Ka'anapali Point Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, folks, Rusty here. Let's take a good, hard, honest look at what's cooking in the local lineup for the next couple of weeks.

First off, I gotta be straight with y’all: this forecast is a bit of a struggle. The stretch from now through the first week of September is looking pretty flat with a capital F. There are tiny pulses of weak, short-period swell from the NW, but the energy just isn't there. You're looking at swell heights hanging around 0.7 ft to 1 ft with combined wave energy barely ticking over, mostly in the single or low double digits. That's not surf; that's a lake with a light chop. If you were thinking of paddling out at Ka'anapali Point (Maui) right now, save the wax and do something else. The water temp is sitting at a pleasant 81°F, which is about average for this time of year, but there's no swell to enjoy it on.

There's a real gap in action. After the 28th of August, things get even quieter with a few completely flat days. It’s not until the very tail end of the 31st of August that we see a sudden spike in wave energy, but it's a messy one. A pulse of swell from the NE jumps up to 4 ft to 4 ft, but the period is a short, choppy 7 seconds. The energy reading is moderate at 193, but the wave comment calls it "poor surf conditions." That wind is cross-off, which helps a bit, but that short period will make it a bumpy, walled-up mess. That's not a day for a longboard cruiser; it looks more like a kite surfing session, to be honest.

The one true standout that has me perking up is on the 6th of September. Now, that's the second weekend away, so take this with a pinch of salt because it’s a long-range call. But the numbers are impossible to ignore. Ka'anapali Point is looking at a strong pulse of swell from the NE, 8 ft in the morning and 7 ft in the afternoon. The period is a solid 11 to 12 seconds, giving it proper groundswell grunt. The combined wave energy is massive – we're talking 1485 in the morning and 1192 in the afternoon. That's serious, powerful ocean. The wind is forecast to be a moderate offshore breeze from the ENE, which will hold the wave faces open. This is expert territory at that size, too big for beginners. The break itself is a reef setup, so that long-period groundswell will wrap in nicely and should offer some proper shape.

Still, for the rest of the time, it's a waiting game. The forecast confidence for that big swell on the 6th is low, but if it holds, it’s the only clear window for a proper session.

Rusty.

Read more