Surf Forecasts:
Surf City Pier surf forecast from 24 Aug 2026:
- Best quality surf: Monday 24 Aug, 8AM (local time) - 1.5ft (0.4m), 12s period, SE swell with glassy winds.
- Most powerful swell: Friday 28 Aug, 5AM (local time) - 3ft (0.9m), 5s period, SSW swell with 43 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Monday 24 Aug, 8AM (local time) - 1.5ft (0.4m), 12s 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 Monday (Aug 24) at 8AM. The primary swell is predicted to be 0.4m and 12s period with a secondary swell of 0.4m and 4s. The wind is predicted to be glassy as the swell arrives.
The most powerful waves expected at Surf City Pier in the next 16 days are 0.9m 5s and forecast to arrive on Friday (Aug 28) at 5AM. Winds are predicted to be cross-shore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 0.5m 4s period and expected on Tuesday (Aug 25) at 8AM.
| Wave Type | Time (EDT) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 8AM (Mon 24th Aug) | 1.5ft (0.4m) 12s |
| Best Surf | 8AM (Mon 24th Aug) | 1.5ft (0.4m) 12s |
| Most Powerful | 5AM (Fri 28th Aug) | 3ft (0.9m) 5s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Surf City Pier over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
Alright, Rusty here. Let me tell you about the next couple of weeks.
It’s been a pretty flat spell here at Surf City Pier. The whole run through the end of August and into early September will be a frustrating wait. Days on end with tiny, weak waves around 1ft to 2ft from the southeast, and those are mostly tossed around by onshore or cross-shore winds. Poor conditions are the name of the game for a solid week and a half. There’s not a single standout window in that first stretch; it looks like a quiet, blank run for paddle surfing. The combined swell energy sits in the low double digits (39 to 57), so there’s just nothing to get excited about.
It's not all doom and gloom though. The first real glimmer of hope arrives on Monday morning, the 31st of August. The swell stays small at 1.0ft from the southeast, but here’s the kicker: we get a clean, light cross-offshore breeze and a *very* long period of 19 seconds. Combined energy is still weak at 88, but that long-period groundswell will make everything look a lot more lined up. It's still small, but clean.
Then, things get interesting. On Tuesday the 1st of September, a new ESE swell starts to fill in, and we get a full glassy session in the afternoon with light offshore wind, N 5 km/h (3 mph). The swell is still modest at 2ft, but the combined energy jumps right up to 167. That’s your first proper chance to get wet with clean, glassy surf, even if it’s not big.
But the big one… the one I’m hanging out for, is Thursday morning, 3rd of September. This is your standout session. We’ve got a solid 4ft ESE groundswell pumping in at 14 seconds. More importantly, the wind is a clean offshore breeze from the NNW at 15 km/h (9 mph). That’s a dream combo for this break. The combined energy surges to a hefty 522 – that’s moderate wave energy with some push behind it. Expect clean, offshore lines at Surf City Pier. This won't be for beginners at that height with the offshore wind, but for anyone who knows what they’re doing, it’s the best bet in the entire outlook.
After that, it fades quickly. Through the end of the first week of September, we drop back into small, choppy or cross-shore mess. A brief pulse on Sunday the 6th of September shows 5ft peaks, but it's wind-swell with a short period of just 7 seconds (making it lumpy) and onshore wind. That combo creates poor conditions. We just don't get that clean, organized swell again in the window.
So in short: suffer through the first week and a half. Tuesday the 1st of September afternoon offers a clean, glassy foot in the door. Circle Thursday the 3rd of September on your calendar – that’s the day.
Rusty.
