Surf Forecasts:
Empty Lots surf forecast from 18 Aug 2026:
- Best quality surf: Friday 21 Aug, 5AM (local time) - 3ft (0.9m), 17s period, SW swell with glassy winds.
- Most powerful swell: Monday 24 Aug, 11PM (local time) - 8ft (2.5m), 8s period, E swell with 816 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Wednesday 19 Aug, 8PM (local time) - 1.5ft (0.5m), 16s period with SW swell.
Best Forecast Surf Conditions for Empty Lots this week:
The surf forecast for Empty Lots over the next 16 days: The first swell (rated 1 star or higher) is forecast to arrive on Wednesday (Aug 19) at 8PM. The primary swell is predicted to be 0.5m and 16s period with a secondary swell of 0.7m and 8s. The wind is predicted to be cross-offshore as the swell arrives.
The most powerful waves expected at Empty Lots in the next 16 days are 2.5m 8s and forecast to arrive on Monday (Aug 24) at 11PM. Winds are predicted to be cross-shore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 0.7m 12s period and expected on Saturday (Aug 22) at 11PM.
| Wave Type | Time (HST) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 8PM (Wed 19th Aug) | 1.5ft (0.5m) 16s |
| Best Surf | 5AM (Fri 21st Aug) | 3ft (0.9m) 17s |
| Most Powerful | 11PM (Mon 24th Aug) | 8ft (2.5m) 8s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Empty Lots over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
G’day folks, Rusty here. Let’s have a look at what’s coming up for Empty Lots.
Truth be told, the next week and a half is a bit of a write-off for decent paddle surfing. The whole stretch from now through to the end of August is plagued by strong cross-shore winds and lumpy, messy conditions. There’s a big gap with no real recommendations until we hit the start of September. The combined wave energy is moderate to strong most days, but with the wind tearing it apart, it’s just not worth getting excited about. The water temp is sitting at 81°F, which is about average for this time of year.
Let’s break it down: from Tuesday the 18th through to Sunday the 30th August, we’ve got a solid 13-day stretch where the scores are all poor or marginal. The wind is mostly a fresh cross-shore from the ENE, 18 to 28 mph, turning the swell into a lumpy cross-chop mess. Even when swell heights creep up to 6 ft to 7 ft on the 23rd and 24th, the wind just ruins it. Short period windswell of 7-8 seconds doesn’t help either. It’s the kind of setup that would be more interesting for kite surfing than paddle surfing, honestly.
There’s a tiny window on Thursday afternoon the 20th of August when the wind goes glassy, but the swell is only 2 ft from the SW at a long 17 seconds. The combined energy is moderate (399), but it’s just too small and inconsistent to get too excited about. It’s marginal.
Now, after that long dry spell, things finally start to look up on Tuesday the 1st of September. The wind eases back to a gentle cross-onshore, and we start seeing some proper swell from the SSE at 6 ft to 6 ft, with a period of 10 seconds and good energy (1154). It’s still a bit marginal, but it’s the best we’ve seen in a while.
The standout, though, is shaping up for Wednesday the 2nd of September. By the afternoon, the wind swings to a glassy light air from the SW. The swell is 6 ft from the S at a solid 10-second period, with very strong combined energy (1504). Conditions are forecast to be excellent for experienced surfers. This is the one to circle on the calendar, folks. Just keep in mind that a long-period groundswell like this can sometimes break a bit too straight at a beach break, so watch for that. Empty Lots is a reef break that is fairly consistent, but it’s exposed, and it can get crowded sometimes.
So, hang tight through the windy, messy August days. The real hope lies at the very start of September, with that Wednesday afternoon session looking like the genuine best on offer. Until then, keep the board in the bag.
Rusty.
