
Surf Forecasts:
Chicahauk surf forecast from 13 Jul 2026:
- Best quality surf: Wednesday 15 Jul, 2AM (local time) - 2ft (0.6m), 9s period, ESE swell with offshore winds.
- Most powerful swell: Monday 13 Jul, 5AM (local time) - 5ft (1.6m), 7s period, E swell with 233 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Wednesday 15 Jul, 2AM (local time) - 2ft (0.6m), 9s 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 Wednesday (Jul 15) at 2AM. The primary swell is predicted to be 0.6m and 9s period with a secondary swell of 0.5m and 6s. The wind is predicted to be offshore as the swell arrives.
The most powerful waves expected at Chicahauk in the next 16 days are 1.6m 7s and forecast to arrive on Monday (Jul 13) at 5AM. Winds are predicted to be cross-onshore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 1.3m 5s period and expected on Sunday (Jul 19) at 8PM.
| Wave Type | Time (EDT) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 2AM (Wed 15th Jul) | 2ft (0.6m) 9s |
| Best Surf | 2AM (Wed 15th Jul) | 2ft (0.6m) 9s |
| Most Powerful | 5AM (Mon 13th Jul) | 5ft (1.6m) 7s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Chicahauk over the next 16 days.
Alright folks, Rusty here. Let's have a look at what's on the cards for Chicahauk.
First up, the honest truth: it’s a pretty grim run for the next week and a half. We’ve got a long stretch of nothing special. From now, Monday the 13th, all the way through to Sunday the 19th of July, the surf is basically a write-off. The swell is either too small, too short-period, or getting hammered by fresh onshore winds. That Monday morning kicks off with a messy 5.2 ft of windswell from the east, but with a 18.6 mph cross-onshore blowing, it’s just lumpy and poor. Don't even bother.
You’re looking at nearly a full week of that kind of rubbish. There are a few windows of clean, offshore wind, like Wednesday the 15th morning and Thursday the 16th morning, but the swell is barely a ripple – 1.0 ft to 1.6 ft. It’s clean, but there’s nothing to ride.
The real story starts to shift around Monday the 20th of July. That’s the first time we see a pulse of energy that’s actually worth a conversation. The morning session looks hopeful: a gentle offshore breeze from the WSW, 2.0 ft of swell from the SE with a period of 8 seconds, and the combined energy reading sits at 64 (moderate). It’s small, but it’s clean, and there’s enough there for a longboard or a funboard to get a few short rides. The quality is still "very ordinary," but it’s a start.
That pattern holds through Tuesday the 21st and Wednesday the 22nd of July. Mornings are your best bet with clean offshore winds and that same 2.0 ft, 8-second SE swell. The combined energy stays in the moderate range (59 and 41). It’s not going to blow your mind, but if you’re desperate for a paddle, these are the windows.
Now, I’ll flag one date that jumps out of the pack: Tuesday the 28th of July. The morning shows a jump in swell to 5.2 ft from the SE, but with a very short period of only 5 seconds. The combined energy jumps to 140 (moderate-strong). A gentle offshore from the SW should keep it clean. That short period will make it a bit crumbly and soft, but it’s the biggest wave we’ve seen in the forecast. It’s still only a 1 out of 10 on the score, so don't expect perfection, but it’s the only time the swell height gets over 3.3 ft and the wind is favourable.
The best on offer? Honestly, it’s a toss-up between the clean mornings from the 20th to the 22nd for small, clean waves, or the bigger but messier window on the 28th of July. I’d lean towards the 28th morning if you want a bit more push, but keep your expectations in check. The water temperature? No anomaly data provided, so it’s about average for the time of year.
Crowds at Chicahauk can be "sometimes" an issue, but with surf this marginal, I wouldn’t stress about it.
Hang in there.
