | 10:08PM0.26m | 10:11AM0.23m | 10:52PM0.27m | 10:48AM0.23m | 11:28PM0.27m | 11:23AM0.23m | 11:55PM0.27m | 12:00PM0.23m | 00:15AM0.27m | |||||||
Low Tide | 2:44PM0.13m | 3:35AM0.16m | 3:39PM0.13m | 4:33AM0.16m | 4:28PM0.12m | 5:25AM0.15m | 5:11PM0.12m | 6:12AM0.15m | 5:50PM0.12m | 6:53AM0.15m | 6:25PM0.12m | 7:29AM0.15m | 6:52PM0.13m | |||||||
 |  | | |  |  | | | | |  | |  | | | | | |  | | |
 | — | — | 6:26 | — | — | 6:28 | — | — | 6:28 | — | — | 6:28 | — | — | 6:30 | — | — | 6:31 | — | — |
 | 7:40 | — | — | 7:39 | — | — | 7:38 | — | — | 7:37 | — | — | 7:36 | — | — | 7:35 | — | — | 7:32 | — |
mm | 2 | — | 1 | 2 | 12 | — | — | — | — | — | 1 | 4 | — | 6 | 1 | 2 | 4 | 2 | — | 2 |
Temp °C | 28 | 29 | 27 | 28 | 26 | 24 | 25 | 26 | 26 | 27 | 27 | 27 | 28 | 27 | 26 | 28 | 29 | 28 | 28 | 28 |
Feels °C | 29 | 29 | 28 | 29 | 26 | 25 | 26 | 26 | 26 | 28 | 29 | 29 | 31 | 25 | 25 | 28 | 29 | 29 | 28 | 29 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | E 12 | E 12 | ESE 12 | ESE 11 | ESE 11 | ESE 11 | ESE 10 | ESE 11 | E 9 | ESE 8 | E 14 | E 9 | ESE 9 | E 9 | ESE 8 | ESE 8 | ESE 8 | ESE 8 | ESE 8 | ESE 8 |
| kJ | 11 | 25 | 26 | 25 | 23 | 22 | 22 | 22 | 27 | 24 | 15 | 25 | 29 | 42 | 24 | 24 | 23 | 24 | 13 | 14 |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | E 8 | E 7 | E 7 | E 7 | — | E 7 | E 7 | E 7 | N 4 | E 15 | ESE 10 | ESE 4 | E 4 | SSE 4 | SE 4 | E 11 | E 10 | ENE 10 | SE 4 | E 9 |
| kJ | 5 | 1 | 1 | 1 | — | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 4 | 18 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 9 | 8 | 10 | 1 | 2 |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | NNE 5 | NE 5 | NE 5 | NE 5 | — | E 7 | E 7 | S 6 | E 16 | — | E 14 | E 13 | E 12 | E 12 | E 11 | — | — | E 10 | E 10 | — |
| kJ | 3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | — | 1 | 1 | 1 | 5 | — | 15 | 13 | 12 | 11 | 10 | — | — | 8 | 8 | — |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SSE 6 | SW 3 | — | SSE 3 | SSE 3 | N 3 | N 4 | NE 4 | — | ESE 3 | ESE 8 | — | — | SW 3 | — | S 4 | SW 3 | — | SSW 3 | SSW 3 |
| kJ | 3 | 2 | — | 2 | 1 | 8 | 8 | 3 | — | 1 | 47 | — | — | 2 | — | 12 | 5 | — | 3 | 4 |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | ||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 847 | 407 | 3 | 519 | 3 | 145 | 44 | 638 | 638 | 1045 | 517 | 3 | 3 | 140 | 36 | 295 | 260 | 3 | 407 | 260 |
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.
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