
Surf Forecasts:
Chicahauk surf forecast from 4 Jul 2026:
- Best quality surf: Tuesday 7 Jul, 11AM (local time) - 1.5ft (0.5m), 7s period, SSE swell with offshore winds.
- Most powerful swell: Friday 10 Jul, 11PM (local time) - 3ft (0.9m), 8s period, SE swell with 100 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Tuesday 7 Jul, 11AM (local time) - 1.5ft (0.5m), 7s 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 Tuesday (Jul 07) at 11AM. The primary swell is predicted to be 0.5m and 7s period with a secondary swell of 0.3m and 10s. The wind is predicted to be offshore as the swell arrives.
The most powerful waves expected at Chicahauk in the next 16 days are 0.9m 8s and forecast to arrive on Friday (Jul 10) at 11PM. Winds are predicted to be offshore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 1.7m 5s period and expected on Friday (Jul 10) at 8PM.
| Wave Type | Time (EDT) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 11AM (Tue 7th Jul) | 1.5ft (0.5m) 7s |
| Best Surf | 11AM (Tue 7th Jul) | 1.5ft (0.5m) 7s |
| Most Powerful | 11PM (Fri 10th Jul) | 3ft (0.9m) 8s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Chicahauk over the next 16 days.
Updates in hr min s Forecast update imminent
Alright, this is Rusty, and here’s how the next couple of weeks are shaping up for the Outer Banks.
Alright folks, let’s look at this stretch ahead. It’s a bit of a tough one, if I’m being honest. We’re looking at Chicahauk, and for the first week, the swell is just going to be shy – we’re talking ankle to knee-high waves that are more for floating around than actually surfing. The water is warm, sitting at about 80°F, which is pretty much dead on for July, so that’s a bright spot. But the real problem is the lack of power. The combined energy is sitting in the teens and twenties for days, which is about as weak as it gets.
Now, there’s a little glimmer on Tuesday the 7th when a small bump rolls in. It’s still small, only about 1 feet, but the period stretches to 10 seconds and the energy finally creeps up to 50. We get a solid northwesterly offshore wind in the morning, so the wave face will be glassy. It’s surfable, but honestly, it’s ordinary. You’d be scratching for anything rideable.
The next real shift happens around the second week. By Monday the 13th and Tuesday the 14th, things pick up a notch. The swell bumps to about 3 feet, the period holds at 7 seconds, and the wave energy climbs into triple figures – 105 combined energy, moderate power finally arriving. The great news is we are getting proper offshore winds from the WSW, especially on Monday morning and Tuesday morning. That means clean, peeling lines at that exposed sandbar. But the direction is coming out of the NE-E, which is a bit off the optimum, so the sandbars will need to cooperate. It’s not going to be a screaming point break, but for the Outer Banks, a clean 3-footer with a moderate offshore breeze is about as good as it gets in this quiet spell.
The standout here is Tuesday morning the 14th. We get a 3 foot ENE swell with a 7-second period, a gentle WSW offshore at about 9 mph, and that clean, offshore look. The crowd factor says “sometimes,” and for a spot that cleans up that well, you can expect other folks to be in the water. It’s not a classic, but it’s the best on offer. If you can get out there early, you’ll find some fun corners.
After that, the forecast gets really quiet again. The last week of the window drops back to about 1 feet and weak energy. Friday the 17th morning goes glassy, but there’s no swell to work with. It’s a classic summer lull on the Banks.
So, to wrap it up: the best window is Monday the 13th through Tuesday the 14th of July. Get on it if you can, because it’s going to be a long wait after that. Stay patient, keep the wax warm, and see you in the water.
Rusty.
