
Surf Forecasts:
Empty Lots surf forecast from 11 Sep 2026:
- Best quality surf: Tuesday 15 Sep, 5AM (local time) - 2.5ft (0.7m), 21s period, SW swell with cross-offshore winds.
- Most powerful swell: Thursday 17 Sep, 11PM (local time) - 4ft (1.2m), 18s period, SSW swell with 826 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Saturday 12 Sep, 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 Saturday (Sep 12) at 8PM. The primary swell is predicted to be 0.5m and 16s period with a secondary swell of 0.6m and 10s. 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 1.2m 18s and forecast to arrive on Thursday (Sep 17) 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 0.9m 8s period and expected on Tuesday (Sep 15) at 5PM.
| Wave Type | Time (HST) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 8PM (Sat 12th Sep) | 1.5ft (0.5m) 16s |
| Best Surf | 5AM (Tue 15th Sep) | 2.5ft (0.7m) 21s |
| Most Powerful | 11PM (Thu 17th Sep) | 4ft (1.2m) 18s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Empty Lots over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
Alright folks, Rusty here. Let’s have a look at what we’ve got on offer.
Well, I gotta be straight with you – it’s a pretty grim run for a while. The wind is just a pain in the arse for the first couple of weeks, and the swell is not playing ball at all. The first few days here are a write-off; you’re looking at clean-ish lines but with a cross-shore breeze that’s just killing it. The water temp is sitting at 81°F which is about what you’d expect for this time of year, nothing weird going on there. We’ve got a weak, long-period groundswell, but the energy is pathetic – like 478 (moderate wave energy) on Friday morning, but that cross-shore wind is making it a total bumpy mess. That goes on for days; Saturday and Sunday are no better, with swell dropping and the wind staying in the way. Monday the 14th and Tuesday the 15th are just more of the same – a little bump in energy on Tuesday morning (681), but the wind is still cross and the quality is poor.
Empty Lots (reef) isn’t seeing any real love until we get toward the end of the week. Now, Wednesday the 16th is all cross-shore gunk with a fresh breeze – the energy is up (893 on Wednesday morning), but that’s not helping because it’s messy. The real interesting shift comes Thursday the 17th. We get a jump in swell height to 6ft, but the period drops to a short 8 seconds, and the energy spikes to 1010 (strong wave energy). That’s a lot of power, but the wind is still a fresh cross-shore, so it’s lumpy and not for beginners. This is more of a kite-surfing setup than a paddle session honestly. That short period swell combined with the wind will mean ugly, choppy faces.
The only light at the end of the tunnel is around Thursday the 24th and Friday the 25th. For the first time in this forecast, we get an offshore wind. On Thursday the 24th morning we have a SSE wind at 9 mph, blowing offshore (on) with 5ft swell from the east at 10 seconds. The energy is solid (914). This is the best we’ve seen. Friday the 25th morning sharpens up a touch – still offshore (SSE 6 mph), 6ft swell from the east, period 10 seconds, and the energy climbs to 961. By Friday afternoon, with the same wind and swell, the energy hits 1134 (strong wave energy). That’s the standout. It’s still a bit of a short-period swell, so it won’t be super lined up, but with that offshore wind, Empty Lots could actually have some workable, punchy waves. The crowds can show up here sometimes, so you might have to share.
Overall, it’s a slow start. The first two weeks are mostly a waste of time. Hold out for the 24th and 25th – that’s your window. That Friday the 25th afternoon is your best bet, but it’s still just a marginal setup. I wouldn’t get too excited, but at least the wind is finally right.
Stay patient. Rusty.
