Rodanthe Pier Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Right, gather 'round, grab a coffee. Rusty here. We're looking at the next sixteen days for Rodanthe Pier, and I gotta be straight with you – it's a tough stretch. The forecast is a long, long run of small surf and funky conditions. There's a solid gap of nothing worthwhile from right now, all the way through.

First up, the water temp is sitting at about 80°, which is pretty much bang on average for this time of year, so that's one thing you don't have to worry about.

Let's get into it. The whole show kicks off with a real dud. Sunday the 19th brings a stormy, cross-shore mess with a 28 mph wind and a tiny 1.0 ft swell. The combined energy is a weak 12 – not worth getting wet for. This poor run carries right through the week. Monday the 20th through Thursday the 24th is all about small, wind-affected surf. The swell barely cracks 2 ft, and the wind is either cross-off or cross-on, but it's always strong. You'll see a few clean windows here and there, but with combined energy staying under 100, it's a waist-high dribble at best. The swell period is a short 8 seconds, so it's weak, windswell, not much push.

The weekend of the 26th and 27th sees a tiny bump. Sunday morning the 26th has a 3 ft ESE swell, but onshore wind from the NE makes it choppy. The combined energy hits 128, which is moderate, but the quality is poor. Monday the 27th is glassy flatness. The rest of the first week and into the second week is more of the same: small, weak, and mostly cross-off winds that keep the surface clean but the waves are just too small.

We finally see a tiny bit of interest on the 31st of July. The swell picks up to 3 ft from the NE, but with a 5-second period, that's just a short, fat, weak wave. The combined energy stays at 76, still weak. The wind is strong, too. It's not an option for a paddle.

The absolute best of a very poor bunch might be the very end. On the 1st of August, Saturday afternoon, we get glassy conditions with a 2 ft ENE swell. The energy is a weak 31, but glassy is glassy. It's small, but for a beginner on a longboard, it might be the only time you can get a clean, tiny wave to yourself. But it's still a 2 ft wave.

Honestly, for the next 16 days, there is no standout session. The surf is too small, the wind is mostly too strong, or the swell is too short-period. None of these windows are good enough to recommend. The consistent wind and lack of a solid, long-period groundswell mean the setup is more interesting for a kite if you're into that, than for a paddle surfer. It's a flat spell. Forecasts can always change, but right now, I'd hang the board up for a bit.

Rusty.

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