Short Range ForecastModerate rain (total 10mm), heaviest on Sun night. Warm (max 30°C on Mon afternoon, min 24°C on Tue morning). Wind will be generally light. | Days 5-7 Weather SummaryHeavy rain (total 30mm), heaviest during Thu afternoon. Warm (max 31°C on Fri afternoon, min 25°C on Thu night). Mainly fresh winds. | ||||||||||||||||||
Monday 24 | Tuesday 25 | Wednesday 26 | Thursday 27 | Friday 28 | Saturday 29 | ||||||||||||||
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) | SSW 5 | SE 12 | SE 9 | SE 9 | SE 11 | SE 10 | SE 9 | SE 9 | SE 9 | SE 9 | SE 9 | ESE 9 | SSW 5 | S 5 | S 5 | S 5 | S 5 | ESE 8 | ESE 8 |
Wave Graph  | |||||||||||||||||||
 kJ | 14 | 35 | 13 | 15 | 29 | 27 | 22 | 22 | 21 | 20 | 20 | 32 | 42 | 28 | 32 | 40 | 26 | 26 | 24 |
Wind (km/h) | |||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | glassy | cross-on | cross | cross-on | cross | on | glassy | on | cross-on | cross | cross | cross | cross | cross | cross-on | cross | cross | cross-on | cross |
High Tide | 5:23AM1.01m | 5:59PM1.45m | 6:09AM1.09m | 6:40PM1.50m | 6:51AM1.17m | 7:17PM1.54m | 7:30AM1.26m | 7:53PM1.56m | 8:08AM1.34m | 8:28PM1.55m | 8:46AM1.42m | 9:04PM1.52m | |||||||
Low Tide | 11:43PM0.33m | 11:11AM0.20m | 00:25AM0.27m | 11:59AM0.16m | 1:01AM0.21m | 12:43PM0.11m | 1:35AM0.16m | 1:25PM0.07m | 2:07AM0.11m | 2:05PM0.05m | 2:39AM0.07m | 2:47PM0.05m | 3:12AM0.04m | ||||||
 |  |  | | | | |  | | | | |  | |  | | | | | |
 | — | 6:37 | — | — | 6:37 | — | — | 6:37 | — | — | 6:39 | — | — | 6:39 | — | — | 6:39 | — | — |
 | 7:47 | — | 7:46 | — | — | 7:45 | — | — | 7:44 | — | — | 7:43 | — | — | 7:42 | — | — | 7:39 | — |
mm | 3 | — | 1 | 3 | — | — | 2 | 1 | — | 4 | 1 | 6 | 8 | 2 | — | 9 | — | — | 4 |
Temp °C | 28 | 29 | 30 | 28 | 27 | 30 | 29 | 29 | 30 | 28 | 28 | 29 | 27 | 29 | 31 | 28 | 29 | 31 | 29 |
Feels °C | 31 | 31 | 30 | 30 | 31 | 33 | 32 | 30 | 31 | 31 | 29 | 29 | 30 | 29 | 31 | 30 | 31 | 33 | 31 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | S 5 | SE 12 | SE 9 | S 4 | S 5 | S 5 | S 5 | SE 9 | SE 9 | SE 9 | SE 9 | ESE 9 | ESE 9 | ESE 8 | ESE 8 | ESE 8 | ESE 8 | ESE 8 | ESE 8 |
| kJ | 7 | 35 | 13 | 15 | 12 | 12 | 7 | 22 | 21 | 20 | 20 | 32 | 32 | 28 | 28 | 27 | 26 | 26 | 24 |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | ESE 8 | S 4 | ESE 11 | SE 9 | SE 11 | SE 10 | SE 9 | S 5 | — | E 8 | E 7 | E 13 | E 12 | E 12 | E 11 | SE 6 | E 10 | ESE 5 | E 10 |
| kJ | 6 | 3 | 13 | 12 | 29 | 27 | 22 | 4 | — | 5 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 3 | 2 |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | ESE 12 | S 7 | E 8 | ESE 11 | E 7 | E 7 | SW 5 | ENE 4 | E 16 | E 14 | E 14 | — | — | — | — | E 11 | — | SE 6 | — |
| kJ | 14 | 1 | 1 | 12 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 1 | 5 | 4 | 4 | — | — | — | — | 2 | — | 1 | — |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SSW 5 | — | S 5 | — | — | — | ENE 3 | — | S 5 | S 4 | S 5 | S 5 | SSW 5 | S 5 | S 5 | S 5 | S 5 | S 5 | S 4 |
| kJ | 13 | — | 12 | — | — | — | 2 | — | 4 | 7 | 15 | 22 | 42 | 25 | 32 | 40 | 23 | 17 | 9 |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 0 | 205 | 675 | 205 | 80 | 655 | 619 | 629 | 891 | 509 | 249 | 1204 | 299 | 245 | 245 | 299 | 241 | 883 | 241 |
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.
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