James Kealoha Beach Park Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Right, gather 'round. Rusty here. Let's look at what's coming up for this stretch of coast. We've got one spot on the table, and it's a bit of a mixed bag over the next couple of weeks.

The main story is a slow start with a lot of messy, onshore wind and choppy conditions before a late-summer pulse of solid, clean energy rolls in around the second weekend. The water temp is running about average for this time of year, sitting at 81°, so you won't need a thick suit.

We're looking at James Kealoha Beach Park. The first week is a tough watch. From Tuesday the 1st right through to Monday the 7th, it's a grind. Winds are mostly cross-onshore, and the sea state is either choppy or just plain messy. The swell bumps around between 6ft and 8ft from the ENE, but with that wind, it's not worth paddling out for. The combined energy is moderate to strong (431 to 1976), but without clean conditions, none of that matters. There's a small window on Monday the 7th afternoon where the wind swings offshore and the surf turns clean at 6ft from the ENE, but the tide might be fussy – it's a marginal call at best.

Then on Tuesday the 8th, the size drops to 5ft from the NE, with clean offshore winds from the SE, but again the guidance calls it marginal. The spot is a reef break that's fairly consistent, and it’s exposed to the NE swell. Because it's a reef, that longer period groundswell we see later won't be an issue for shape.

Now, if you can wait, the real standout is Friday the 11th of September. That morning we get a pulse of 10ft from the E, with a period of 9 seconds, and clean offshore ESE winds. The combined energy is strong (2398). The guidance says this is excellent for experienced surfers – and they're right, anything over 8ft is experts-only, so leave the foam boards at home. The wind will be glassy, and the waves should have some real punch. The afternoon looks just as good. That's your best day, hands down.

Saturday the 12th starts big, with 15ft from the SE, but there's a risk of thunderstorms, and the size is pushing into dangerous territory for all but the most experienced. It drops off dramatically by the afternoon to a tiny 2ft. The following days from Sunday the 13th onwards see the swell fade away to nothing, with the combined energy dropping below 100 and into weak territory. The water stays clean with offshore breezes, but there's just no wave height to work with. It'll be flat for the better part of a week after that.

So, to sum it up: sit tight through the first week of choppy, messy stuff. If you're an experienced surfer, make the call for Friday the 11th of September at James Kealoha Beach Park for 10ft clean E swell. Everything else in the 16-day window is a pass.

Rusty.

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