Ikei Island Surf Forecast and Surf Report

G’day, Rusty here. Look, I’m gonna level with ya – if you’re looking to paddle out on Oahu’s south shore over the next week or so, you might be better off grabbing a cold one and watching the sunset. The models are showing a long stretch of tiny, weak surf that just isn’t worth the effort.

The first real chance of something half-decent doesn’t roll in until Tuesday the 4th of August. Before then, from Sunday the 26th of July right through to Monday the 3rd of August, it’s flat to ankle-snappingly small. Swell heights are barely 0.7 ft to 1 ft with combined wave energy stuck below 50 (weak). That’s a solid 8-day gap of nothing worth paddling for. Winds are light and sometimes glassy, but there’s simply no swell to push through.

Alright, so what have we got? The standout session in this whole 16-day window is shaping up for Saturday morning the 8th of August at Ikei Island. Now this is a reef break that’s fairly consistent and exposed to the northeast, so it needs a proper groundswell to light up. And boy, does it get one. We’re looking at a serious 13 ft east-northeast groundswell with a very long 18 second period and combined wave energy hitting a massive 11492 (very strong). That’s proper power. The wind? Clean, cross-off from the west-northwest at 19 mph, which should keep the faces tidy for experienced surfers. The water temp is a warm 85°F, about average for the time of year, so boardies and a rashie will do fine.

Now, that Saturday morning session is the one to circle. 13 ft of long-period east swell at a reef break like this will produce some serious, grinding walls. This is expert-only territory – way over 8 ft and with that super long period, it’ll be throwing heavy, long lines that are best on the reef, not a beach break. The afternoon holds at 15 ft with a 19 second period and even more energy (12872), winds staying clean. It’ll be massive. Crowds can be a thing here sometimes, so expect the crew to be out for this one.

The morning of Sunday the 9th of August still offers a solid 8 ft east-northeast swell with a 16 second period (3973 combined energy) and solid offshore wind from the west-southwest at 12 mph. It’s a step down in size but still well overhead and clean. Good for strong intermediates looking for a slightly more manageable session, as the earlier monster may have backed off a touch.

If you’re a kiter, the whole window from the 3rd of August onwards looks far more interesting than for a paddle surfer, given the consistent onshore and cross-onshore winds on the bigger days. For the rest of us, it’s all about that Saturday the 8th of August at Ikei Island.

Rusty.

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