Rodanthe Pier Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, folks, Rusty here. Let’s get into what we’ve got for the next couple of weeks at Rodanthe Pier. I’ll level with you straight up: the first ten days or so are a real tough stretch. We’re looking at a long dry spell with basically nothing worth paddling out for, and it doesn’t really start showing any promise until we get deep into the second week. It’s a grind, but there might be a little light at the end of the tunnel.

Right now, through the end of this week and into next week, the waves are tiny and the conditions are just not playing ball. We’ve got a cross-shore breeze and swell heights barely scraping 1 ft to 2 ft, with weak combined energy readings in the teens and low-thirties. The water’s sitting at a warm 80°F, which is pretty much average for this time of year, so you won’t need a thick suit, but you will need patience. There’s a brief moment on the morning of September 18th where it cleans up with a light NNW cross-off breeze and a bit of shape from an 8-second swell at 2 ft, but the combined energy is only 62 – weak. It’s barely ‘surfable,’ not something to get excited about.

The stretch from September 19th right through to the 25th is largely blown out or just plain messy. We get a pulse of better-sized swell around the 21st with 6 ft to 6 ft from the ENE, and the combined energy jumps into the 300s and 400s, which is moderate, but the wind is either onshore, rainy, or cross-onshore. The morning of the 22nd is marginal with a light SSE cross-on breeze, but the real issue is that it’s a beach and jetty setup with strong onshore winds predicted for the following days. At that point, with that much wind and swell, it honestly looks more interesting for kite surfing than paddle surfing.

Now, for the one true standout in this entire outlook, and it’s a long-range call for Sunday, September 22nd, late in the day. We get a clean window with a NNW cross-off wind at 19 mph and a 6 ft swell from the ENE with a 9-second period. The combined energy is very strong, hitting 497. That’s the one session where the wind and swell line up for proper, clean waves at Rodanthe Pier. It’s a consistent break, but expect company – the crowds are listed as ‘sometimes,’ so on a clean day like that, there will likely be a crew out. The swell direction from the ENE is not the absolute optimum for this spot (they prefer NE), but with that cross-off wind, it’ll be well-shaped and hollow enough for the experienced guys to have a field day. For everyone else, that afternoon looks the best on offer.

After that, we get one more marginal look on September 26th with a light cross-on breeze and 5 ft swell from the east, but the energy is moderate, and the wind is fickle. Keep an eye on that Sunday the 22nd – that’s your best bet by a long shot.

Rusty.

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