Surf Forecasts:
Chicahauk surf forecast from 25 Aug 2026:
- Best quality surf: Friday 28 Aug, 11AM (local time) - 1.5ft (0.5m), 8s period, E swell with offshore winds.
- Most powerful swell: Thursday 27 Aug, 5PM (local time) - 2ft (0.6m), 9s period, E swell with 59 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Friday 28 Aug, 11AM (local time) - 1.5ft (0.5m), 8s period with E 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 Friday (Aug 28) at 11AM. The primary swell is predicted to be 0.5m and 8s period with a secondary swell of 0.2m and 11s. The wind is predicted to be offshore as the swell arrives.
The most powerful waves expected at Chicahauk in the next 16 days are 0.6m 9s and forecast to arrive on Thursday (Aug 27) at 5PM. Winds are predicted to be cross-offshore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 0.9m 5s period and expected on Thursday (Aug 27) at 8PM.
| Wave Type | Time (EDT) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 11AM (Fri 28th Aug) | 1.5ft (0.5m) 8s |
| Best Surf | 11AM (Fri 28th Aug) | 1.5ft (0.5m) 8s |
| Most Powerful | 5PM (Thu 27th Aug) | 2ft (0.6m) 9s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Chicahauk over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
G’day, Rusty here. Look, I’ve gotta be straight with you—the next couple of weeks at Chicahauk are a tough watch for anyone hoping to get a decent wave. This is a sandbar setup that’s fairly consistent, but the forecast is mostly throwing up tiny, weak, messy stuff. We’re looking at a long, drawn-out gap of really poor surf kicking off now and running through until the very end of August, with only a couple of barely rideable moments scattered in.
For the first few days, from Tuesday the 25th through to the end of the month, it’s a write-off. Swell is stuck below 2 ft, period is short (8-9 seconds), wind is mostly cross or onshore, and the energy is weak—we’re talking numbers like 27 and 56. There’s a brief flicker of hope on Thursday the 27th morning with clean conditions as a light cross-offshore wind from the south sets in, but with only 2 ft of east swell at 9 seconds and combined energy of 71, it’s just a tiny, ordinary wave. Friday the 28th morning actually gets a clean offshore breeze from the WSW, but again, it’s only 2 ft of 8-second swell with energy at 56. It’s surfable, but not worth getting excited about.
We finally see a shift on Tuesday the 1st of September. The morning brings a clean, cross-offshore wind from the NNW and a jump in period to 15 seconds—that’s a proper groundswell. The swell height is still only 1 ft, but the energy climbs to 98 (98), which is the best we’ve seen. That longer period will give the wave a bit more shape, but it’s still tiny. Wednesday the 2nd of September morning is glassy, with a 2 ft east swell at 12 seconds and energy of 115. It’s clean and there’s a little more push, but it’s not a standout by any means.
Then, on Friday the 4th of September, the swell finally jumps. The morning brings 6 ft of northeast swell at just 8 seconds, with a combined energy of 754—that’s a moderate-to-strong burst of energy. The wind is cross-shore from the southeast, so it’ll be a bit lumpy. This is the biggest swell of the outlook, but the short period and cross breeze mean it’ll be a bit of a mess. For intermediate surfers, it’s worth a look, but the quality is only marginal, with questionable conditions.
Saturday the 5th of September morning sees the swell drop back to 3 ft but with a longer 12-second period from the east. Combined energy is 366, and a northerly cross breeze keeps it clean-ish. It’s a better-shaped wave than Friday, but much smaller. After that, the wind turns onshore and the swell fades, with Sunday the 6th and Monday the 7th showing up to 4 ft of wind-affected, onshore mess from the east. That’s a full-on onshore chop, not one for the paddle crowd—looks more like a kite surfing session.
The best of a rough bunch: I’d point you to Friday the 4th of September morning for the biggest wave of the outlook (6 ft, northeast swell), even if it’s a bit lumpy. For cleaner conditions, Wednesday the 2nd of September morning (2 ft, 12-second east swell, glassy) is a nicer ride, but you’ll be scratching for size.
Stay patient, mate. This place has fair consistency, so it won’t stay flat forever.
Rusty.
