An exploration of wavelet transforms for ultrashort optical pulse characterization is given. Some of the most common wavelets are examined to determine the advantages of using the causal quasi-wavelet suggested in Proceedings of the LEOS 15th Annual Meeting (IEEE, 2002), Vol. 2, p. 592, in terms of pulse analysis and, in particular, chirp extraction. Owing to its ability to distinguish between past and future pulse information, the causal quasi-wavelet is found to be highly suitable for optical pulse characterization.