Short Range ForecastMostly dry. Warm (max 27°C on Fri afternoon, min 24°C on Fri night). Wind will be generally light. | Days 4-6 Weather SummaryMostly dry. Warm (max 28°C on Tue afternoon, min 25°C on Mon morning). Winds increasing (light winds from the NE on Mon night, fresh winds from the ENE by Wed morning). | ||||||||||||||||||||
Friday 11 | Saturday 12 | Sunday 13 | Monday 14 | Tuesday 15 | Wednesday 16 | Thursday 17 | |||||||||||||||
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) | SW 16 | SW 15 | SW 15 | SW 16 | SW 16 | SSW 13 | SW 15 | SSW 15 | SSW 14 | SW 24 | SW 22 | SW 21 | SW 20 | SSW 19 | SW 19 | SSW 18 | SSW 18 | SSW 17 | E 8 | E 10 | SSW 18 |
Wave Graph | |||||||||||||||||||||
258 | 229 | 226 | 245 | 124 | 116 | 107 | 84 | 134 | 87 | 227 | 224 | 557 | 480 | 535 | 541 | 541 | 510 | 461 | 614 | 826 | |
Wind (km/h) | |||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | cross | cross | cross | cross | cross | cross | cross | glassy | cross | cross | cross | cross-off | cross | cross | cross | cross | cross | cross | cross | cross | cross |
High Tide | 3:54PM0.62m | 4:32AM0.59m | 4:21PM0.55m | 5:11AM0.62m | 4:46PM0.48m | 5:51AM0.63m | 5:07PM0.41m | 6:35AM0.62m | 5:22PM0.36m | 7:27AM0.60m | 5:15PM0.31m | 8:35AM0.57m | |||||||||
Low Tide | 9:45AM0.12m | 10:14PM0.07m | 10:32AM0.16m | 10:36PM0.07m | 11:21AM0.20m | 10:57PM0.08m | 12:14PM0.24m | 11:18PM0.09m | 1:19PM0.28m | 11:41PM0.11m | 3:06PM0.30m | 00:08AM0.13m | 00:43AM0.16m | ||||||||
6:16 | — | — | 6:18 | — | — | 6:18 | — | — | 6:18 | — | — | 6:18 | — | — | 6:18 | — | — | 6:18 | — | — | |
— | 6:38 | — | — | 6:37 | — | — | 6:37 | — | — | 6:36 | — | — | 6:35 | — | — | 6:34 | — | — | 6:32 | — | |
mm | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Temp °C | 26 | 27 | 26 | 27 | 27 | 26 | 27 | 27 | 25 | 26 | 27 | 25 | 27 | 28 | 27 | 27 | 28 | 26 | 27 | 28 | 26 |
Feels °C | 25 | 26 | 26 | 27 | 26 | 27 | 27 | 27 | 25 | 25 | 25 | 24 | 29 | 28 | 27 | 25 | 26 | 25 | 25 | 26 | 25 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | E 7 | ENE 11 | ENE 10 | SW 16 | ENE 10 | E 9 | SW 15 | E 5 | SSW 14 | SSW 14 | SW 22 | E 5 | SW 20 | SSW 19 | SW 19 | SSW 18 | SSW 18 | SSW 17 | SSW 16 | SW 16 | SSW 18 |
57 | 194 | 158 | 245 | 100 | 60 | 107 | 11 | 134 | 76 | 227 | 12 | 557 | 480 | 535 | 541 | 541 | 510 | 322 | 367 | 826 | |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SW 16 | SW 15 | SW 15 | ENE 10 | SW 16 | SSW 13 | SSW 12 | SSW 15 | NE 8 | NE 9 | SSW 14 | SW 21 | ENE 6 | E 6 | SW 12 | SW 12 | SW 11 | E 10 | SSW 20 | SSW 19 | SSE 10 |
258 | 229 | 226 | 100 | 124 | 116 | 57 | 84 | 18 | 19 | 74 | 224 | 28 | 19 | 37 | 34 | 31 | 72 | 216 | 289 | 9 | |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | E 11 | SSW 12 | SSE 8 | SSE 5 | SW 13 | SSW 16 | ENE 9 | SW 12 | ENE 9 | SW 24 | NE 8 | SSW 13 | SSW 13 | E 12 | WSW 8 | WSW 8 | S 8 | SW 11 | SSE 11 | SSE 10 | W 9 |
88 | 46 | 26 | 5 | 87 | 98 | 16 | 37 | 15 | 87 | 11 | 68 | 63 | 44 | 6 | 6 | 5 | 19 | 11 | 10 | 7 | |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | ENE 7 | — | — | — | — | — | E 5 | ENE 5 | E 4 | ENE 5 | E 5 | NE 5 | E 6 | NE 8 | E 11 | ENE 10 | ENE 6 | E 8 | E 8 | E 10 | E 9 |
75 | — | — | — | — | — | 18 | 17 | 13 | 26 | 17 | 11 | 33 | 99 | 191 | 312 | 182 | 227 | 461 | 614 | 541 | |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 13 | 13 | 5 | 13 | 5 | 5 | 13 | 0 | 1 | 11 | 13 | 0 | 11 | 13 | 13 | 21 | 144 | 13 | 21 | 27 | 13 |
Best forecast wave conditions in Oahu | |||||||||||||||||||||
Best forecast wave conditions in United States | |||||||||||||||||||||
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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.










