Chicahauk Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, let’s break this down. This 16-day stretch for Chicahauk is a tough one. There’s next to nothing worth paddling out for, and the first real glimmer doesn’t show up until Wednesday, September 9th, and even that’s a whisper. You’ve got a long run of poor surf conditions taking up most of the first week and into the second, with winds mostly onshore or cross-onshore, and the swell is tiny.

The only sessions that even get a “surfable” nod are a handful of mornings, and none of them are standouts. But we work with what we’ve got.

The first date worth mentioning is Wednesday, September 9th, in the morning. Chicahauk is a sandbar setup, fairly consistent, and it’s exposed to the east. The water temp is about average for this time of year. The swell is a tiny 0.6m (that’s about 2 feet) from the ESE, with a short period of 7 seconds, so it’s weak, mushy stuff. The wind is glassy though – that’s a rare treat for this stretch. Combined wave energy is a low 45 (weak energy). It’s a beginner-friendly size, but the quality is very ordinary. Crowds are *sometimes* an issue, so you might have a few others out there for the same sloppy little waves.

Then Thursday morning, September 10th, offers a similar story. Swell is even smaller at 0.5m (2 feet) from the SE, period still 7 seconds, energy at 46 (weak). But the wind is offshore from the SW, moderate breeze, so it’ll be clean. Again, it’s surfable but very ordinary. Not worth a special trip.

The next tiny glimmer is Monday morning, September 14th. Another glassy morning, with a 0.4m (1 feet) ESE swell, 9-second period, 41 energy (weak). It’s just a repeat of the same low-energy, clean but tiny conditions.

The last real look-in is Saturday morning, September 19th. Swell picks up a bit to 0.9m (about 3 feet) from the NE, period 7 seconds, energy at 99 (weak, but right on the edge of moderate). The wind is offshore from the SW, moderate breeze, so it’ll be clean. Still, it’s not big, not powerful – just a step up from the total flatness.

That’s it. There’s nothing here that qualifies as a true standout. The waves are all small, mostly weak, and the wind is a constant battle. For a sandbar exposed to the east, the optimum swell direction is from the east, but we never get a clean, powerful pulse from that direction with good wind. The only time you’ll get a clean wave is those fleeting morning windows. The afternoon sessions are all a write-off.

If you’re a beginner, the Wednesday morning (9th) or Thursday morning (10th) might be okay for a practice, but don’t expect any real waves. For anyone else, it’s a skip. The setup looks more interesting for a kite surfer than a paddle surfer on those afternoons with stronger side winds.

Rusty.

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