Short Range ForecastHeavy rain (total 22mm), heaviest during Mon night. Warm (max 33°C on Sat afternoon, min 24°C on Sun morning). Winds increasing (light winds from the SW on Sun morning, fresh winds from the SSW by Mon afternoon). | Days 5-7 Weather SummaryHeavy rain (total 25mm), heaviest during Tue night. Warm (max 31°C on Tue afternoon, min 24°C on Tue night). Mainly strong winds. | ||||||||||||||||||||
Sat 4 | Sunday 5 | Monday 6 | Tuesday 7 | Wednesday 8 | Thursday 9 | Friday 10 | |||||||||||||||
PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | |
Swell Height Map | |||||||||||||||||||||
Wave Height (m) Direction Period (s) | ESE 9 | ESE 8 | ESE 8 | ESE 8 | ESE 8 | ESE 9 | ESE 9 | ESE 10 | SSE 7 | ESE 9 | ESE 9 | ESE 9 | ESE 9 | ESE 9 | ESE 9 | SSE 7 | SE 8 | SE 8 | ESE 10 | SE 8 | SE 8 |
Wave Graph | |||||||||||||||||||||
25 | 24 | 23 | 14 | 14 | 17 | 17 | 18 | 25 | 29 | 29 | 32 | 28 | 28 | 27 | 28 | 70 | 70 | 9 | 98 | 70 | |
Wind (km/h) | |||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | cross-off | off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | off | cross | cross-off | off | cross-on | cross-on | on | cross | cross-off | off | cross-off | off | off |
High Tide | 11:15PM1.01m | 11:50AM0.94m | 11:55PM0.97m | 12:33PM0.99m | 00:39AM0.92m | 1:22PM1.04m | 1:31AM0.87m | 2:21PM1.09m | 2:35AM0.83m | 3:24PM1.15m | 3:43AM0.82m | 4:24PM1.22m | 4:47AM0.84m | ||||||||
Low Tide | 5:07PM0.23m | 5:41AM0.05m | 5:58PM0.24m | 6:21AM0.04m | 6:51PM0.24m | 7:04AM0.03m | 7:51PM0.23m | 7:54AM0.02m | 8:57PM0.20m | 8:50AM0.00m | 10:01PM0.15m | 9:49AM-0.02m | 11:04PM0.08m | 10:49AM-0.05m | |||||||
— | — | 5:50 | — | — | 5:50 | — | — | 5:52 | — | — | 5:52 | — | — | 5:52 | — | — | 5:54 | — | — | 5:54 | |
8:22 | — | — | 8:22 | — | — | 8:22 | — | — | 8:22 | — | — | 8:22 | — | — | 8:22 | — | — | 8:22 | — | 8:21 | |
mm | — | — | — | — | — | — | 6 | 16 | — | 6 | 17 | — | 1 | 1 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Temp °C | 33 | 29 | 27 | 29 | 28 | 29 | 30 | 27 | 28 | 31 | 24 | 26 | 28 | 26 | 24 | 26 | 28 | 30 | 33 | 29 | 29 |
Feels °C | 33 | 28 | 30 | 28 | 28 | 32 | 32 | 29 | 29 | 33 | 20 | 27 | 30 | 28 | 26 | 26 | 28 | 30 | 32 | 27 | 28 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | ESE 9 | ESE 8 | ESE 8 | ESE 8 | ESE 8 | ESE 9 | ESE 9 | ESE 10 | SSE 7 | ESE 9 | SSE 7 | ESE 9 | SSE 8 | SSE 7 | SSE 7 | ESE 9 | SE 8 | SE 8 | ESE 10 | SE 8 | SE 8 |
25 | 24 | 23 | 14 | 14 | 17 | 17 | 18 | 25 | 29 | 29 | 32 | 23 | 26 | 19 | 15 | 70 | 70 | 9 | 98 | 70 | |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | — | — | — | E 7 | — | — | — | ESE 10 | NE 6 | S 4 | SSE 8 | ESE 9 | ESE 9 | ESE 9 | E 11 | E 11 | E 10 | E 10 | — | WSW 4 |
— | — | — | — | 1 | — | — | — | 18 | 6 | 10 | 22 | 28 | 28 | 27 | 2 | 9 | 2 | 2 | — | 2 | |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | NE 7 | — | ESE 9 | NE 5 | NE 5 | NE 7 | NE 6 | NE 6 | NE 6 | E 10 | — | — | SSW 4 |
— | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 2 | — | 28 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 2 | — | — | 2 | |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | S 3 | SSW 4 | SSW 3 | S 4 | S 4 | S 4 | S 4 | S 4 | S 4 | S 4 | WSW 4 | WSW 3 | — | SW 3 | W 3 | SSE 7 | SSW 4 | SW 4 | S 5 | SSW 5 | NNW 3 |
4 | 15 | 1 | 13 | 15 | 13 | 28 | 30 | 17 | 44 | 10 | 1 | — | 2 | 1 | 28 | 41 | 12 | 70 | 54 | 2 | |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 100 | 1910 | 355 | 1405 | 1944 | 203 | 78 | 240 | 0 | 0 | 245 | 100 | 179 | 275 | 93 | 197 | 100 | 245 | 0 | 468 | 87 |
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.











