Surf Forecasts:
Chicahauk surf forecast from 20 Aug 2026:
- Best quality surf: Saturday 22 Aug, 8AM (local time) - 1.5ft (0.4m), 9s period, ESE swell with cross-offshore winds.
- Most powerful swell: Wednesday 26 Aug, 2AM (local time) - 3ft (0.9m), 6s period, SSE swell with 66 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Saturday 22 Aug, 8AM (local time) - 1.5ft (0.4m), 9s 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 Saturday (Aug 22) at 8AM. The primary swell is predicted to be 0.4m and 9s period with a secondary swell of 0.4m and 6s. 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 0.9m 6s and forecast to arrive on Wednesday (Aug 26) at 2AM. Winds are predicted to be cross-shore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 1.0m 4s period and expected on Tuesday (Aug 25) at 11PM.
| Wave Type | Time (EDT) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 8AM (Sat 22nd Aug) | 1.5ft (0.4m) 9s |
| Best Surf | 8AM (Sat 22nd Aug) | 1.5ft (0.4m) 9s |
| Most Powerful | 2AM (Wed 26th Aug) | 3ft (0.9m) 6s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Chicahauk over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
Alright folks, Rusty here. Let’s break down the next couple of weeks at Chicahauk.
First up, the water temperature is sitting at 84°, which is a whopping 4° warmer than usual for this time of year. That’s well above average, so you’re looking at a very warm surf.
The honest truth is, the first ten days or so are pretty flat. Swell heights stay tiny, mostly between 0.7 ft and 2 ft, with weak energy levels (most readings are under 60). The winds are often cross or cross-off, but there are a few glassy moments on the mornings of the 22nd and 26th. Even then, the waves are just too small and weak to get excited about. The Saturday morning of the 22nd has a glassy window with a 1 ft ESE swell, but it’s a storm-risk day and the energy is just 49 – it’s rideable but very ordinary. You’ll get a few ankle-biters, but nothing to write home about.
There’s a real gap here. From the 22nd, through the 23rd, 24th, 25th, 26th, 27th, 28th, 29th, 30th, and into the 31st, conditions are almost all "poor surf conditions" with tiny swell. A few mornings on the 26th and 30th offer a glimpse of clean-looking surf, but the swell is still 1 ft to 2 ft – barely enough for a longboard.
Now, hold on to your boards, because things change dramatically in the first week of September. The standout window kicks off on Wednesday, the 2nd of September. The morning brings a clean 5 ft swell from the NNE, with a light offshore wind from the WSW. The combined energy jumps to 245 – that’s moderate energy, and it’s a proper groundswell with a period of 6 seconds, which is short, but the offshore wind should keep the surface clean. Chicahauk is a sandbar, exposed to the east, and this NNE swell is a good direction for it. The water is still warm, and this is the first real surfable size in a while.
But the real highlight is Friday, the 4th of September. The morning looks epic. We’re looking at a 8 ft NNE swell, combined energy of 835 – that’s strong wave energy. The period is 7 seconds, so it’s a bit short-period, but the wind is offshore from the SW at 9 mph, meaning clean, glassy conditions. This is expert territory at this size, but for those with the skills, it’s going to be pumping. The Friday afternoon ramps up even more to 10 ft from the NNE with energy hitting 1293, but the wind turns cross-off from the south. Still, that’s very powerful surf, and given the size and energy, it’s only for the experienced crew. Because of the size, this could be a bit much for beach breaks, but Chicahauk’s sandbar setup might handle it.
Bottom line: there’s a lot of waiting for the first week of September, but the 2nd, 3rd, and especially the 4th are the ones to circle on the calendar. That Friday morning of the 4th is the best bet – solid swell, clean conditions, and strong energy. Take it with a grain of salt for the long-range, but it’s looking like a ripper.
Rusty.
