Surf Forecasts:
Chicahauk surf forecast from 23 Aug 2026:
- Best quality surf: Thursday 27 Aug, 5AM (local time) - 1.5ft (0.4m), 8s period, ESE swell with cross-offshore winds.
- Most powerful swell: Thursday 27 Aug, 11PM (local time) - 1.5ft (0.5m), 9s period, ESE swell with 46 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Thursday 27 Aug, 5AM (local time) - 1.5ft (0.4m), 8s 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 Thursday (Aug 27) at 5AM. The primary swell is predicted to be 0.4m and 8s period with a secondary swell of 0.3m and 9s. Another secondary swell of 0.5m and 4s is also forecast. 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 0.5m 9s and forecast to arrive on Thursday (Aug 27) at 11PM. Winds are predicted to be cross-offshore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 0.8m 4s period and expected on Friday (Aug 28) at 8PM.
| Wave Type | Time (EDT) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 5AM (Thu 27th Aug) | 1.5ft (0.4m) 8s |
| Best Surf | 5AM (Thu 27th Aug) | 1.5ft (0.4m) 8s |
| Most Powerful | 11PM (Thu 27th Aug) | 1.5ft (0.5m) 9s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Chicahauk over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
Alright, grab a coffee and settle in, because the next couple of weeks at Chicahauk are shaping up to be a bit of a story. Right now, there’s just nothing doing. We’ve got a long stretch of flat, weak energy with tiny waves that won’t even push a pippy. That water temperature is sitting at a toasty 83°F, about a touch warmer than normal for this time of year, which is nice if you’re just floating around, but not for surfing.
The first real chance of anything worthwhile doesn’t roll in until the very start of September. On Tuesday the 1st of September, we start seeing some energy build, but the wind is a letdown – cross-onshore and choppy. The swell is tiny, only 2 ft from the east with a long period around 14 to 15 seconds, but the combined energy (196–216) is still weak and the conditions are messy. Not worth paddling out for.
Wednesday the 2nd of September brings a bigger pulse of swell, around 5 ft from the ENE with a period of 13 seconds, and the combined energy jumps to a moderate 704. But the wind is cross-onshore again, 12–19 mph, and it’s choppy and lumpy. The surf quality is still poor. This might look more interesting for kite surfing than paddle surfing, honestly.
Now, here’s where it gets a little better. Thursday the 3rd of September is probably the standout in this entire run. We’ve got clean surf, 3 ft of east swell with a lovely 13-second period. The wind goes offshore from the SW in the morning at 12 mph, and by the afternoon it’s a light cross-off breeze. The combined energy is moderate at 345–369, and conditions are clean. This is the one to circle. It’s not huge, but it’s well-shaped and clean. If you’ve got a fish or a grovel board, Thursday morning is your best bet.
Friday the 4th of September keeps it going. Offshore wind again in the morning (WSW at 12 mph), with 3 ft of east swell at 13 seconds, and clean conditions. Combined energy is still moderate at 240. The afternoon fades a bit with more cross-off wind and marginal tide issues. Still, a decent couple of days.
After that, the outlook drops off again. Saturday the 5th and Sunday the 6th see bigger swell, up to 6 ft, but it’s short-period windswell (7–8 seconds) with onshore and cross-onshore winds. Choppy and lumpy. Not a great setup for a sandbar break like this.
Monday the 7th of September offers a last little chance. Clean cross-off winds in the afternoon, 4 ft of ENE swell with a 10-second period, and combined energy at 233. It’s surfable, but nothing special. We’ve been waiting a long time for this.
So, the honest truth: this is a patchy run. The best on offer is Thursday the 3rd of September with clean offshore winds and a solid 3 ft east swell. Friday morning is a close second. The rest of the window is either flat or blown out. Keep an eye on that Thursday session.
Stay salty.
