Rodanthe Pier Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, let’s talk in feet and miles per hour. It’s a grim outlook for the Outer Banks. The next couple of weeks are basically a washout. There’s a big gap of nothing at the start, and the surf that does show up is barely worth a mention.

We’re looking at Rodanthe Pier (beginner-friendly, consistent, beach/jetty setup). The water’s around 79°, which is a bit cooler than normal for this time of year – about 2° below average, so you’ll feel that slight chill.

The first real surf worth mentioning doesn’t show up until Monday, August 3rd, and it’s weak. Early morning brings a tiny 3ft swell from the SE, with a short period of 8 seconds, but the wind is a cross-off from the SSW at a howling 34 mph. That’s a near-gale, and while the wind direction is clean, the combined energy is a paltry 95 – weak, pathetic stuff. The afternoon is no better, with a 2ft SE swell and 22 mph winds. It’s just not surfable.

Tuesday, August 4th is more of the same: 3ft from the SE, period of 7 seconds, wind from the SSW at 19 mph. The combined energy is 88 – still weak. We get a little better on Wednesday, August 5th, with a 3ft SE swell in the morning, but the period drops to a miserable 6 seconds, and the wind is 16 mph from the SSW. Energy is 55. This is ankle-to-knee high, onshore slop.

The pattern continues through the rest of the first week: tiny swells, short periods, and mostly cross-shore or cross-off winds. Thursday, August 6th, has a 1ft swell from the ESE with a 6-second period and light S winds at 6 mph, but it’s cross-shore, and the energy is just 21. It’s not worth paddling out for.

The second week doesn’t bring any hope either. From Monday, August 10th through Sunday, August 16th, the swell stays tiny – 0.7ft to 1ft at best. The period is all over the place, from 6 seconds to 10 seconds, but the energy is laughable, never breaking 18. The best wind we see is a brief glassy moment on Wednesday, August 12th afternoon, but with a 0.7ft, 10-second period swell from the E and energy of 17, it’s just a flat, oily lake. There’s a little pulse of 2ft from the NE on Saturday, August 15th, but with a 4-second period and onshore wind, it’s pure wind chop.

Honestly, the standout – if you can call it that – is the glassy period on Wednesday, August 12th afternoon. It’s the only time the wind goes completely calm, but the swell is so small you’ll be lucky to get a ripple. For a beginner-friendly spot like Rodanthe Pier, anything under 5ft is fine, but this is barely 0.7ft. There’s no punch, no energy.

With the combined energy values staying below 100 for the entire 16-day window, it’s weak, weak, weak. Given the beach/jetty setup and the general lack of size, this is more of a flat spell than a surf forecast. It’s one of those times where the ocean just isn’t playing ball. Forecasts can change, but right now, it’s a blank run.

Rusty.

Read more