Rodanthe Pier Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Right, folks, Rusty here. Let’s have a look at the next couple of weeks for Rodanthe Pier.

Alright, straight up, I’m gonna level with you – this is a tough one. For the entire 16-day window, from now through to Monday the 3rd of August, the outlook is a real struggle. Every single time slot is flagged as "poor surf conditions." That’s a long, dry spell of it, with no real standout window to get excited about.

For the first week, starting Sunday the 19th of July, we’ve got a tiny bit of energy but it’s mostly a no-go. Sunday morning has a weak 0.3ft of swell from the east with a 13-second period, but it’s coupled with a fresh breeze from the WSW and the threat of thunderstorms. The combined energy is a measly 4, so it’s flat. It’s just not worth the paddle.

The rest of the week is a similar story. Monday the 20th gives us a bit more swell, hitting 1ft from the NE in the afternoon, but the period is a pathetic 4 seconds – that’s pure wind chop. By Tuesday the 21st, the wind is howling out of the SSW at 31 mph, which is a near gale, making it a mess. We get a little bump on Wednesday the 22nd with 2ft from the SE (period 8 seconds) and combined energy of 72, but it’s still a cross-offshore mess with thunderstorms.

Thursday the 23rd sees a change, with a fresh cross-onshore breeze from the NNE and 4ft of swell, but it’s a short-period 5-second wind swell that’s lumpy and terrible. Friday the 24th and Saturday the 25th are the same story – moderate cross-onshore and choppy, with the swell direction all over the place. The best of the week is arguably Saturday afternoon, with combined energy just hitting 149 (moderate), but it’s cross-onshore and choppy with 4ft from the ENE.

The second week runs from the 27th of July into August. It’s not much better. We get a few glimpses of clean conditions, particularly on the 29th, 30th, and the morning of the 31st of July, with light offshore or even glassy winds. But the swell is tiny – just 0.7ft to 2ft. The combined energy is in the teens and twenties. It’s flat. The morning of the 31st of July is glassy, with a 0.7ft groundswell from the east (period 10 seconds), but it’s just not enough to push through.

The real kicker is that the swell direction is mostly from the east or southeast, which is fine for the pier, but the size never gets there. The water temperature is sitting at 80°, which is bang on average for this time of year, so at least you won’t be cold when you’re sitting out there waiting for a wave that isn’t coming.

There is nothing here that’s a standout. For a beginner, this is too small and messy, and for the experts, there’s just no juice.

If you’re a kite surfer, the strong cross-off and cross-shore winds on days like the 21st of July, with 31 mph winds, might look interesting, but for a paddle surfer, it’s a write-off. The setup is a beach/jetty, so it’s not going to save any of this.

Hang in there. It can’t stay this poor forever.

Rusty.

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