Surf Forecasts:
Chicahauk surf forecast from 10 Sep 2026:
- Best quality surf: Sunday 13 Sep, 2AM (local time) - 1.5ft (0.4m), 10s period, ESE swell with cross-offshore winds.
- Most powerful swell: Tuesday 15 Sep, 11PM (local time) - 3.5ft (1.1m), 6s period, NE swell with 88 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Sunday 13 Sep, 2AM (local time) - 1.5ft (0.4m), 10s period with ESE swell.
Best Forecast Surf Conditions for Chicahauk this week:
The surf forecast for Chicahauk over the next 16 days: The first swell (rated 1 star or higher) is forecast to arrive on Sunday (Sep 13) at 2AM. The primary swell is predicted to be 0.4m and 10s period with a secondary swell of 0.5m and 5s. The wind is predicted to be cross-offshore as the swell arrives.
The most powerful waves expected at Chicahauk in the next 16 days are 1.1m 6s and forecast to arrive on Tuesday (Sep 15) at 11PM. Winds are predicted to be onshore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 1.2m 4s period and expected on Thursday (Sep 10) at 8PM.
| Wave Type | Time (EDT) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 2AM (Sun 13th Sep) | 1.5ft (0.4m) 10s |
| Best Surf | 2AM (Sun 13th Sep) | 1.5ft (0.4m) 10s |
| Most Powerful | 11PM (Tue 15th Sep) | 3.5ft (1.1m) 6s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Chicahauk over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
Alright, this is Rusty, and I’m calling it straight from the beach. Let’s get into it.
We’re looking at a long 16-day window for Chicahauk, a sandbar setup, and honestly, it’s a slow burn. The first week and a half is pretty flat and frustrating. You’ve got tiny dribbles of swell, mostly around 1 foot to 2 feet from the ESE, but the wave energy is just weak – we’re talking combined energy values in the 20s, 30s, and 40s (a paltry 20 to 94). The wind is all over the place, swinging from offshore to onshore, but the swell is so small it’s barely worth paddling out for. The water is 80°, which is a touch warmer than normal for this time of year, but that’s about the only thing to get excited about until the tail end of the run.
The pattern stays poor right through the 19th and 20th. The wind is mostly onshore or cross-onshore, and the swell stays under 4 feet with short, weak periods. The energy stays in the weak range, hitting at most 95. It’s a real grind.
Then, around the 21st and 22nd, we start to see some size building, but it comes with a catch. The wind is howling out of the NE, strong breeze to strong breeze plus, pushing 5 feet to 7 feet of swell. The combined energy jumps up to 170, then 258, 342, and 440 – finally some moderate wave energy. But the wind is onshore or cross-onshore, making it lumpy and messy. This setup is more interesting for kite surfing than paddle surfing, to be honest.
The real standout, the only one worth marking on the calendar, hits on Thursday the 25th. The morning of the 25th is the best of the whole run. We’re looking at a clean 10 feet of swell from the ESE, with a moderate offshore breeze from the SW. The combined energy is a strong 1385, and the wind is offshore, keeping the surface clean. This is excellent surf, but it’s for experienced surfers only – that’s a powerful wave, and it’s too big for beginners. The afternoon backs off to 8 feet, still clean, but the wind swings cross-offshore. That 25th morning is the one to aim for, but it’s a long way off, so keep your fingers crossed the forecast holds.
Keep in mind, Chicahauk is a fairly consistent sandbar, but it can get crowded sometimes. For a spot that’s been flat for days, that morning of the 25th will bring the crew out.
Rusty.
