K.O.A Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, let's get into it. The long-range charts are showing a pretty grim stretch for K.O.A. for the next couple of weeks. We're looking at a serious run of poor conditions and small, weak surf. It's not all doom and gloom, but you're going to need to be real patient.

The first real surfable glimpse doesn't show up until Monday, September 21st. Early that morning, we finally see a break in the action. The wind goes glassy, and the swell, while small at `3ft` from the ESE, will be rideable. Expect some super clean, gutless little waves. It's the kind of day for a longboard and getting some real small-wave practice in. Before that, it's a combination of too-small surf and strong, onshore winds. The next window is September 24th. The days leading up to it see an increase in ENE swell energy, but it's still pretty messy. But on the 24th, the wind swings offshore and the surf becomes clean. The swell direction is working, with the dominant energy coming from the ENE. It looks like it could be the best of the first week, despite the modest size.

Now, for the second week, there are a couple of interesting blips on the forecast. The first is a pulse of energy from the NNE that just lights up the energy scale, with values hitting `531` on the 27th. That's a moderate to strong pulse, dropping a decent `7ft` of swell at a short period. But that's a bit of a fair-weather wave; the wind is howling onshore, making it a lumpy, choppy mess. Unless you're a masochist, it's not going to be worth the paddle. For everyone else, it's a cross-on wind mess. The water temperature is about average for this time of year, so a spring suit is looking like a smart bet for those early sessions.

Then, the real glimmer of hope, the standout for the whole window, arrives on Tuesday, September 29th. That morning, we're looking at a clean, glassy dawn. The swell is up a bit, with the primary ENE swell at `4ft` and a secondary E swell adding a little more push, bringing the total energy up to a moderate `220-239`. This is a proper, clean, rideable day. The wind is light and offshore, which will make the lineup look unreal. It won't be huge, but it'll be clean, and clean is infinitely better than big and messy. The waves will be the best they've been in over a week and the best the models are showing in the near term.

Beyond that, there's a slight tease of a pulse for the 30th and into October 1st as the swell direction backs to the ESE. Morning conditions look clean, but the model's still not confident about the quality, so I'd treat that with some caution. It's promising, but far from certain. Before you know it, the 29th will be here. Do not miss that Tuesday morning dawn patrol.

Keep it salty.

- Rusty

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