
Surf Forecasts:
Rodanthe Pier surf forecast from 9 Sep 2026:
- Most powerful swell: Saturday 12 Sep, 8AM (local time) - 2.5ft (0.7m), 9s period, ENE swell with 86 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 0.7m 9s and forecast to arrive on Saturday (Sep 12) at 8AM. Winds are predicted to be cross-onshore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 0.8m 4s period and expected on Thursday (Sep 10) at 11PM.
| Wave Type | Time (EDT) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | - | - |
| Best Surf | - | - |
| Most Powerful | 8AM (Sat 12th Sep) | 2.5ft (0.7m) 9s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Rodanthe Pier over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
Alright, let’s get into it. The surf this week and into the next is going to be a real waiting game, I’m not gonna lie. We’re looking at a stretch here where the ocean’s gonna be pretty flat and mostly unrideable for a while. We’ve got a long gap of small, poor surf ahead, so don’t be in a hurry to grab your board just yet.
Things start off real slow. We’re talking Wednesday and Thursday with nothing but tiny ankle-biters, mostly around 1ft to 2ft. There’s a bit of energy from a short-period NE swell, but it’s weak, with the combined energy only hitting around 35 or so. The wind is light, and Thursday morning has a bit of an offshore touch, but at this size, it’s just not doing anything for us. The water temp is 81°, which is a touch warmer than normal for this time of year, but that’s about the only thing that's interesting.
We roll into the weekend and it’s more of the same. Friday through Monday, we're still stuck in that 0.5ft to 2ft range. The swell direction swings around a bit, but the period stays short, around 9 seconds, so there’s no punch to it. The energy is still weak, mostly in the 20s and 30s. There’s a bit of glassy conditions Monday afternoon, but again, with nothing to ride, glassy conditions just mean the water looks pretty.
The first real pulse of swell doesn't show up until Saturday the 19th. We see the wave height jump to 4ft to 5ft, and the energy jumps up into the low-to-mid 100s, which feels more like it. But here’s the kicker: the period is a junky 6 seconds, and the wind is onshore or cross-onshore. This is going to be a messy, lumpy wall of whitewater, not the clean lines we want. For a beginner spot like Rodanthe Pier, this is definitely too challenging and the quality is just poor.
The Sunday after that, the 20th, might be our best, and I’m using that term loosely. The swell backs off a touch to 4ft but we finally get some offshore wind in the morning with a clean face. The period is still short at 5 seconds, but it might offer a few crumbly, rideable waves. The energy is still only moderate at 95, so it’s not going to be a day for big scores, but it's the only time we get a clean look at something.
The forecasts for the following week are a bit more promising but still far from a lock. Around the 22nd, the energy picks up to a moderate 161 with some 4ft waves, but winds are iffy. It’s a long-range call, so I’d take it with a grain of salt, but at least it’s something to keep an eye on.
Honestly, the standout, if you can call it that, is the morning of Sunday the 20th. The wave size is up, you have clean, offshore conditions, and while the period is short, it’s the most surfable we’ll see. It’s not going to be perfect, but it’s the only window that has any real potential. Everything else in the next two weeks is a flat spell or a windblown mess. Keep your board waxed, but don't expect much.
Alright, that’s the long and short of it. This is one of those stretches where patience is the name of the game. Keep watching the charts, because a run this flat tends not to last forever.
