What's a Good Forecast for Surfing Virginia Beach?

Recommendations

Recommendations come, and recommendations go. Nothing beats eyes on the water, especially in VahBeach.

 

Very helpful, as always.

 

local knowledge is the best forecasting system sad to say it but it is the truth. with that you can compare the conditions to the forecasted conditions and decide if it is worth going or not. therefore you never know till you go

 

What everyone else said or you can try calling a local surf shop for conditions. They usually have some good info.

 

good forecast for VB: smaller and weaker than everywhere else

 

If I think I understand what you are asking, you want to know what the best swell scenario is for Virginia Beach?

VB is best on a SE or a NE swell. The biggest problem for VB, is the common S wind swells that we see in the Mid Atlantic move right on by the VA area, because Hatteras sticks out to the south and blocks the swell.

The best wind for VB is going to be anywhere from SW to WNW, with WSW being the optimal/cleanest.

I hope that helps!

PS. if you are driving 3 hours to get to VB, you might want to think about driving a little further down to Hatteras. After all, the VA surfer's claim to fame is being close to the Outer Banks - arguably the best surf locale on the east coast.

 

You should ask a lifeguard. They know everything about the ocean they reside by for three months a year.

 

I think the answer that you are looking for lies in yourself. When you look at the forecast, and it says waist to chest with semi-bumpy conditions, the only one that knows whether or not it is worth it to make the drive is you. Just pay attention to swell direction and tide changes, and how they will affect the particular beach you plan on surfing.

 

A chest to head se swell is about as good as it gets for vb. It will get bigger on a me swell, but conditions are often lacking.

I would keep an eye on the outer banks forecast as well as it is almost always bigger down there.

 

Se wind swells genarally clean up as the frontal systems move off the coast. But when this happens, the swell fades down pretty quick. Se ground swells from tropical storms and other systems well off the coast hang around longer and can offer good conditions as well (allthough not to frequent).

 

eyes on really is the beast....va beach really aint that great for waves...just spent a week in corolla NC...6-8 foot waves everyday...it was sick...been to the beaches in va beach twice since i have been back only to be disappointed...if your gonna make a trip to va drive the extra hour or two to the outer banks its well worth it...

 

you also have the Southeasterly onshores to contend with in the spring/summer and sometimes fall. Just because a forecast says it will be offshore all day isn't necessarily true. Which brings the question, Micah do the forecasts account for the afternoon seabreeze that kicks up in some locales?

 

yeah dude va beach isnt worth the 2 hour drive tell your friends if you really want to surf drive to nags head and kook it up down there

 

honestly, it sounds like you shouldn't even be paddling out in anything over waist high bra. Just saying, you sound a bit kook-ish. There's my two cents.

 

oh yeah and i dont know about other beaches but some of the beaches you can access webcams from the web. checked out va beach this morning and it saved me a trip. obx next week looks okay right now...midway through the week