Rusty
Short Range ForecastHeavy rain (total 26mm), heaviest during Mon afternoon. Warm (max 30°C on Sun afternoon, min 22°C on Mon afternoon). Winds increasing (light winds from the SW on Sun afternoon, strong winds from the WSW by Mon afternoon). | Days 5-7 Weather SummaryModerate rain (total 10mm), heaviest on Thu night. Warm (max 29°C on Fri afternoon, min 24°C on Thu night). Wind will be generally light. | |||||||||||||||||||
Sun 23 | Monday 24 | Tuesday 25 | Wednesday 26 | Thursday 27 | Friday 28 | Saturday 29 | ||||||||||||||
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) | E 12 | ESE 12 | ESE 12 | ESE 11 | ESE 11 | ESE 11 | ESE 11 | ESE 11 | ESE 9 | E 8 | E 8 | E 9 | E 9 | E 9 | E 8 | E 8 | ESE 8 | ESE 8 | ESE 8 | ESE 8 |
Wave Graph | ||||||||||||||||||||
11 | 28 | 27 | 25 | 23 | 22 | 22 | 22 | 28 | 36 | 30 | 39 | 40 | 41 | 36 | 35 | 22 | 26 | 37 | 26 | |
Wind (km/h) | ||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | cross-off | off | off | off | off | cross-on | on | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | cross | cross-off | glassy | cross-off | off | cross-off | cross-off | off | cross-off | cross-off |
High Tide | 5:00PM1.07m | 5:24AM0.84m | 5:47PM1.11m | 6:14AM0.90m | 6:32PM1.15m | 6:57AM0.96m | 7:12PM1.18m | 7:35AM1.03m | 7:48PM1.20m | 8:11AM1.10m | 8:24PM1.20m | 8:47AM1.16m | 9:00PM1.18m | |||||||
Low Tide | 11:36PM0.41m | 11:13AM0.39m | 00:23AM0.34m | 12:05PM0.34m | 1:02AM0.27m | 12:53PM0.28m | 1:35AM0.19m | 1:35PM0.22m | 2:06AM0.12m | 2:14PM0.18m | 2:38AM0.09m | 2:54PM0.16m | 3:11AM0.07m | |||||||
— | — | 6:26 | — | — | 6:28 | — | — | 6:28 | — | — | 6:30 | — | — | 6:31 | — | — | 6:31 | — | — | |
7:43 | — | — | 7:42 | — | — | 7:39 | — | — | 7:38 | — | — | 7:37 | — | — | 7:36 | — | — | 7:35 | — | |
mm | 1 | — | — | 16 | 9 | — | — | — | — | — | — | 2 | — | 7 | — | — | 1 | — | — | 7 |
Temp °C | 30 | 30 | 25 | 26 | 23 | 24 | 25 | 26 | 26 | 26 | 26 | 27 | 27 | 25 | 25 | 29 | 29 | 27 | 30 | 27 |
Feels °C | 31 | 31 | 26 | 28 | 19 | 25 | 24 | 26 | 26 | 25 | 27 | 30 | 30 | 26 | 26 | 29 | 29 | 30 | 29 | 29 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | E 12 | SSE 4 | ESE 12 | ESE 11 | SSE 3 | ESE 11 | ESE 11 | ESE 11 | ESE 9 | E 8 | E 8 | E 9 | E 9 | E 9 | E 8 | E 8 | ESE 8 | ESE 8 | ESE 8 | ESE 8 |
11 | 4 | 27 | 25 | 2 | 22 | 22 | 22 | 28 | 36 | 30 | 39 | 40 | 41 | 36 | 35 | 22 | 26 | 37 | 26 | |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | E 8 | ESE 12 | SSE 5 | E 7 | ESE 11 | SSE 6 | SSE 6 | NNE 4 | — | E 15 | E 14 | SE 4 | E 12 | SSE 4 | E 11 | E 11 | S 4 | ENE 10 | E 10 | E 10 |
5 | 28 | 2 | 1 | 23 | 3 | 4 | 2 | — | 4 | 15 | 3 | 12 | 6 | 10 | 9 | 3 | 10 | 2 | 2 | |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | NNE 5 | E 8 | E 7 | NE 5 | E 7 | E 7 | E 7 | SSE 6 | E 16 | NE 6 | NE 6 | E 13 | — | E 12 | E 11 | — | SSE 5 | E 10 | E 10 | — |
3 | 4 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 5 | 2 | 2 | 13 | — | 11 | 10 | — | 2 | 8 | 8 | — | |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | S 6 | WSW 3 | — | SSE 3 | — | N 4 | N 4 | NE 4 | — | ESE 3 | SE 3 | — | SE 4 | SW 3 | SSE 5 | S 4 | WSW 3 | WSW 2 | S 3 | SSW 3 |
6 | 1 | — | 2 | — | 9 | 8 | 3 | — | 1 | 5 | — | 5 | 2 | 4 | 12 | 3 | 1 | 2 | 6 | |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | ||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 879 | 354 | 61 | 468 | 61 | 179 | 100 | 594 | 594 | 1086 | 466 | 0 | 0 | 76 | 0 | 240 | 203 | 0 | 354 | 203 |
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.











