🇺🇸 VIRGINIA BEACH, VIRGINIA
Virginia Beach
East Coast surf hub with the ECSC heritage
FAIR
Live Conditions
Conditions Summary
Good 6ft waves — but short 8s period indicates wind swell, expect choppy conditions — hitting at the ideal angle — light cross-shore winds, still manageable — Note: this is outside the peak season for this spot
HIGH CONFIDENCEFresh buoy data + calibrated transformation
Why it's FAIR
Swell Direction
Primary swell is 80° — matches the ideal 90° window for this spot
Swell Period
9s — short-period swell. Waves will have less power than a true groundswell.
Wind
5mph offshore — clean, grooming the wave face
Tide
Rising tide — workable window
Season
May is off-season — rare for this spot to get quality waves
Data Confidence
Fresh buoy data with calibrated coastal transformation
At the Break
5.5ft
HIGH CONFIDENCE
Fresh buoy data + calibrated transformation
Period
9s
Mid-period
Wind
5mph
N
OFFSHORE
Water
63°F
3/2 wetsuit
Live Buoy 44099
3.9ft
9s
46 min ago
Swell Direction
100%
Wind Direction
80%
Primary Swell
2.7ft @ 6.7s
E 81°
Secondary Swell
0.7ft @ 8.4s
SE 138°
9 Day Outlook
3.3ft
TODAY
May 24
(8s)
2.6ft
TMRW
May 25
(7s)
2.1ft
TUE
May 26
(7s)
1.6ft
WED
May 27
(7s)
1.6ft
THU
May 28
(6s)
2.2ft
FRI
May 29
(6s)
2.2ft
SAT
May 30
(7s)
2.1ft
SUN
May 31
(7s)
6.6ft
MON
Jun 1
(7s)
Best this week: today — 3.3ft
Best next week: MON Jun 1 — 6.6ft
Incoming Swell Events
Day 9
moderate
Swell building to 6.6ft @ 7s
Model Breakdown
ECMWF (45%)1.4ft
ICON (35%)2.8ft
GFS (20%)No data
Model confidence40%
Updated every 30 mins · Open-Meteo ECMWF + ICON + GFS
About
Virginia Beach has one of the deepest surf cultures on the East Coast, home of the East Coast Surfing Championships since 1963. A long Atlantic-facing beach with multiple piers that shape distinct peaks. The 1st Street jetty at Rudee Inlet is the most famous spot. Hurricane season is the high point.
The Break
1st Street Jetty at Rudee Inlet — or any of the pier-adjacent sandbars along the main beach.
Ideal Conditions
E/NE swell 3-10ft, offshore W/NW wind, mid tide
Best Months
Jan
Feb
Mar
Apr
May
Jun
Jul
Aug
Sep
Oct
Nov
Dec
Best months highlighted · Current: May
Trip Planner
Virginia Beach Ecsc Weekend
Weekend · 3 Days
Friday
Fly to Norfolk (ORF), rent car, drive to Virginia Beach. Check Rudee Inlet conditions.
Saturday
Dawn patrol at 1st Street Jetty. Explore pier-adjacent peaks along the main beach.
Sunday
Morning session or travel to nearby alternative peaks.
Virginia Beach Surf Culture Week
Full Week · 7 Days
Day 1
Arrive, settle in Virginia Beach, scout Rudee Inlet and the piers.
Day 2-4
Multiple sessions at Rudee and pier-adjacent breaks.
Day 5
Final session, explore the long Atlantic-facing beach.
Local Knowledge
01
ECSC in August is a can't-miss East Coast event.
02
Rudee Inlet gets crowded on swell days.
03
Deepest surf culture on the East Coast.
Best Window
Day 9 · Jun 1
6.6ft @ 7s
GOOD
Trip Cost Estimate
Flights from NYC~$220
Hotel per night~$160
Weekend est.~$700
5 day est.~$1020
Week est.~$1340