Short Range ForecastHeavy rain (total 20mm), heaviest during Thu night. Warm (max 30°C on Thu afternoon, min 25°C on Fri morning). Mainly fresh winds. | Days 5-7 Weather SummaryHeavy rain (total 23mm), heaviest during Tue morning. Warm (max 30°C on Sun afternoon, min 22°C on Tue morning). Winds decreasing (strong winds from the SW on Mon night, light winds from the NNW by Tue night). | |||||||||||||||||||
Thu 20 | Friday 21 | Saturday 22 | Sunday 23 | Monday 24 | Tuesday 25 | Wednesday 26 | ||||||||||||||
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 9 | ESE 9 | ESE 9 | E 9 | E 8 | E 13 | SE 6 | SE 6 | ESE 12 | ESE 12 | ESE 11 | ESE 11 | ESE 11 | ESE 11 | SSE 6 | ESE 9 | ESE 9 | E 14 |
Wave Graph | ||||||||||||||||||||
14 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 26 | 24 | 23 | 13 | 12 | 11 | 28 | 27 | 25 | 23 | 22 | 22 | 66 | 17 | 16 | 16 | |
Wind (km/h) | ||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | cross | glassy | cross-on | on | off | off | cross-off | off | off | off | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | cross-off | cross-off | off | cross | cross-on | cross-on | cross |
High Tide | 2:09PM1.05m | 2:22AM0.78m | 3:15PM1.04m | 3:36AM0.78m | 4:11PM1.05m | 4:33AM0.80m | 5:00PM1.07m | 5:24AM0.84m | 5:47PM1.11m | 6:14AM0.90m | 6:32PM1.15m | 6:57AM0.96m | 7:12PM1.18m | |||||||
Low Tide | 9:00PM0.46m | 8:31AM0.41m | 9:57PM0.47m | 9:29AM0.43m | 10:47PM0.45m | 10:22AM0.42m | 11:36PM0.41m | 11:13AM0.39m | 00:23AM0.34m | 12:05PM0.34m | 1:02AM0.27m | 12:53PM0.28m | 1:35AM0.19m | |||||||
— | — | 6:24 | — | — | 6:26 | — | — | 6:26 | — | — | 6:26 | — | — | 6:28 | — | — | 6:28 | — | — | |
7:46 | — | — | 7:45 | — | — | 7:44 | — | — | 7:43 | — | — | 7:42 | — | — | 7:39 | — | — | 7:38 | — | |
mm | — | 6 | — | — | 5 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 1 | — | — | — | 4 | 10 | 5 | 3 | — | — | 3 |
Temp °C | 30 | 29 | 25 | 26 | 27 | 26 | 26 | 26 | 26 | 30 | 29 | 26 | 26 | 27 | 23 | 25 | 25 | 25 | 25 | 27 |
Feels °C | 29 | 28 | 27 | 28 | 31 | 29 | 25 | 25 | 27 | 29 | 28 | 26 | 26 | 26 | 21 | 26 | 27 | 27 | 26 | 27 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | ESE 8 | ESE 8 | ESE 9 | ESE 9 | ESE 9 | E 9 | E 8 | E 8 | SE 6 | SE 6 | SE 6 | ESE 12 | ESE 11 | ESE 11 | ESE 11 | ESE 11 | SSE 6 | SE 5 | NNE 4 | ESE 9 |
14 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 26 | 24 | 23 | 12 | 8 | 9 | 8 | 27 | 25 | 23 | 22 | 22 | 66 | 6 | 2 | 16 | |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | E 6 | E 6 | SE 4 | SE 4 | NNE 5 | NNE 6 | NNE 5 | NNE 5 | E 8 | E 12 | ESE 12 | SE 5 | NNE 4 | N 4 | E 7 | E 7 | ESE 11 | ESE 9 | ESE 9 | NNE 4 |
1 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 5 | 12 | 6 | 3 | 11 | 11 | 28 | 4 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 22 | 17 | 16 | 1 | |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | NE 4 | E 16 | E 8 | E 7 | E 7 | E 13 | E 13 | E 13 | E 12 | NNE 6 | NNE 5 | E 7 | SSE 5 | E 7 | — | — | E 7 | S 7 | SE 6 | E 14 |
1 | 5 | 1 | 4 | 4 | 14 | 14 | 13 | 12 | 3 | 3 | 1 | 2 | 1 | — | — | 1 | 4 | 5 | 16 | |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SSE 3 | S 4 | — | — | S 3 | S 3 | S 4 | S 3 | WSW 3 | — | NW 3 | N 4 | — | SSE 3 | SW 3 | S 3 | WSW 3 | NNW 3 | — | SE 6 |
3 | 10 | — | — | 1 | 8 | 16 | 8 | 1 | — | 1 | 6 | — | 3 | 2 | 7 | 3 | 2 | — | 8 | |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | ||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 814 | 857 | 857 | 1187 | 1728 | 61 | 0 | 0 | 76 | 240 | 240 | 100 | 61 | 100 | 417 | 417 | 275 | 240 | 61 | 584 |
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.











