Virginia Beach Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, Rusty here, and I’ve got a look at the waves for the next couple of weeks. Gotta be straight with you – it’s looking pretty grim for Virginia Beach. The finder is giving us zero recommendations across the entire 16-day window, so we’re in for a long stretch of nothing special.

The first faint sign of surfable swell shows up around the 19th of September, but even then, it’s barely a blip. Before that, from the 10th all the way through the 18th, we’re looking at a solid week and a half of flat, weak, or messy conditions. Swell heights are mostly in the 0.7 ft to 3 ft range, with combined energy readings that are basically a whisper – mostly between 18 and 64 (weak energy). Winds are all over the place, but generally onshore or cross-onshore, spoiling whatever tiny bumps might form. There’s a glimmer on the 16th morning with a glassy wind and a 1.0 ft ESE swell, but that’s barely a ripple.

There’s a bit of a pulse building around the 19th of September. Saturday morning the 19th shows a 4 ft swell from the NE with a 6-second period and a cross-offshore wind from the NNW, keeping things fairly clean. The combined energy jumps to 102 (moderate wave energy), which is the most we’ll see in the first few days. But the period is short, so the waves will be weak and a bit crumbly. It’s not a standout, just the least bad option.

The real action, if you can call it that, arrives late in the forecast. On the 22nd of September, we see a jump in swell size. Tuesday morning (22nd) has a 5 ft E swell at 8 seconds with a combined energy of 486 (strong wave energy). By Tuesday afternoon, it’s 5 ft from the ENE, period 8 seconds, and energy hits 664 (strong wave energy). The wind, however, is a fresh cross-onshore from the ENE at 30 km/h, making for lumpy, messy conditions. This is for experienced surfers only – 5 ft is getting too big for beginners, and the onshore wind will make it a battle.

The 23rd and 24th of September keep the swell pumping. Wednesday the 23rd has 6 ft from the ENE at 10 seconds – a better period, suggesting a bit more push – but the wind is a fresh onshore at 35 km/h, so it’s going to be a washing machine. Combined energy is 540 (strong). Thursday the 24th sees similar size (5 ft to 5 ft) and a long period of 10 seconds, but the wind is a strong cross-onshore on Thursday afternoon, hitting 45 km/h, with a combined energy of 782 (very strong wave energy). This is messy, powerful, and only for the most experienced crew. The heavy rain and light rain don’t help the vibe either.

So, honestly, there’s no true standout session here. The whole period is a write-off for quality surf. The water temperature is about average for the time of year, nothing wild. For a beach/jetty setup like Virginia Beach, with this much swell and strong onshore winds, it’s looking more like a kite surfing session than a paddle surf session on those bigger days. Keep your expectations low, and maybe the forecasts change. For now, I’d leave the board in the car.

Rusty.

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