Short Range ForecastMostly dry. Warm (max 27°C on Tue afternoon, min 24°C on Tue night). Wind will be generally light. | Days 4-6 Weather SummaryMostly dry. Warm (max 28°C on Sat afternoon, min 25°C on Fri morning). Winds increasing (light winds from the ESE on Fri night, fresh winds from the ENE by Sun afternoon). | ||||||||||||||||||||
Tuesday 18 | Wednesday 19 | Thursday 20 | Friday 21 | Saturday 22 | Sunday 23 | Monday 24 | |||||||||||||||
AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | |
Swell Height Map | |||||||||||||||||||||
Wave Height (m) Direction Period (s) | S 13 | S 13 | S 13 | SW 16 | SW 16 | SSW 16 | SW 18 | SW 17 | SSW 16 | SSW 17 | SSW 16 | SW 16 | SSW 16 | SSW 16 | E 7 | E 8 | E 8 | E 7 | E 7 | E 7 | E 8 |
Wave Graph | |||||||||||||||||||||
215 | 123 | 114 | 129 | 125 | 175 | 316 | 305 | 347 | 368 | 326 | 367 | 326 | 318 | 270 | 362 | 287 | 352 | 470 | 478 | 771 | |
Wind (km/h) | |||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | cross | cross | cross | cross | cross | cross-off | cross-on | glassy | glassy | on | on | cross-off | cross | cross | cross | cross | cross | cross-off | cross | cross | cross |
High Tide | 8:25AM0.55m | 6:13PM0.37m | 9:42AM0.56m | 11:04AM0.57m | 12:12PM0.60m | 11:03PM0.23m | 1:02PM0.64m | 00:38AM0.25m | 1:42PM0.67m | 1:26AM0.28m | 2:15PM0.70m | 2:05AM0.31m | |||||||||
Low Tide | 2:59PM0.34m | 1:23AM0.13m | 2:04AM0.14m | 3:11AM0.15m | 9:15PM0.23m | 9:01PM0.20m | 5:49AM0.13m | 9:11PM0.18m | 6:44AM0.10m | 9:26PM0.16m | |||||||||||
6:11 | — | — | 6:11 | — | — | 6:11 | — | — | 6:11 | — | — | 6:11 | — | — | 6:11 | — | — | 6:13 | — | — | |
— | 7:00 | — | — | 6:59 | — | — | 6:58 | — | — | 6:57 | — | — | 6:55 | — | — | 6:55 | — | — | 6:54 | — | |
mm | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Temp °C | 26 | 27 | 25 | 26 | 27 | 26 | 27 | 27 | 26 | 26 | 27 | 26 | 27 | 28 | 26 | 27 | 27 | 25 | 27 | 27 | 25 |
Feels °C | 25 | 25 | 26 | 27 | 27 | 28 | 30 | 29 | 30 | 29 | 30 | 29 | 26 | 27 | 25 | 25 | 24 | 23 | 23 | 23 | 22 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | ENE 7 | E 8 | E 8 | E 8 | E 8 | E 8 | E 8 | E 8 | SSW 16 | SSW 17 | SSW 16 | SW 16 | E 7 | SSW 16 | SW 16 | SSW 15 | SSW 15 | SSW 14 | SSE 12 | SSE 12 | SSE 12 |
89 | 90 | 86 | 88 | 66 | 82 | 57 | 55 | 347 | 368 | 326 | 367 | 86 | 318 | 245 | 201 | 191 | 186 | 125 | 125 | 193 | |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | S 13 | S 13 | S 13 | SW 16 | S 12 | SSW 16 | SW 18 | SW 17 | ENE 7 | ENE 7 | ENE 7 | W 10 | SSW 16 | W 10 | WNW 11 | S 13 | SSE 13 | SE 12 | SSW 14 | SSW 13 | SSW 13 |
215 | 119 | 114 | 129 | 71 | 175 | 316 | 305 | 57 | 38 | 37 | 50 | 326 | 50 | 85 | 92 | 98 | 72 | 166 | 156 | 92 | |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SSW 17 | SSW 18 | SW 18 | S 12 | SW 16 | S 12 | S 11 | S 11 | S 11 | W 10 | W 10 | S 13 | WNW 10 | WNW 12 | S 14 | WNW 11 | NW 10 | SSE 13 | SSW 18 | NW 10 | SSW 17 |
115 | 123 | 79 | 69 | 125 | 45 | 63 | 39 | 22 | 50 | 53 | 55 | 82 | 58 | 106 | 46 | 24 | 57 | 62 | 16 | 94 | |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | ENE 7 | NE 5 | NE 7 | NNE 6 | NE 6 | — | — | — | — | — | ENE 7 | ENE 7 | E 6 | E 7 | E 8 | E 8 | E 7 | E 7 | E 7 | E 8 |
— | 74 | 23 | 36 | 26 | 32 | — | — | — | — | — | 63 | 158 | 194 | 270 | 362 | 287 | 352 | 470 | 478 | 771 | |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 13 | 13 | 11 | 5 | 11 | 0 | 11 | 0 | 0 | 21 | 11 | 0 | 13 | 21 | 16 | 22 | 145 | 22 | 29 | 145 | 144 |
Best forecast wave conditions in Oahu | |||||||||||||||||||||
Best forecast wave conditions in United States | |||||||||||||||||||||
Header Global | |||||||||||||||||||||
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Information about the Empty Lots Surf forecast
The above surf forecast table for Empty Lots provides essential information for determining whether the surfing conditions will be good over the next 16 days. A general guide to surfing at Empty Lots can be found by selecting the local surf guide option on the grey menu. Our Empty Lots surf forecast is unique since it includes wave energy (power) that defines the real feel of the surf rather than just the height or the period. If you surf the same spot (Empty Lots) regularly then make a mental note of the wave energy from the surf forecast table each time you go. Very soon you may start to choose your surf days based on the wave energy alone combined with our forecast of favourable offshore wind conditions. Our star ratings will help here and of course you will also find the usual wave height and period predictions on our surf forecasts as well as a full break down of the swell components under our advanced users option (to reveal that, click the little Einstein character under the tide times).
Further information to help with frequently asked questions about our surf forecast for Empty Lots may be found under the help tab on the top menu and also by moving your mouse over the question marks on the surf forecast table itself. Please always bear in mind that the forecast is for near-shore open water and local factors at each surf break influence the actual breaking wave height, such as the beach / reef profile, water depths offshore and shelter.
Empty Lots is 0 km (0 miles) from 'Ewa Beach. If you plan a vacation in Oahu, look for hotels and other accommodation in 'Ewa Beach. 'Ewa Beach has rooms for a wide range of budgets as well as car hire and transport links.











