Surf Forecasts:
Chicahauk surf forecast from 17 Jul 2026:
- Best quality surf: Sunday 19 Jul, 2PM (local time) - 2ft (0.6m), 8s period, SSE swell with offshore winds.
- Most powerful swell: Wednesday 22 Jul, 2AM (local time) - 3.5ft (1.1m), 9s period, SE swell with 172 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Sunday 19 Jul, 2PM (local time) - 2ft (0.6m), 8s period with SSE 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 Sunday (Jul 19) at 2PM. The primary swell is predicted to be 0.6m and 8s period with a secondary swell of 0.1m and 13s. The wind is predicted to be offshore as the swell arrives.
The most powerful waves expected at Chicahauk in the next 16 days are 1.1m 9s and forecast to arrive on Wednesday (Jul 22) at 2AM. Winds are predicted to be cross-offshore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 1.4m 5s period and expected on Saturday (Jul 18) at 11PM.
| Wave Type | Time (EDT) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 2PM (Sun 19th Jul) | 2ft (0.6m) 8s |
| Best Surf | 2PM (Sun 19th Jul) | 2ft (0.6m) 8s |
| Most Powerful | 2AM (Wed 22nd Jul) | 3.5ft (1.1m) 9s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Chicahauk over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
Alright, I’m gonna give it to you straight: it’s a pretty grim stretch for Chicahauk. Let’s break it down.
We’ve got a 16-day forecast window starting now, but honestly, there are no good surf options to get excited about. The whole period is plagued by tiny swell with poor conditions, and for nearly a week straight – from Friday the 17th all the way through to Wednesday the 23rd – the combined swell energy is weak, sitting under 100 (bottoming out at just 9 on Saturday morning). The wave period is a short 8 seconds or less for most of that, meaning weak, crumbly little waves.
Now, the water temperature is sitting at a warm 81°F here at Chicahauk, which is about average for this time of year, so nothing unusual in that.
Even when the energy finally kicks up a notch – like on Wednesday the 22nd with moderate combined energy readings of 104 and 122 – the wind is blowing hard from the SSW at 25 mph as a cross-offshore. The waves are still under 3 feet and the period is still only 8 seconds, so it’s messy. Mostly, this setup looks more interesting for kite surfing than paddle surfing.
There’s a brief moment on Sunday the 19th with a small 3-foot swell and a nice 3 mph breeze from the NW giving us a cross-offshore, but the energy is still weak (98) and the wave period is short (8s). The conditions are described as “surfable but very ordinary” – a 1/10 grade internally, if you will. That’s about the best you’ll see, and it’s not saying much.
The standout, such as it is, comes on Friday the 31st of July. We finally get a bit of an offshore wind from the WSW at 6 mph, a 3-foot swell from the ESE with a combined energy of 145. That’s moderate energy. The waves are still short-period (8s) but the offshore wind should clean things up. It’s still “surfable but very ordinary” – but compared to the rest, this is your best bet.
That same Friday morning is also okay with a WSW 9 mph offshore and 3-foot swell from the ESE (145 energy), but the period is still 9 seconds. Not great, but workable.
Bottom line: This is a tough block. The break is fairly consistent but the swell window just isn’t delivering. For an area like this, a blank run is more normal when the swell direction and wind aren’t playing along. Forecasts can change, but right now, don’t get your hopes up.
Stay patient, keep an eye on the charts, and maybe take the kite gear if you’ve got it.
