Chicahauk Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, Rusty here. Let’s have a look at what’s shaping up for Chicahauk.

First off, water temp is sitting at 80°, which is a touch warmer than normal for this time of year – not a huge deal, but it’s noticeable when you first get in.

Honestly, the next week and a half is pretty flat and grim. We’ve got a long dry spell with hardly anything worth paddling out for. From Monday the 14th right through to the morning of Friday the 18th, it’s all poor surf – cross-shore or onshore winds, small weak swell, lumpy and choppy. The combined swell energy is mostly in the double digits or low hundreds (40 to 195), which tells you it’s weak and unorganised. Not a lot to get excited about.

Friday morning the 18th is the first tiny glimmer – 2ft from the east, period 7 seconds, with a light WNW cross-offshore breeze. Clean conditions, but the surf is very ordinary. Combined energy is just 62. You could get a few ankle-biters if you’re desperate, but it’s hardly a standout.

Saturday the 19th and Sunday the 20th stay tiny – 1ft to 1ft – with long period (11-12 seconds) but that’s groundswell with barely any push. The energy is in the 20-40 range. Sunday morning the 20th has a moderate offshore from the SW, so it’ll be clean, but tiny. Not worth the drive.

Monday the 21st is similar – 1ft, clean again in the morning with WSW offshore, but still weak.

Now, Tuesday the 22nd is where things start to get interesting. Morning session shows 5ft from the ENE, period 8 seconds, with a light SW offshore wind and clean conditions. Combined swell energy jumps to 234 – moderate energy. That’s a decent little pulse for an intermediate crew. The break is a sandbar, fairly consistent, exposed to east swell, and the optimum direction is east, so the ENE swell is a close match. Crowds are listed as “sometimes” – so expect a few others out, but nothing crazy. This is probably the best call in the whole outlook. Tuesday morning the 22nd is the pick.

Wednesday the 23rd still has some size – 4ft from the east, clean in the morning with a gentle offshore, but the energy drops to 159. It’s surfable but ordinary.

Thursday the 24th drops off to 3ft, moderate offshore wind, energy in the 90s – not much.

Then Friday the 25th is a real wildcard. The morning shows 8ft from the NE, period 7 seconds, with a moderate offshore from the WSW – that’s a lot of water moving. Combined energy is 651 (strong). And the afternoon gets glassy – zero wind, 7ft from the NE. This is big, raw, powerful stuff. But the period is short (7 seconds), which means it’ll be lumpy and thumping, no real line to it. At this size – over 8ft in the morning – it’s expert-only territory. The afternoon at 7ft is still heavy. If you’re a strong paddler and like a challenge, this could be a standout, but it’s not for the faint-hearted. Keep in mind, the swell direction is NE but the optimum for Chicahauk is east, so it’s a bit off-angle.

Saturday the 26th through to Tuesday the 29th is blown out – strong onshore winds, rain, messy conditions, dropping swell. Energy crashes back to double digits. Not worth it.

So to wrap it up: the best bet is Tuesday morning the 22nd – clean, moderate energy, head-high-ish waves with light offshore wind. If you’re an expert and you want a big, raw challenge, Friday the 25th could be your day, but it’s messy and off-angle. Everything else is a write-off until then.

Stay patient, the sandbar will fire eventually.
Rusty

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