Stokes Bay Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, surf is finally looking like it’s got some life in it. After a bit of a flat spell, we’ve got a proper run of swell starting on Tuesday the 4th of August. It’s not going to be huge, but it’s clean and that’s what we want.

First up, on Tuesday morning, Stokes Bay (North Coast) is seeing a solid 3ft of west-southwest swell with a nice 12-second period. The wind is light and cross-offshore, so the lineup should be holding shape. It’s clean, but the real gem is Tuesday afternoon. The swell drops slightly to 3ft, but the period jumps to 14 seconds, and the wind goes glassy. That’s a beautiful window—moderate energy in the water but smooth as can be. The water temp is running about average for this time of year, so it’s not a shock to the system.

Wednesday the 5th is a write-off. The wind swings onshore and northerly, the swell drops right off, and the period gets long and inconsistent. Not worth getting wet. Thursday the 6th cleans back up nicely, especially the afternoon. The swell builds to 4ft from the southwest, a 17-second period, and it’s glassy again. That’s a solid session, with energy picking up.

Friday the 7th sees a jump in size to 6ft, but the north-northeast wind is on it, making it cross-onshore and messy. There’s plenty of energy, but the quality is compromised. Saturday the 8th is a complete no-go with 28 mph onshore winds. Skip it.

Sunday the 9th brings some serious size—12ft of west-southwest swell—but it’s also blowing like crazy. The morning is cross-off and clean-ish but that’s a lot of water moving for most people. By afternoon, it’s a full cross-shore mess. Big, chunky, and not for the faint-hearted.

Monday the 10th remains big, around 10ft, with a strong 16-second swell, but the wind is all over it. It’s powerful, but the surface is too chopped up to enjoy.

After a few days of this, we’re looking at the standout window. Wednesday the 12th of August is the one to circle. The swell is 12ft from the west-southwest, with a 16-second period. Morning winds are cross-offshore and moderate, leaving the waves clean. Energy is absolutely pumping. This is big, powerful, and only for experienced surfers. It’s going to be a proper day. The afternoon is slightly smaller but still clean. This is the best of the entire run.

Thursday the 13th is still big, 8ft, but the wind turns cross-onshore, making it lumpy. We drop back down through the weekend, and by Friday the 14th we’re back to a friendly 5ft with clean, cross-off winds. That’s a nice, cruiser session to wind down the week.

The weekend gets smaller and a bit wind-affected. The next real standout is Tuesday the 18th of August. The swell is back up to 7ft from the southwest, with a solid 17-second period. Morning winds are light and cross-offshore, leaving it clean. The energy is strong, and it’s going to be a good one for anyone who knows what they’re doing.

So, bottom line: if you’re an experienced surfer, the 12th is your day. Big, clean, and powerful. For a more manageable but still fun session, the afternoons of the 4th, the 6th, and the 14th are your best bets. The 18th is a promising long-range call, but we’ll know more as it gets closer.

Stay stoked.

Rusty

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