Rodanthe Pier Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, Rusty here. Let’s take a hard look at what’s coming up for the next couple of weeks. Gotta be straight with you—this isn’t one of those classic stretches. We’re looking at a long, dry spell before anything even gets a pulse.

We start off with a real quiet scene. From Thursday the 20th of August all the way through to Friday the 28th of August, it’s a flat, poor run. Don’t even bother paddling out. The swell is tiny, mostly around 1 ft, and the energy is weak—usually under 40 (15 to 36). Winds are all over the place, often cross or onshore, and even when it gets glassy on Friday morning the 21st, there’s just no push. It’s a nothing burger for nearly ten days.

Now, the first real glimmer of hope shows up on Saturday the 29th of August. Early morning, Rodanthe Pier sees a bump. We’ve got a 2 ft swell sneaking in from the ESE with a period of 9 seconds. The combined energy jumps to 115 (moderate), which is a step up. Best part? The wind is glassy, light from the NE. That means clean, smooth conditions. The water temp is about average for this time of year. It’s surfable, but only just. The waves will be small and a bit weak, so it’s really for the longboard or the foamie crew. The swell direction is East-southeast, which is a bit off from the optimum NE direction, but it’s the best we’ve got.

Then we head into early September. Tuesday the 1st of September keeps things marginal. More clean conditions with a cross-off wind from the SSW, and the swell picks up to 2 ft from the ESE, period around 10 seconds. Energy sits at 105-118 (moderate). Still small, but it’s clean and there’s a little more push. It’s a session for the patient ones.

The real change—and I mean the only standout in this whole 16-day window—hits on Wednesday the 2nd of September. The morning sees a 3 ft swell from the ENE, period 12 seconds. That’s a proper groundswell with long period, and the combined energy is 320 (strong). This is the biggest energy we’ll see. But here’s the catch: we’ve got a moderate cross-onshore wind from the NNE at 15 mph. The waves get lumpy, and it’s more of a challenge than a classic. The swell direction matches the optimum NE direction, which is a good sign, but the wind is gonna mess with the shape. The period is over 11 seconds, so the sets will have some punch, but the cross-onshore wind will make it messy. This is for the experienced crew only. The afternoon gets worse: the swell jumps to 5 ft but the period drops to a weak 6 seconds, and the wind cranks onshore from the NE at 25 mph. That’s a blown-out, choppy mess. It’s more interesting for kite surfing than paddle surfing.

After that, Thursday the 3rd and Friday the 4th of September are a write-off. Strong onshore winds, lumpy, blown-out conditions with swell energy dropping off. Don’t bother.

So, the one true standout is the morning of Wednesday the 2nd of September. It’s the biggest swell, solid energy, and the direction is right, but the wind is a compromise. It’s the best of a bad bunch. For the rest of the period, keep your board in the car and wait for a better forecast. This is a quiet stretch, but it won’t stay this way forever.

Rusty.

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