Surf Forecasts:
Surf City Pier surf forecast from 21 Aug 2026:
- Best quality surf: Sunday 23 Aug, 2AM (local time) - 2.5ft (0.8m), 5s period, SSW swell with cross-offshore winds.
- Most powerful swell: Friday 28 Aug, 11AM (local time) - 2ft (0.6m), 9s period, ESE swell with 55 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Sunday 23 Aug, 2AM (local time) - 2.5ft (0.8m), 5s period with SSW 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 Sunday (Aug 23) at 2AM. The primary swell is predicted to be 0.8m and 5s period with a secondary swell of 0.6m and 5s. Another secondary swell of 0.3m and 8s is also forecast. 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 0.6m 9s and forecast to arrive on Friday (Aug 28) at 11AM. Winds are predicted to be cross-offshore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 0.6m 4s period and expected on Tuesday (Aug 25) at 2PM.
| Wave Type | Time (EDT) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 2AM (Sun 23rd Aug) | 2.5ft (0.8m) 5s |
| Best Surf | 2AM (Sun 23rd Aug) | 2.5ft (0.8m) 5s |
| Most Powerful | 11AM (Fri 28th Aug) | 2ft (0.6m) 9s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Surf City Pier over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
Alright folks, Rusty here. Let’s be straight with you: the next couple of weeks are looking like a tough stretch for scoring anything decent around here. We’ve got a long gap of flat, weak, or messy conditions to sit through before we might see a tiny window of something rideable.
The real story for the first week is a whole lot of nothing. From Friday the 21st of August right through to the 27th, the energy is basically non-existent. We’re looking at tiny waves—mostly around 1 ft—with short, weak periods and poor wind. The combined swell energy is barely ticking over, sitting in the low double digits to mid-50s (19–105), which tells you there’s no push behind anything. Most of the time the wind is cross or cross-onshore, so it’s choppy and bumpy. Honestly, this isn’t surf; it’s a lake with a breeze. For a break like Surf City Pier that’s a sandbar setup, there’s just nothing to work with.
We finally get a bit of a pulse on Sunday the 23rd of August. It’s nothing to write home about—swell is still tiny, only 2 ft from the S, but the wind goes light offshore from the NNW first thing. That’ll clean things up a little, and the energy bumps to 51. It’s “surfable” but only just. The water temp is sitting at 84°, which is about average for this time of year, so at least the water feels normal. That Sunday morning window is probably your best bet for a slow, grovelly session.
After that, we slide back into a slump. From Monday the 24th all the way to Saturday the 5th of September, it’s a desert. The swell stays below 2 ft, the period is short and weak, and the combined energy is almost always below 100. The wind is messy and onshore for long stretches. There are a few mornings with clean-ish conditions and a cross-off breeze—like Wednesday the 2nd of September morning and Thursday the 3rd of September morning—but the swell is just too small to care about. Even the better looking moments, like Friday the 28th of August morning, only manage a 2 ft ESE swell with a weak 9-second period. It’s clean, but you’ll be fighting for any sort of rideable lump.
Overall, if you’re desperate, try Sunday morning the 23rd of August at Surf City Pier for a tiny, clean wave. Otherwise, leave the board in the car and save your energy. The forecast can change, so don’t lose hope, but right now the outlook is flat and frustrating.
Rusty.