Rusty
Short Range ForecastHeavy rain (total 48mm), heaviest during Sun night. Warm (max 31°C on Sat afternoon, min 23°C on Sun night). Winds increasing (calm on Fri morning, strong winds from the SSW by Sat night). | Days 4-6 Weather SummaryHeavy rain (total 131mm), heaviest during Wed night. Warm (max 31°C on Tue afternoon, min 23°C on Wed night). Winds increasing (light winds from the NW on Mon morning, strong winds from the SSW by Tue night). | ||||||||||||||||||||
Friday 17 | Saturday 18 | Sunday 19 | Monday 20 | Tuesday 21 | Wednesday 22 | Thursday 23 | |||||||||||||||
AM | 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) | ESE 8 | ESE 8 | ESE 8 | ESE 8 | ESE 8 | ESE 8 | SSE 8 | S 8 | SSE 8 | SSE 8 | SE 8 | SE 8 | SSE 8 | SE 8 | SE 9 | SE 8 | SE 8 | SE 9 | ENE 5 | ENE 5 | ESE 6 |
Wave Graph  | |||||||||||||||||||||
 kJ | 13 | 13 | 7 | 6 | 6 | 7 | 42 | 95 | 44 | 45 | 29 | 34 | 22 | 23 | 172 | 100 | 100 | 62 | 87 | 94 | 64 |
Wind (km/h) | |||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | glassy | cross-on | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | off | off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-on | cross-on | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on |
High Tide | 10:37AM1.10m | 10:51PM1.16m | 11:30AM1.11m | 11:39PM1.06m | 12:19PM1.10m | 00:25AM0.96m | 1:08PM1.08m | 1:11AM0.86m | 2:04PM1.05m | 2:07AM0.78m | 3:05PM1.04m | 3:15AM0.74m | 4:00PM1.03m | 4:14AM0.73m | |||||||
Low Tide | 4:44PM-0.02m | 5:20AM-0.11m | 5:44PM0.07m | 6:06AM-0.04m | 6:42PM0.16m | 6:51AM0.04m | 7:41PM0.24m | 7:36AM0.12m | 8:45PM0.30m | 8:25AM0.20m | 9:44PM0.33m | 9:16AM0.25m | 10:37PM0.34m | ||||||||
 | |  | | | |  |  |  | | | | | |  |  | | |  | | | |
 | 5:58 | — | — | 5:58 | — | — | 5:58 | — | — | 6:00 | — | — | 6:01 | — | — | 6:01 | — | — | 6:01 | — | — |
 | — | 8:19 | — | — | 8:17 | — | — | 8:17 | — | — | 8:16 | — | — | 8:15 | — | — | 8:15 | — | — | 8:15 | — |
mm | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 1 | 47 | — | 1 | 5 | 3 | — | — | 1 | 7 | 114 | 2 | 1 | — |
Temp °C | 28 | 29 | 29 | 29 | 31 | 29 | 27 | 31 | 26 | 24 | 25 | 26 | 28 | 31 | 28 | 28 | 30 | 24 | 23 | 23 | 24 |
Feels °C | 31 | 31 | 32 | 31 | 31 | 26 | 27 | 32 | 27 | 27 | 28 | 26 | 27 | 29 | 24 | 26 | 28 | 23 | 24 | 21 | 21 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | ESE 8 | ESE 8 | ESE 8 | ESE 8 | ESE 8 | ESE 8 | SSE 8 | E 13 | SSE 8 | SSE 8 | SE 8 | NE 5 | SSE 8 | SE 8 | SE 9 | SE 8 | SE 8 | SE 9 | ESE 8 | S 7 | ESE 6 |
| kJ | 13 | 13 | 7 | 6 | 6 | 7 | 42 | 3 | 44 | 45 | 29 | 14 | 22 | 23 | 172 | 100 | 100 | 62 | 26 | 4 | 64 |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | S 4 | — | N 4 | NE 4 | E 13 | E 13 | E 13 | — | WSW 4 | — | NE 4 | SE 8 | NE 5 | NE 4 | ENE 5 | SSW 4 | ESE 9 | SSE 7 | SE 6 | — | SE 8 |
| kJ | 1 | — | 1 | 1 | 3 | 3 | 3 | — | 1 | — | 4 | 34 | 11 | 5 | 2 | 6 | 17 | 21 | 5 | — | 29 |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | E 14 | E 14 | E 10 | E 10 | E 9 | E 9 | E 8 | — | E 12 | E 12 | E 12 | E 7 | SE 9 | SSE 7 | — | ENE 6 | NE 6 | NE 6 | SSE 7 | — | S 7 |
| kJ | 4 | 4 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 1 | — | 3 | 3 | 3 | 1 | 12 | 4 | — | 4 | 1 | 1 | 10 | — | 14 |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | — | — | SSW 3 | S 4 | SSW 5 | SW 4 | S 8 | SSE 4 | — | — | SE 7 | — | SSE 4 | SSW 4 | SW 4 | NNE 3 | NNE 4 | ENE 5 | ENE 5 | NE 4 |
| kJ | — | — | — | 3 | 24 | 70 | 12 | 95 | 6 | — | — | 12 | — | 3 | 41 | 3 | 4 | 2 | 87 | 94 | 24 |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 1699 | 1269 | 1277 | 1277 | 405 | 203 | 203 | 0 | 76 | 100 | 674 | 93 | 1909 | 1086 | 448 | 282 | 203 | 76 | 42 | 179 | 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.
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