Rusty
Short Range ForecastLight rain (total 4mm), mostly falling on Thu night. Warm (max 26°C on Thu afternoon, min 24°C on Wed morning). Winds increasing (calm on Wed morning, strong winds from the SW by Thu night). | Days 4-6 Weather SummaryModerate rain (total 13mm), heaviest on Mon afternoon. Warm (max 28°C on Sun afternoon, min 25°C on Mon morning). Wind will be generally light. | ||||||||||||||||||||
Wednesday 9 | Thursday 10 | Friday 11 | Saturday 12 | Sunday 13 | Monday 14 | Tuesday 15 | |||||||||||||||
AM | 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) | NE 9 | NE 8 | ESE 9 | ESE 9 | ESE 9 | ESE 9 | SE 9 | ESE 9 | ESE 9 | ESE 9 | ESE 10 | ESE 10 | ESE 10 | ESE 10 | ESE 9 | ESE 9 | ESE 9 | ESE 9 | ESE 9 | E 9 | E 9 |
Wave Graph | |||||||||||||||||||||
19 | 18 | 28 | 16 | 17 | 15 | 19 | 15 | 16 | 33 | 18 | 32 | 31 | 30 | 28 | 28 | 28 | 26 | 26 | 25 | 26 | |
Wind (km/h) | |||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | glassy | cross | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | off | on | on | cross-on | cross-on | cross | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | glassy | glassy | cross-on | cross | cross-off |
High Tide | 9:15AM0.25m | 10:07PM0.28m | 10:10AM0.25m | 10:56PM0.28m | 11:01AM0.25m | 11:37PM0.28m | 11:51AM0.25m | 00:08AM0.28m | 12:38PM0.25m | 00:34AM0.28m | 1:23PM0.26m | 00:59AM0.27m | 2:05PM0.26m | 1:31AM0.27m | |||||||
Low Tide | 4:24PM0.13m | 5:27AM0.17m | 5:14PM0.13m | 6:17AM0.16m | 6:00PM0.13m | 7:01AM0.15m | 6:45PM0.14m | 7:41AM0.15m | 7:26PM0.15m | 8:19AM0.14m | 8:05PM0.16m | 8:55AM0.14m | 8:38PM0.17m | ||||||||
6:39 | — | — | 6:39 | — | — | 6:41 | — | — | 6:41 | — | — | 6:41 | — | — | 6:43 | — | — | 6:43 | — | — | |
— | 7:17 | — | — | 7:15 | — | — | 7:15 | — | — | 7:13 | — | — | 7:12 | — | — | 7:10 | — | — | 7:08 | — | |
mm | — | — | — | — | — | 1 | 1 | — | 2 | 1 | — | 1 | — | — | 2 | 1 | 3 | 5 | 1 | — | — |
Temp °C | 24 | 25 | 25 | 25 | 26 | 26 | 26 | 26 | 26 | 27 | 27 | 27 | 27 | 28 | 28 | 26 | 26 | 27 | 27 | 28 | 28 |
Feels °C | 26 | 26 | 23 | 25 | 25 | 23 | 27 | 31 | 29 | 30 | 30 | 30 | 30 | 29 | 29 | 29 | 31 | 32 | 31 | 31 | 31 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | NE 9 | NE 8 | ESE 9 | ESE 9 | ESE 9 | ESE 9 | SE 9 | ESE 9 | ESE 9 | NE 4 | NE 4 | E 4 | E 5 | ESE 10 | ESE 9 | ESE 9 | ESE 9 | ESE 9 | ESE 9 | E 9 | E 9 |
19 | 18 | 28 | 16 | 17 | 15 | 19 | 15 | 16 | 6 | 6 | 15 | 11 | 30 | 28 | 28 | 28 | 26 | 26 | 25 | 26 | |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | ESE 6 | ESE 6 | ENE 9 | ENE 9 | NE 9 | SE 5 | E 8 | E 9 | E 11 | NE 4 | ESE 10 | ESE 10 | ESE 10 | E 4 | E 4 | ESE 4 | — | — | E 15 | E 15 | E 14 |
7 | 6 | 8 | 8 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 9 | 18 | 32 | 31 | 4 | 3 | 2 | — | — | 4 | 4 | 4 | |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | ESE 10 | ESE 9 | NE 6 | — | — | E 9 | E 8 | SE 7 | E 8 | SW 4 | — | — | E 8 | E 8 | — | NE 5 | NE 4 | — | E 15 | — | E 14 |
9 | 8 | 1 | — | — | 1 | 1 | 7 | 1 | 1 | — | — | 1 | 1 | — | 1 | 1 | — | 4 | — | 4 | |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | — | SSW 3 | SW 3 | S 3 | SW 4 | W 3 | NNE 4 | NE 4 | ESE 9 | SE 3 | — | S 4 | S 2 | SW 2 | — | — | SSE 2 | — | SSE 3 | SSE 3 |
— | — | 3 | 2 | 8 | 12 | 1 | 6 | 11 | 33 | 2 | — | 2 | 1 | 1 | — | — | 1 | — | 3 | 3 | |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 4 | 420 | 1129 | 350 | 316 | 490 | 3 | 580 | 638 | 1048 | 1048 | 141 | 3 | 295 | 47 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 40 | 2700 | 3 |
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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