Surf Forecasts:
Surf City Pier surf forecast from 18 Aug 2026:
- Best quality surf: Tuesday 18 Aug, 8AM (local time) - 1.5ft (0.4m), 9s period, SE swell with cross-offshore winds.
- Most powerful swell: Sunday 23 Aug, 11AM (local time) - 4ft (1.2m), 6s period, SSW swell with 90 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Tuesday 18 Aug, 8AM (local time) - 1.5ft (0.4m), 9s period with SE swell.
Best Forecast Surf Conditions for Surf City Pier this week:
The surf forecast for Surf City Pier over the next 16 days: The first swell (rated 1 star or higher) is forecast to arrive on Tuesday (Aug 18) at 8AM. The primary swell is predicted to be 0.4m and 9s period with a secondary swell of 0.4m and 4s. The wind is predicted to be cross-offshore as the swell arrives.
The most powerful waves expected at Surf City Pier in the next 16 days are 1.2m 6s and forecast to arrive on Sunday (Aug 23) at 11AM. Winds are predicted to be cross-offshore at the time the swell arrives.
| Wave Type | Time (EDT) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 8AM (Tue 18th Aug) | 1.5ft (0.4m) 9s |
| Best Surf | 8AM (Tue 18th Aug) | 1.5ft (0.4m) 9s |
| Most Powerful | 11AM (Sun 23rd Aug) | 4ft (1.2m) 6s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Surf City Pier over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
Alright folks, Rusty here. Let’s have a look at the next few weeks at Surf City Pier. To be honest, it’s a pretty quiet run for the most part. The swell is small and the wind is often a problem, so you’ll need to be patient and pick your moments.
The week starts off with very small, clean conditions on Tuesday morning, August 18th. We’ve got a tiny 2 ft SE groundswell rolling in with a 12-second period, and the wind is glassy out of the WSW at 3 mph. Water temp is 82°, right on average for this time of year. The combined energy is weak (73), so it’s not powerful, but it’s surfable and the surface will be like a mirror. It’s a good time for a beginner to get a few soft ones, but don’t expect much push.
The rest of the week is a bit of a write-off. Wednesday and Thursday have poor surf with cross-onshore winds and even smaller swell. Friday is clean but the swell drops to 1 ft – barely a ripple.
Then we get a bit of a tease on Sunday, August 23rd. That morning, the swell bumps up to 4 ft from the SSW, with a short 6-second period, and the wind is cross-offshore out of the WSW at 9 mph. The combined energy climbs to a moderate 166, so there’s some life in the water. It’s a beach break setup, so that short period and the cross-off wind could actually keep it reasonably clean. It’s not going to be epic, but it’s the most promising session of the whole outlook. For a stronger surfer, it’s worth a look Sunday morning, especially if you want to get a bit of push.
After that, it’s back to small and messy. The following week is full of cross-onshore winds and tiny swell, with a few days of 1 ft to 2 ft, mostly from the SE. The wind is rarely in your favour, and the energy is weak. There’s a brief moment on Wednesday, August 26th, when a long-period SE swell (16 seconds) brings a moderate energy of 105, but the wind is cross-shore and then cross-onshore, making it choppy and hard to ride. The long period will also make it straight and tricky at the beach break.
The last few days of August into early September are a real grind. Tiny swell, poor conditions, and the wind is mostly onshore. There’s a glassy morning on September 2nd, but the swell is a pathetic 1 ft. It’s a long, flat stretch with very little to recommend.
Bottom line: The standout is Sunday morning, August 23rd, with 4 ft SSW swell and clean cross-off wind. Get in the water then. Everything else is a struggle for scraps. Keep the board waxed and hope the forecasts change. The consistent nature of the break means it won’t stay this quiet forever.