Short Range ForecastLight rain (total 7mm), mostly falling on Sun night. Warm (max 28°C on Wed afternoon, min 23°C on Wed morning). Winds decreasing (fresh winds from the E on Sun night, light winds from the ESE by Tue night). | Days 5-7 Weather SummaryMostly dry. Warm (max 32°C on Thu afternoon, min 25°C on Wed night). Winds increasing (light winds from the SSW on Thu afternoon, fresh winds from the SSE by Sat afternoon). | ||||||||||||||||||||
Monday 13 | Tuesday 14 | Wednesday 15 | Thursday 16 | Friday 17 | Saturday 18 | Sun 19 | |||||||||||||||
Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | |
Swell Height Map | |||||||||||||||||||||
Wave Height (m) Direction Period (s) | ENE 7 | E 7 | E 7 | E 6 | E 6 | E 6 | ESE 9 | E 6 | ESE 9 | ESE 9 | ESE 8 | ESE 8 | SSE 4 | ESE 8 | NNE 4 | ENE 4 | SE 4 | ESE 8 | ESE 8 | SE 7 | E 13 |
Wave Graph | |||||||||||||||||||||
232 | 222 | 192 | 116 | 57 | 41 | 53 | 19 | 15 | 15 | 12 | 11 | 7 | 7 | 13 | 21 | 7 | 7 | 6 | 22 | 3 | |
Wind (km/h) | |||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | on | on | on | off | off | cross | off | off | cross | off | cross-on | on | cross | cross-off | cross | off | off | off |
High Tide | 6:57AM0.94m | 7:25PM1.35m | 7:55AM1.00m | 8:18PM1.35m | 8:49AM1.05m | 9:09PM1.31m | 9:42AM1.09m | 10:00PM1.25m | 10:37AM1.10m | 10:51PM1.16m | 11:30AM1.11m | 11:39PM1.06m | 12:19PM1.10m | ||||||||
Low Tide | 1:11AM-0.09m | 12:57PM-0.14m | 2:03AM-0.16m | 1:55PM-0.17m | 2:51AM-0.20m | 2:49PM-0.16m | 3:40AM-0.19m | 3:44PM-0.10m | 4:30AM-0.16m | 4:44PM-0.02m | 5:20AM-0.11m | 5:44PM0.07m | 6:06AM-0.04m | 6:42PM0.16m | |||||||
— | 5:54 | — | — | 5:56 | — | — | 5:56 | — | — | 5:56 | — | — | 5:58 | — | — | 5:58 | — | — | 5:58 | — | |
8:21 | — | 8:21 | — | — | 8:20 | — | — | 8:20 | — | — | 8:19 | — | — | 8:19 | — | — | 8:17 | — | — | 8:17 | |
mm | 6 | — | 1 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 3 | 4 | — |
Temp °C | 26 | 25 | 25 | 25 | 25 | 25 | 25 | 25 | 28 | 29 | 28 | 32 | 29 | 26 | 26 | 26 | 27 | 29 | 27 | 28 | 34 |
Feels °C | 24 | 22 | 23 | 23 | 24 | 25 | 27 | 27 | 27 | 28 | 30 | 32 | 28 | 23 | 25 | 24 | 27 | 28 | 29 | 29 | 34 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | S 6 | — | SE 9 | ESE 9 | ESE 9 | E 6 | ESE 9 | E 6 | ESE 6 | E 7 | ESE 8 | ESE 8 | SSE 4 | ESE 8 | ESE 8 | ESE 8 | NE 4 | ESE 8 | ESE 8 | SE 7 | E 13 |
3 | — | 20 | 16 | 16 | 41 | 53 | 19 | 11 | 8 | 12 | 11 | 7 | 7 | 13 | 6 | 6 | 7 | 6 | 22 | 3 | |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | — | — | — | — | ESE 9 | E 6 | ESE 9 | ESE 9 | ESE 9 | E 6 | E 15 | ESE 8 | S 5 | — | S 6 | ESE 8 | NNE 4 | — | E 13 | E 8 |
— | — | — | — | — | 16 | 20 | 16 | 15 | 15 | 3 | 4 | 6 | 2 | — | 1 | 6 | 2 | — | 3 | 1 | |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | E 16 | E 16 | E 16 | E 15 | E 6 | E 6 | E 14 | E 14 | E 13 | E 13 | NE 5 | E 9 | — |
— | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 5 | 5 | 5 | 4 | 3 | 1 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 3 | 1 | 1 | — | |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | ENE 7 | E 7 | E 7 | E 6 | E 6 | — | — | — | — | SSW 3 | SW 3 | S 3 | SW 3 | NNE 3 | NNE 4 | ENE 4 | SE 4 | SSE 4 | SSW 4 | SSW 4 | S 4 |
232 | 222 | 192 | 116 | 57 | — | — | — | — | 7 | 2 | 7 | 3 | 1 | 13 | 21 | 7 | 13 | 28 | 16 | 30 | |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 443 | 183 | 183 | 179 | 327 | 482 | 0 | 61 | 545 | 344 | 1279 | 814 | 1015 | 1070 | 1070 | 1070 | 1277 | 1728 | 478 | 275 | 78 |
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.











