Virginia Beach Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, Rusty here. Let’s have a look at what Virginia Beach is serving up over the next couple of weeks. I’ll be straight with you – it’s a tough run ahead. We’re looking at a long stretch of small, weak, and messy conditions before we get a little window of something half-decent.

Right now, through the end of July and into the first few days of August, it’s mostly flat and poor. The swell is tiny, often under 1 ft, and the wind is mostly onshore or cross-onshore, chopping everything up. The combined wave energy is weak, barely cracking 20-30 (weak energy). There’s a pulse of bigger, wind-blown swell on the 23rd and 24th of July, with heights around 5 ft to 7 ft, but it’s coming from the NE with a strong onshore wind at 16 mph, making it a total mess. That’s more of a kite-surfing show than a paddle session. The period is a short, weak 6 seconds, so no real shape to it.

We have a gap of several days with no real recommendation. The first bit of hope shows up on the morning of Sunday the 26th of July. The wind goes glassy, just 3 mph from the ENE, and the swell is 2 ft from the ENE with a period of 6 seconds. The combined energy is still weak at 68. It’s surfable, but ordinary. Not a standout by any stretch.

The next little glimmer comes on the morning of Monday the 3rd of August. Again, glassy conditions with a light SW wind at 3 mph. The swell is a tiny 1 ft from the ENE with a 10-second period, which is a bit longer period giving it some energy, but the combined energy is still weak at 46. It’s clean, but you’ll be hunting for a ripple.

The best of the entire forecast, and the only real standout, is the morning of Tuesday the 4th of August. We’ve got a light offshore wind from the WSW at 9 mph, which will clean things right up. The swell is still small at 1 ft from the ENE, but the period is a nice 10 seconds, and the energy is a bit higher at 67 (weak energy). It’s described as “surfable waves but very ordinary conditions,” but for this stretch, that’s a win. The water temperature is about average for the time of year, so you’ll be comfortable in a shorty. Virginia Beach is a consistent, exposed beach/jetty break, so it can handle swell from many directions, but it prefers an ESE direction. This ENE swell is a bit off its optimum, but with that offshore wind, it’ll be the cleanest waves you’ll see in the whole window. Expect crowds, as it’s a popular spot.

So, to sum it up: the first week is a write-off. The second week offers a couple of glassy mornings, with the 4th of August morning being your best bet for a clean, small-wave session. Long-range, this is promising but not certain. Keep your eyes on the forecast, because it tends not to stay poor for long around here.

Rusty.

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