Kahului Harbor Surf Forecast and Surf Report

G’day, Rusty here. Let’s be straight – this outlook for Kahului Harbor is a tough one. The trade winds are going to be a problem almost the entire time, and the swell that does show up is mostly short-period slop that’s not gonna do this reef any favours. For an advanced spot that needs clean conditions, we’re looking at a long, frustrating run.

Things start off flat and funky from Tuesday the 18th of August through to the end of the first week. Tiny waves, cross-onshore winds, and a combined energy that’s barely getting off the ground (147 to 255). The water is sitting at 80°F, which is exactly average for this time of year – nothing weird there, just normal warm Hawaiian water. But the surf is poor. Honestly, there’s nothing for a surfer here for days.

We get a slight bump in size around Sunday the 23rd of August, with swell hitting about 6ft from the ENE, but the period is a pathetic 7 seconds – that’s just windswell rubbish – and the winds are up at 16 mph, cross-onshore. The energy climbs to 350-546, but it’s messy, choppy, and not worth paddling out for. This continues day after day: moderate to fresh breezes, cross-shore chop, and poor conditions. The swell keeps pushing up to 7ft by the 24th and 25th, but with that constant cross-wind, it’s a washing machine.

The real tease comes right at the very end. Around Saturday the 29th of August, we see a proper jump in size – about 7ft to 8ft from the E, period stretching to 10 seconds. That’s a bit of groundswell energy finally, and the combined energy rockets up to 816 then 1096. Winds are still cross, but lighter. On Sunday the 30th, it gets even bigger: nearly 10ft from the E with a 10-second period, energy hitting 1524-1402. The problem? The forecast itself says the swell is too big for this break. That’s expert-only territory, and even then, the wind is cross-shore making it lumpy. If you’re a hellman with big-wave gear, maybe you look, but for most of us, that’s a pass.

After that, Monday the 31st and into September, the swell drops back to about 7ft-8ft, but the period shortens again and the quality remains marginal at best. The light breezes on the 1st and 2nd of September offer the cleanest wind of the whole period, but the swell is still short-period and the energy is dropping (452-627). It’s a flicker of hope, but not enough to get excited about.

What’s the standout? There isn’t one. If you pushed me, I’d say Sunday the 30th of August has the most raw power, but it’s too big for this reef and the wind is cross. That’s not a recommendation, that’s a warning. For most of the 16 days, this setup with strong trades, short-period swell, and a reef that needs clean lines is better suited for kite surfing than paddle surfing. It’s a blank run, and honestly, for this area, that’s not unusual when the trades lock in. Forecasts can change, but as it stands, leave the board at home.

Rusty.

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