Surf Forecasts:
Surf City Pier surf forecast from 25 Aug 2026:
- Best quality surf: Friday 28 Aug, 11AM (local time) - 3ft (0.9m), 6s period, S swell with cross-offshore winds.
- Most powerful swell: Thursday 27 Aug, 11PM (local time) - 3.5ft (1.1m), 6s period, SSW swell with 80 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Friday 28 Aug, 11AM (local time) - 3ft (0.9m), 6s period with S 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 Friday (Aug 28) at 11AM. The primary swell is predicted to be 0.9m and 6s period with a secondary swell of 0.4m and 8s. Another secondary swell of 0.1m and 12s 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 1.1m 6s and forecast to arrive on Thursday (Aug 27) at 11PM. 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 (Sep 01) at 8AM.
| Wave Type | Time (EDT) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 11AM (Fri 28th Aug) | 3ft (0.9m) 6s |
| Best Surf | 11AM (Fri 28th Aug) | 3ft (0.9m) 6s |
| Most Powerful | 11PM (Thu 27th Aug) | 3.5ft (1.1m) 6s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Surf City Pier over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
Alright, this is Rusty. Let’s look at what we have for Surf City Pier over the next 16 days. Gotta be straight with you – there’s a real run of nothing special on the horizon.
If you're a surfer who loves long paddles, a bit of frustration, and making the most of tiny lumps, maybe you’ll find something. For anyone else, this is a tough stretch. The first solid window of any real interest doesn’t show up until the morning of Monday, September 7th. Before that, it’s a lot of small, weak, and often messy conditions. The water temp is around 83° and that’s pretty normal for this time of year, so no wetsuit needed.
So, for the first week and a half, expect a lot of ankle-biters. Friday morning, August 28th, we get a small 1 foot S swell but the wind is cross-off, so the surface is clean. The combined energy is weak (79). Saturday morning, August 29th, is glassy with a tiny 1 foot ESE swell – super clean but tiny. Comfortable for a beginner to get out, but you’ll be fighting for any ride.
The only real standout, and I mean the only one worth pointing a car towards, is the morning of Monday, September 7th. The swell jumps to 5 feet from the SSW, and combined energy rockets up to a moderate 253 – that’s real power. The wind is a clean cross-off, making for some decent shape. The wave period is short, only 6 seconds, so it won't be a classic long-lining groundswell, but for a beach break setup it’ll have some punch and make for some fun, punchy waves. This one is for the more experienced surfers though; 5 feet on a beach break can be a handful for beginners, and with short period, the sets will be frequent. That Tuesday morning is the pick of the whole run.
The rest of the second week doesn’t offer much. A bit of energy on Friday, September 4th (3 feet NE, 126 energy) but wind is cross-on and messy. Saturday morning, September 5th (2 feet ESE, 74 energy) is clean but small. Nothing else stands out.
Bottom line: there’s a 9-day wait for a single decent, punchy morning on September 7th. That’s the one to circle.
-Rusty
Short Range ForecastModerate rain (total 18mm), heaviest on Wed night. Warm (max 29°C on Tue afternoon, min 22°C on Tue morning). Wind will be generally light. | Days 4-6 Weather SummaryHeavy rain (total 24mm), heaviest during Fri night. Warm (max 30°C on Fri afternoon, min 25°C on Fri night). Wind will be generally light. | ||||||||||||||||||||
Tuesday 25 | Wednesday 26 | Thursday 27 | Friday 28 | Saturday 29 | Sunday 30 | Monday 31 | |||||||||||||||
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 11 | SE 10 | SE 9 | SE 9 | SE 9 | SE 9 | SE 9 | SSW 5 | S 6 | S 6 | S 5 | S 5 | ESE 8 | SE 8 | SE 8 | SE 8 | SE 8 | SE 7 | SE 7 | ESE 7 | ESE 17 |
Wave Graph | |||||||||||||||||||||
29 | 27 | 22 | 22 | 21 | 21 | 20 | 36 | 80 | 48 | 54 | 34 | 26 | 17 | 31 | 31 | 30 | 27 | 25 | 20 | 29 | |
Wind (km/h) | |||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | cross-off | on | cross-on | cross-on | on | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | cross | cross-off | cross-on | glassy | glassy | cross-on | on | cross-on | on | glassy | glassy | on | cross |
High Tide | 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 | 9:25AM1.49m | 9:41PM1.46m | 10:07AM1.55m | 10:21PM1.39m | ||||||||
Low Tide | 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 | 3:30PM0.06m | 3:46AM0.03m | 4:16PM0.09m | 4:23AM0.03m | |||||||
6:37 | — | — | 6:37 | — | — | 6:39 | — | — | 6:39 | — | — | 6:39 | — | — | 6:41 | — | — | 6:41 | — | — | |
— | 7:45 | — | — | 7:44 | — | — | 7:43 | — | — | 7:42 | — | — | 7:39 | — | — | 7:38 | — | — | 7:37 | — | |
mm | — | — | — | — | 1 | 7 | 3 | 3 | 4 | 4 | 3 | 11 | — | 1 | 2 | 1 | — | 2 | — | — | 2 |
Temp °C | 26 | 29 | 27 | 28 | 28 | 27 | 27 | 28 | 27 | 28 | 30 | 25 | 26 | 28 | 27 | 27 | 29 | 27 | 28 | 29 | 28 |
Feels °C | 26 | 29 | 28 | 28 | 28 | 29 | 29 | 29 | 29 | 30 | 31 | 29 | 31 | 31 | 31 | 31 | 32 | 31 | 32 | 31 | 32 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | S 5 | S 5 | SE 9 | SE 9 | SE 9 | SE 9 | SE 9 | ESE 9 | ESE 9 | ESE 8 | ESE 8 | S 5 | S 5 | SE 8 | SE 8 | SE 8 | SE 8 | SE 7 | SE 7 | ESE 7 | ESE 7 |
8 | 8 | 22 | 22 | 21 | 21 | 20 | 30 | 31 | 28 | 28 | 25 | 17 | 17 | 31 | 31 | 30 | 27 | 25 | 20 | 19 | |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SE 11 | SE 10 | S 5 | S 4 | E 16 | E 8 | E 7 | E 13 | E 12 | E 12 | E 11 | ESE 8 | ESE 8 | ESE 5 | SSW 5 | S 4 | SSW 4 | — | — | E 16 | ESE 17 |
29 | 27 | 4 | 2 | 5 | 5 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 27 | 26 | 3 | 4 | 1 | 2 | — | — | 5 | 29 | |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | E 7 | — | E 7 | — | E 6 | E 14 | E 14 | E 8 | — | — | — | — | E 5 | SE 6 | — | E 9 | — | — | — | — | — |
1 | — | 1 | — | 1 | 4 | 4 | 1 | — | — | — | — | 1 | 1 | — | 2 | — | — | — | — | — | |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | NNE 2 | — | — | ESE 3 | SE 4 | SSE 5 | S 4 | SSW 5 | S 6 | S 6 | S 5 | S 5 | — | S 5 | — | — | S 4 | S 3 | — | SSW 3 | S 3 |
1 | — | — | 4 | 10 | 19 | 10 | 36 | 80 | 48 | 54 | 34 | — | 11 | — | — | 1 | 1 | — | 3 | 6 | |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 80 | 629 | 870 | 629 | 1979 | 509 | 250 | 616 | 508 | 0 | 36 | 0 | 0 | 786 | 716 | 839 | 1979 | 1676 | 231 | 716 | 648 |
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.











