Rodanthe Pier Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Right then, let’s have a look what’s on offer for the Outer Banks over the next couple of weeks. I gotta be straight with you – this is shaping up to be a really flat, quiet period. The pattern is basically non-existent for any proper surfing. We’re looking at a long stretch of tiny, weak waves and mostly cross-off or cross-onshore winds that won’t do us any favours. There’s a good gap of several days where there’s nothing really worth paddling out for, especially through the end of this week and into the start of next.

Let’s start at Rodanthe Pier. Right now, through Thursday the 16th of July, we’ve got nothing but ankle-snatchers – 0.7ft to 1ft from the ESE with a short 8-second period. The combined energy is a paltry 9 to 21, which is just a whisper. Winds are cross-off from the SW, so it’ll look clean, but honestly, there’s no push to ride. Saturday the 18th is more of the same, 0.7ft, and the wind picks up to a fresh breeze.

Sunday the 19th gets a little interesting but not for surfing. There’s a risk of thunderstorms, and the swell bumps up to 2ft from the SE in the afternoon, with the energy hitting 71. But that’s paired with a strong breeze from the SW at 28 mph. That’s messy, onshore wind. For a beach/jetty setup like this, that’s more of a kite-surfing situation than a paddle-surfing one – it’ll be choppy and blown out.

Monday the 22nd of July is when we see the biggest numbers, but don’t get too excited. On Wednesday the 22nd afternoon, the swell height hits 4ft from the NNE, with a combined energy of 118 (moderate wave energy). But the period is a short, weak 5 seconds, and the wind is a fresh cross-shore from the NNE at 19 mph. The comment says "fresh cross-shore with lumpy cross-chop." That’s not clean, fishable surf. It’s going to be a bumpy, disorganised mess. The following morning, Thursday the 23rd, is similar – 4ft from the NE, but cross-on wind and a lumpy surface. This is still more suited to a kite than a surfboard.

After that, it drops back down to tiny 1ft to 2ft for the rest of the month. The best wind we see is on Thursday the 30th and Friday the 31st, where we get some lighter cross-off or even offshore flow from the W and SW, keeping the surface clean. But the swell is just too small – 1ft to 2ft with weak energy (17 to 47). You might catch a tiny little waist-high roll if you’re desperate and on a longboard, but there’s no standout session here.

So, overall, it’s a tough outlook. There are no true standouts in this 16-day run. The water temperature is sitting around 80°F, which is about average for the time of year – nothing unusual there. If you’re itching for a paddle, the cleanest windows will be the mornings with offshore winds at the very end of the month, but don’t expect any power. This is a blank run for the Outer Banks. It tends not to stay poor for long around here, so forecasts can change, but for now, leave the board at home.

Rusty

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