Short Range ForecastModerate rain (total 17mm), heaviest on Mon night. Warm (max 28°C on Thu afternoon, min 24°C on Tue morning). Wind will be generally light. | Days 5-7 Weather SummaryModerate rain (total 16mm), heaviest on Thu night. Warm (max 27°C on Sun afternoon, min 23°C on Thu night). Winds decreasing (fresh winds from the SW on Thu night, calm by Sat night). | ||||||||||||||||||
Tuesday 25 | Wednesday 26 | Thursday 27 | Friday 28 | Saturday 29 | Sunday 30 | ||||||||||||||
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 11 | ESE 11 | ESE 11 | SE 11 | ESE 9 | E 8 | E 9 | E 9 | E 9 | E 9 | E 8 | E 8 | SSE 5 | ESE 8 | ESE 8 | ESE 8 | ESE 8 | ESE 8 | ESE 8 |
Wave Graph | |||||||||||||||||||
23 | 22 | 22 | 29 | 28 | 36 | 26 | 54 | 59 | 39 | 36 | 35 | 22 | 44 | 21 | 26 | 27 | 24 | 22 | |
Wind (km/h) | |||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | off | cross | cross-on | cross | cross-on | cross | cross | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | off | off | off | cross-off | off | off | glassy | cross | cross-off |
High Tide | 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 | 9:26AM1.21m | 9:40PM1.14m | |||||||
Low Tide | 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 | 3:37PM0.18m | 3:49AM0.07m | ||||||
— | 6:28 | — | — | 6:28 | — | — | 6:30 | — | — | 6:31 | — | — | 6:31 | — | — | 6:31 | — | — | |
7:42 | — | 7:39 | — | — | 7:38 | — | — | 7:37 | — | — | 7:36 | — | — | 7:35 | — | — | 7:34 | — | |
mm | 6 | — | — | — | — | — | — | 6 | 5 | 7 | 3 | 2 | — | — | 1 | 3 | — | — | 2 |
Temp °C | 26 | 24 | 25 | 25 | 26 | 26 | 26 | 26 | 28 | 25 | 25 | 26 | 26 | 24 | 26 | 26 | 25 | 27 | 27 |
Feels °C | 26 | 24 | 23 | 23 | 25 | 24 | 25 | 27 | 28 | 25 | 26 | 27 | 27 | 24 | 29 | 30 | 28 | 28 | 27 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | ESE 11 | ESE 11 | ESE 11 | SE 11 | ESE 9 | E 8 | E 9 | E 9 | E 9 | E 9 | E 8 | E 8 | SSE 5 | ESE 8 | ESE 8 | ESE 8 | ESE 8 | ESE 8 | ESE 8 |
23 | 22 | 22 | 29 | 28 | 36 | 26 | 54 | 59 | 39 | 36 | 35 | 19 | 44 | 21 | 26 | 27 | 24 | 22 | |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SSE 4 | SSE 6 | SE 6 | NNE 4 | E 6 | E 15 | ESE 7 | E 13 | E 12 | E 12 | E 11 | E 11 | ESE 8 | E 10 | SE 5 | E 9 | E 9 | NE 4 | NE 4 |
2 | 3 | 1 | 3 | 1 | 17 | 18 | 13 | 12 | 11 | 10 | 9 | 22 | 8 | 3 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 1 | |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | E 7 | E 7 | E 6 | E 6 | E 16 | NE 6 | E 14 | E 6 | E 8 | E 12 | E 11 | SE 5 | E 10 | E 10 | E 10 | E 9 | — | E 9 | E 9 |
1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 5 | 2 | 15 | 1 | 1 | 11 | 10 | 1 | 8 | 8 | 8 | 7 | — | 2 | 2 | |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | NNW 3 | N 4 | — | — | SE 2 | SSE 4 | SE 4 | SSE 4 | S 4 | S 3 | S 3 | WSW 3 | — | — | — | — | — | — |
— | 1 | 7 | — | — | 1 | 8 | 3 | 11 | 18 | 4 | 7 | 6 | — | — | — | — | — | — | |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 61 | 61 | 857 | 594 | 594 | 624 | 645 | 797 | 1086 | 76 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 61 | 581 | 183 | 2023 | 1874 |
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.











