Crouching Lion Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Right, let’s level with you. The next couple of weeks at Crouching Lion (Koolaupoko) are going to be a real test of patience. We’ve got a solid window of waves coming up, but the wind is going to be a thorn in our side for most of it. The water’s sitting at a pretty normal 80°, so nothing weird there.

The week starts off slow. Tuesday the 18th has some swell, but it’s weak, coming in at around 5ft from the ENE, and the cross-shore wind is just chopping it all up. The energy is only 174, which is weak, and the period is a short 7 seconds. It’s messy, it’s lumpy, and honestly not worth paddling out for. That pattern holds through the rest of the week – the swell stays small, the wind stays annoying, and the surf quality is poor. We’re looking at a gap of several days here where you’re better off doing something else.

As we roll into the weekend of the 22nd and 23rd, the swell starts to pick up a bit, but so does the wind. By Saturday afternoon we’re seeing 6ft, and by Sunday morning it’s pushing 6ft from the E, but the cross-onshore breeze is blowing 19 mph. The energy is building, hitting 335 on Sunday morning, but it’s all for nothing with that chop. It’s just not clean.

The start of the new week, Monday the 24th and Tuesday the 25th, sees the swell really start to fill in – we’re looking at 7ft to 8ft, with the energy jumping up to 572 by Monday afternoon. But again, that ENE wind is just ruining it. It’s a constant cross-on mess. The period is still short, around 7 seconds, so it’s not going to have any punch to it. This continues for days. The swell gets bigger, with a peak around 10ft on Sunday the 30th, but the wind doesn't let up.

The only real glimmer of hope comes on Saturday the 29th. The wind finally swings around to more of a cross-shore direction, and we see 8ft of east swell. The energy is up to 832, which is moderate, but the period is still a short 8 seconds. It’s still only marginal, but it’s the best the setup has looked all week. Then on Sunday the 30th, the swell gets even bigger, hitting 10ft, and the energy gets strong – over 1200. The period is still just 8 seconds, but if the wind holds as a cross-shore, there could be some heavy, powerful waves. That’s expert territory though – 10ft is not for the faint of heart.

The window around the 29th and 30th is your best bet, but it’s a long-range call, so treat it as promising but not locked in. The rest of the time, it’s a frustrating stretch of building swell and poor conditions. This spot is inconsistent at the best of times, and with this wind pattern, it’s going to be a challenge to find anything clean. Keep an eye on that forecast, because if the wind eases, there’s real potential.

Rusty.

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