- Rusty
Short Range ForecastHeavy rain (total 21mm), heaviest during Wed afternoon. Warm (max 33°C on Tue afternoon, min 24°C on Wed night). Wind will be generally light. | Days 4-6 Weather SummaryHeavy rain (total 37mm), heaviest during Fri night. Warm (max 30°C on Fri afternoon, min 23°C on Fri night). Wind will be generally light. | ||||||||||||||||||||
Tuesday 18 | Wednesday 19 | Thursday 20 | Friday 21 | Saturday 22 | Sunday 23 | Monday 24 | |||||||||||||||
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) | SE 12 | SE 11 | SE 10 | SE 9 | SE 9 | SE 9 | SE 8 | SE 8 | SE 8 | SE 8 | SE 8 | SE 9 | S 5 | S 5 | S 5 | SSW 6 | S 6 | S 6 | SE 12 | S 6 | S 6 |
Wave Graph | |||||||||||||||||||||
68 | 75 | 61 | 42 | 40 | 19 | 17 | 17 | 17 | 17 | 17 | 21 | 18 | 20 | 37 | 90 | 59 | 78 | 35 | 22 | 22 | |
Wind (km/h) | |||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | glassy | cross-on | cross | cross-on | cross-off | on | cross | cross-on | cross | cross-off | cross-on | glassy | glassy | cross-on | cross-off | cross-off | cross | cross | cross | cross-on | cross |
High Tide | 12:28PM1.42m | 00:36AM1.11m | 1:22PM1.38m | 1:28AM1.01m | 2:20PM1.35m | 2:27AM0.95m | 3:21PM1.34m | 3:30AM0.93m | 4:20PM1.36m | 4:30AM0.96m | 5:13PM1.40m | 5:23AM1.01m | 5:59PM1.45m | ||||||||
Low Tide | 6:46PM0.26m | 6:36AM0.17m | 7:47PM0.34m | 7:25AM0.23m | 8:53PM0.38m | 8:20AM0.27m | 9:58PM0.39m | 9:20AM0.27m | 10:55PM0.37m | 10:18AM0.25m | 11:43PM0.33m | 11:11AM0.20m | 00:25AM0.27m | ||||||||
6:31 | — | — | 6:33 | — | — | 6:33 | — | — | 6:35 | — | — | 6:35 | — | — | 6:35 | — | — | 6:37 | — | — | |
— | 7:53 | — | — | 7:52 | — | — | 7:52 | — | — | 7:51 | — | — | 7:49 | — | — | 7:47 | — | — | 7:46 | — | |
mm | — | — | 2 | — | 9 | 5 | — | — | 5 | 3 | 1 | 23 | — | 1 | 5 | 2 | — | 2 | — | — | 1 |
Temp °C | 32 | 33 | 29 | 31 | 32 | 27 | 31 | 33 | 29 | 27 | 30 | 28 | 27 | 28 | 27 | 26 | 30 | 29 | 30 | 31 | 28 |
Feels °C | 35 | 34 | 32 | 35 | 35 | 33 | 35 | 35 | 32 | 30 | 33 | 31 | 31 | 30 | 30 | 28 | 31 | 30 | 32 | 31 | 30 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SE 12 | SE 11 | SE 10 | SE 9 | SE 9 | SE 9 | SE 8 | SE 8 | SE 8 | SE 8 | SE 8 | S 5 | S 5 | S 5 | S 6 | S 6 | ESE 8 | S 6 | S 6 | SE 9 | S 6 |
68 | 75 | 61 | 42 | 40 | 19 | 17 | 17 | 17 | 17 | 17 | 16 | 18 | 20 | 23 | 54 | 6 | 48 | 31 | 13 | 22 | |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SSW 4 | — | — | SSW 4 | SW 5 | S 4 | SSE 4 | E 6 | E 6 | E 15 | SE 15 | SE 9 | ESE 9 | ENE 3 | ESE 8 | ESE 8 | ESE 12 | ESE 12 | SE 12 | ESE 11 | ESE 9 |
4 | — | — | 4 | 5 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 4 | 8 | 21 | 16 | 2 | 14 | 7 | 14 | 14 | 35 | 13 | 8 | |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | E 5 | — | — | — | — | E 7 | SSW 4 | — | — | E 6 | E 6 | SE 14 | SE 14 | ESE 9 | SE 13 | ESE 12 | E 8 | ESE 8 | E 7 | E 8 | ESE 11 |
1 | — | — | — | — | 1 | 2 | — | — | 1 | 1 | 8 | 7 | 15 | 7 | 15 | 5 | 6 | 1 | 1 | 12 | |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | SSW 3 | SSW 4 | — | S 4 | SSE 3 | — | S 4 | S 4 | S 5 | S 5 | — | NE 2 | — | S 5 | SSW 6 | S 6 | S 6 | — | S 6 | — |
— | 2 | 6 | — | 4 | 1 | — | 5 | 7 | 11 | 15 | — | 1 | — | 37 | 90 | 59 | 78 | — | 22 | — | |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 0 | 227 | 47 | 91 | 0 | 1013 | 870 | 1151 | 205 | 80 | 2346 | 0 | 0 | 231 | 0 | 0 | 6 | 6 | 54 | 495 | 231 |
Best forecast wave conditions in North Carolina | |||||||||||||||||||||
Best forecast wave conditions in United States | |||||||||||||||||||||
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Information about the Surf City Pier Surf forecast
The above surf forecast table for Surf City Pier provides essential information for determining whether the surfing conditions will be good over the next 16 days. A general guide to surfing at Surf City Pier can be found by selecting the local surf guide option on the grey menu. Our Surf City 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 (Surf City 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 Surf City 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.
Surf City Pier is 37 km (23 miles) from the city of Wilmington. If you plan a vacation in North Carolina, look for hotels and other accommodation in Wilmington. Wilmington has rooms for a wide range of budgets as well as car hire and transport links.











