Chicahauk Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, this is Rusty, and here’s how the next couple of weeks are shaping up for the Outer Banks.

Alright folks, let’s look at this stretch ahead. It’s a bit of a tough one, if I’m being honest. We’re looking at Chicahauk, and for the first week, the swell is just going to be shy – we’re talking ankle to knee-high waves that are more for floating around than actually surfing. The water is warm, sitting at about 80°F, which is pretty much dead on for July, so that’s a bright spot. But the real problem is the lack of power. The combined energy is sitting in the teens and twenties for days, which is about as weak as it gets.

Now, there’s a little glimmer on Tuesday the 7th when a small bump rolls in. It’s still small, only about 1 feet, but the period stretches to 10 seconds and the energy finally creeps up to 50. We get a solid northwesterly offshore wind in the morning, so the wave face will be glassy. It’s surfable, but honestly, it’s ordinary. You’d be scratching for anything rideable.

The next real shift happens around the second week. By Monday the 13th and Tuesday the 14th, things pick up a notch. The swell bumps to about 3 feet, the period holds at 7 seconds, and the wave energy climbs into triple figures – 105 combined energy, moderate power finally arriving. The great news is we are getting proper offshore winds from the WSW, especially on Monday morning and Tuesday morning. That means clean, peeling lines at that exposed sandbar. But the direction is coming out of the NE-E, which is a bit off the optimum, so the sandbars will need to cooperate. It’s not going to be a screaming point break, but for the Outer Banks, a clean 3-footer with a moderate offshore breeze is about as good as it gets in this quiet spell.

The standout here is Tuesday morning the 14th. We get a 3 foot ENE swell with a 7-second period, a gentle WSW offshore at about 9 mph, and that clean, offshore look. The crowd factor says “sometimes,” and for a spot that cleans up that well, you can expect other folks to be in the water. It’s not a classic, but it’s the best on offer. If you can get out there early, you’ll find some fun corners.

After that, the forecast gets really quiet again. The last week of the window drops back to about 1 feet and weak energy. Friday the 17th morning goes glassy, but there’s no swell to work with. It’s a classic summer lull on the Banks.

So, to wrap it up: the best window is Monday the 13th through Tuesday the 14th of July. Get on it if you can, because it’s going to be a long wait after that. Stay patient, keep the wax warm, and see you in the water.

Rusty.

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