Short Range ForecastModerate rain (total 19mm), heaviest on Fri night. Warm (max 32°C on Sun afternoon, min 23°C on Fri night). Wind will be generally light. | Days 4-6 Weather SummaryLight rain (total 9mm), mostly falling on Tue afternoon. Warm (max 32°C on Mon afternoon, min 23°C on Tue night). Wind will be generally light. | ||||||||||||||||||||
Friday 21 | Saturday 22 | Sunday 23 | Monday 24 | Tuesday 25 | Wednesday 26 | Thursday 27 | |||||||||||||||
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 8 | SE 8 | ESE 8 | ESE 9 | S 4 | SSW 5 | S 6 | SSW 6 | S 6 | SE 12 | SE 9 | SE 9 | SE 11 | SE 10 | SE 9 | SE 9 | SE 9 | SE 9 | SE 9 | SE 9 | ESE 10 |
Wave Graph | |||||||||||||||||||||
17 | 17 | 12 | 18 | 20 | 35 | 30 | 50 | 15 | 35 | 13 | 12 | 29 | 27 | 22 | 22 | 21 | 21 | 20 | 21 | 37 | |
Wind (km/h) | |||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | glassy | cross-on | cross-off | cross | cross-on | cross-off | off | cross | cross-on | cross | cross | cross-off | cross-off | cross-on | glassy | cross | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | cross-off | cross-off |
High Tide | 3:21PM1.34m | 3:30AM0.93m | 4:20PM1.36m | 4:30AM0.96m | 5:13PM1.40m | 5:23AM1.01m | 5:59PM1.45m | 6:09AM1.09m | 6:40PM1.50m | 6:51AM1.17m | 7:17PM1.54m | 7:30AM1.26m | 7:53PM1.56m | ||||||||
Low Tide | 8:20AM0.27m | 9:58PM0.39m | 9:20AM0.27m | 10:55PM0.37m | 10:18AM0.25m | 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 | |||||||
6:35 | — | — | 6:35 | — | — | 6:35 | — | — | 6:37 | — | — | 6:37 | — | — | 6:37 | — | — | 6:39 | — | — | |
— | 7:51 | — | — | 7:49 | — | — | 7:47 | — | — | 7:46 | — | — | 7:45 | — | — | 7:44 | — | — | 7:43 | — | |
mm | 2 | — | 10 | 5 | 1 | — | 1 | — | — | — | — | — | — | 2 | 4 | 3 | — | — | — | 3 | 6 |
Temp °C | 30 | 31 | 29 | 26 | 26 | 26 | 28 | 32 | 30 | 30 | 32 | 30 | 29 | 29 | 28 | 26 | 28 | 27 | 28 | 30 | 25 |
Feels °C | 34 | 33 | 33 | 30 | 28 | 30 | 31 | 33 | 31 | 32 | 31 | 30 | 30 | 29 | 29 | 28 | 29 | 30 | 30 | 30 | 28 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SE 8 | SE 8 | S 4 | ESE 9 | ESE 9 | S 5 | S 6 | S 6 | S 6 | S 5 | SSE 5 | S 5 | SSW 5 | SE 10 | SE 9 | SE 9 | SE 9 | SE 9 | SE 9 | SE 9 | ESE 10 |
17 | 17 | 5 | 16 | 15 | 17 | 30 | 35 | 15 | 4 | 9 | 4 | 7 | 27 | 22 | 22 | 21 | 21 | 20 | 21 | 37 | |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | S 3 | SE 15 | ESE 8 | SE 14 | SE 13 | ESE 8 | ESE 8 | ESE 8 | ESE 12 | SE 12 | SE 9 | SE 9 | SE 11 | SSW 5 | SSW 5 | SSW 4 | SSW 4 | S 5 | S 5 | E 5 | E 13 |
1 | 8 | 12 | 7 | 7 | 14 | 6 | 6 | 14 | 35 | 13 | 12 | 29 | 4 | 4 | 2 | 2 | 4 | 4 | 2 | 3 | |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | E 6 | E 6 | SE 10 | ESE 13 | E 8 | SE 13 | ESE 12 | ESE 12 | ESE 8 | S 6 | ESE 11 | ESE 11 | E 7 | E 7 | — | — | E 16 | E 15 | E 5 | E 13 | E 12 |
1 | 1 | 4 | 18 | 6 | 7 | 15 | 14 | 6 | 1 | 13 | 12 | 1 | 1 | — | — | 5 | 4 | 2 | 3 | 3 | |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | S 4 | SSW 4 | S 4 | S 4 | SSW 5 | — | SSW 6 | — | — | — | — | WSW 2 | — | — | — | — | — | — | SSW 5 | S 5 |
— | 1 | 12 | 10 | 20 | 35 | — | 50 | — | — | — | — | 1 | — | — | — | — | — | — | 7 | 25 | |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 1000 | 1890 | 76 | 59 | 299 | 0 | 0 | 205 | 227 | 474 | 507 | 518 | 83 | 231 | 616 | 629 | 1204 | 586 | 205 | 205 | 0 |
Best forecast wave conditions in North Carolina | |||||||||||||||||||||
Best forecast wave conditions in United States | |||||||||||||||||||||
Header Global | |||||||||||||||||||||
- Map Icons:
Break
Live Wave Height (m)
Live Wind Speed (km/h)
Surf Rating (10 Max)
Ocean Swells (m)
Wind Speed (km/h)
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.