Short Range ForecastLight rain (total 2mm), mostly falling on Fri night. Warm (max 31°C on Thu afternoon, min 23°C on Thu morning). Winds decreasing (fresh winds from the SSW on Thu night, light winds from the NE by Fri night). | Days 4-6 Weather SummarySome drizzle, heaviest during Sun night. Warm (max 30°C on Sun afternoon, min 25°C on Sun morning). Wind will be generally light. | ||||||||||||||||||||
Thursday 10 | Friday 11 | Saturday 12 | Sunday 13 | Monday 14 | Tuesday 15 | Wednesday 16 | |||||||||||||||
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) | ESE 9 | ESE 9 | ESE 8 | SE 8 | ESE 8 | SE 9 | ESE 9 | ESE 9 | ESE 10 | ESE 10 | ESE 9 | ESE 9 | ESE 9 | ESE 9 | ESE 9 | ENE 5 | ENE 5 | ENE 6 | ENE 7 | ENE 7 | ENE 6 |
Wave Graph  | |||||||||||||||||||||
 kJ | 32 | 16 | 14 | 18 | 28 | 27 | 32 | 35 | 37 | 61 | 58 | 47 | 46 | 32 | 31 | 26 | 47 | 85 | 77 | 58 | 43 |
Wind (km/h) | |||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | off | cross-off | off | off | on | on | cross | cross | cross-off | off | cross-off | off | cross | on | on | on | on | on | on | cross-on | cross-off |
High Tide | 7:46PM1.29m | 8:14AM1.30m | 8:29PM1.25m | 8:56AM1.33m | 9:09PM1.19m | 9:37AM1.32m | 9:50PM1.12m | 10:20AM1.29m | 10:33PM1.05m | 11:04AM1.25m | 11:16PM0.99m | 11:46AM1.19m | 11:58PM0.93m | ||||||||
Low Tide | 1:39PM0.07m | 2:05AM0.02m | 2:26PM0.07m | 2:43AM0.02m | 3:11PM0.11m | 3:20AM0.07m | 3:57PM0.18m | 3:58AM0.15m | 4:45PM0.27m | 4:39AM0.25m | 5:34PM0.36m | 5:22AM0.34m | 6:21PM0.44m | ||||||||
 | |  | |  |  | | |  | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
 | 6:41 | — | — | 6:41 | — | — | 6:41 | — | — | 6:43 | — | — | 6:43 | — | — | 6:43 | — | — | 6:45 | — | — |
 | — | 7:17 | — | — | 7:15 | — | — | 7:15 | — | — | 7:13 | — | — | 7:12 | — | — | 7:09 | — | — | 7:08 | — |
mm | — | — | — | — | — | 1 | — | — | 1 | — | — | 1 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Temp °C | 26 | 31 | 27 | 26 | 27 | 27 | 27 | 28 | 27 | 26 | 30 | 30 | 26 | 27 | 27 | 26 | 25 | 25 | 25 | 25 | 26 |
Feels °C | 25 | 30 | 24 | 28 | 30 | 30 | 29 | 29 | 27 | 28 | 33 | 32 | 29 | 29 | 28 | 27 | 26 | 27 | 28 | 27 | 28 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | ESE 9 | ESE 9 | ESE 8 | SE 8 | ESE 8 | SE 9 | ESE 9 | ESE 9 | NE 5 | ESE 10 | ESE 9 | ESE 9 | ESE 9 | ESE 9 | ESE 9 | ESE 9 | ESE 9 | ENE 6 | ENE 7 | ENE 7 | ENE 6 |
| kJ | 32 | 16 | 14 | 18 | 28 | 27 | 32 | 35 | 14 | 61 | 58 | 47 | 46 | 32 | 31 | 26 | 16 | 85 | 77 | 58 | 43 |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | ENE 9 | ENE 9 | E 9 | E 8 | E 8 | E 11 | NNE 5 | NE 5 | ESE 10 | ENE 5 | ENE 5 | S 4 | ENE 5 | S 5 | E 15 | E 15 | E 15 | ESE 9 | E 14 | E 14 | E 13 |
| kJ | 8 | 8 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 9 | 2 | 6 | 37 | 11 | 5 | 2 | 2 | 5 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 17 | 14 | 14 | 14 |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | ENE 9 | — | S 5 | E 8 | — | E 8 | E 8 | — | — | S 3 | E 8 | ENE 5 | ENE 5 | — | E 15 | E 15 | — | E 14 | E 13 | — | E 13 |
| kJ | 8 | — | 1 | 1 | — | 1 | 1 | — | — | 1 | 1 | 3 | 2 | — | 4 | 4 | — | 4 | 3 | — | 3 |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SW 3 | S 4 | SSW 4 | WSW 3 | — | — | — | — | S 3 | — | S 2 | SW 3 | — | NE 5 | ENE 3 | ENE 5 | ENE 5 | — | — | — | — |
| kJ | 5 | 35 | 31 | 3 | — | — | — | — | 1 | — | 1 | 2 | — | 4 | 6 | 24 | 47 | — | — | — | — |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 269 | 261 | 77 | 61 | 540 | 61 | 1090 | 100 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 100 | 183 | 833 | 2234 | 1435 | 275 | 2014 | 0 |
Best forecast wave conditions in North Carolina | |||||||||||||||||||||
Best forecast wave conditions in United States | |||||||||||||||||||||
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Information about the Chicahauk Surf forecast
The above surf forecast table for Chicahauk provides essential information for determining whether the surfing conditions will be good over the next 16 days. A general guide to surfing at Chicahauk can be found by selecting the local surf guide option on the grey menu. Our Chicahauk 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 (Chicahauk) 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 Chicahauk 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.
Chicahauk is 52 km (32 miles) from the city of Elizabeth City. If you plan a vacation in North Carolina, look for hotels and other accommodation in Elizabeth City. Elizabeth City has rooms for a wide range of budgets as well as car hire and transport links.
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