Surf Forecasts:
Kahului Harbor surf forecast from 18 Aug 2026:
- Best quality surf: Thursday 20 Aug, 2PM (local time) - 3.5ft (1.1m), 7s period, NE swell with glassy winds.
- Most powerful swell: Sunday 23 Aug, 8AM (local time) - 5.5ft (1.7m), 8s period, ENE swell with 353 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Thursday 20 Aug, 2PM (local time) - 3.5ft (1.1m), 7s period with NE swell.
Best Forecast Surf Conditions for Kahului Harbor this week:
The surf forecast for Kahului Harbor over the next 16 days: The first swell (rated 1 star or higher) is forecast to arrive on Thursday (Aug 20) at 2PM. The primary swell is predicted to be 1.1m and 7s period. The wind is predicted to be glassy as the swell arrives.
The most powerful waves expected at Kahului Harbor in the next 16 days are 1.7m 8s and forecast to arrive on Sunday (Aug 23) at 8AM. Winds are predicted to be cross-onshore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 0.3m 10s period and expected on Saturday (Aug 22) at 11AM.
| Wave Type | Time (HST) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 2PM (Thu 20th Aug) | 3.5ft (1.1m) 7s |
| Best Surf | 2PM (Thu 20th Aug) | 3.5ft (1.1m) 7s |
| Most Powerful | 8AM (Sun 23rd Aug) | 5.5ft (1.7m) 8s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Kahului Harbor over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
Alright, this is Rusty, looking at Kahului Harbor for the next couple of weeks. I gotta be honest, it’s a tough stretch. The wind is going to be a real headache for most of it, and we’ve got a long dry spell before anything even starts to look interesting.
Right from the start on Monday the 17th and through most of the first week, the surf is just not happening. We’re dealing with cross-shore and cross-onshore winds kicking up chop all day, with wave heights around 3 ft to 5 ft. The swell energy is weak to moderate, and the period is a short 7 to 8 seconds. That’s all just wind swell with no power. The water temp is about 80°, which is pretty normal for this time of year.
There’s a little window on Thursday the 20th afternoon when the wind drops and it goes glassy. But the swell is only 2 ft from the east with a weak pulse, and the period is still a short 7 seconds. You could paddle out for a splash, but don't expect much.
Then into the second week, around the 26th of August, the swell starts building. We’re seeing 8 ft to 8 ft from the east-northeast with strong energy, and the period finally stretches to 10 seconds by the 30th. That’s a real groundswell with some grunt. There's even a reading of 1241 on the combined energy on the morning of Sunday the 30th. The problem is, the wind is still cross-shore or cross-onshore at 12 to 16 mph, so it’s going to be lumpy and chopped up. For a reef break like this, the long period and east swell are not the ideal match, and the wind will make it messy.
The morning of Sunday the 30th and the afternoon of Tuesday the 1st of September have the best-looking conditions on paper, but honestly, the trade winds are just ruining it. If you’re an expert and want to wrestle with a 7 ft to 7 ft east swell, you could try, but it won't be clean. For beginners, anything over 5 ft is too big here.
So the short version is there’s no standout session. The wind is the whole story. It’s a blank run that’s kind of normal for this area when the trades get locked in. If you’ve got a kite, those afternoons with the breeze and solid swell might look more fun than paddling. For a surfboard? You’ll want to wait for the forecast to change.
Rusty.
Short Range ForecastMostly dry. Warm (max 26°C on Mon morning, min 24°C on Mon night). Wind will be generally light. | Days 4-6 Weather SummaryLight rain (total 3mm), mostly falling on Fri afternoon. Warm (max 27°C on Fri morning, min 25°C on Thu night). Wind will be generally light. | ||||||||||||||||||||
Monday 17 | Tuesday 18 | Wednesday 19 | Thursday 20 | Friday 21 | Saturday 22 | Sunday 23 | |||||||||||||||
AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | |
Swell Height Map | |||||||||||||||||||||
Wave Height (m) Direction Period (s) | ENE 7 | ENE 7 | ENE 8 | ENE 7 | ENE 8 | ENE 8 | E 8 | ENE 8 | ENE 8 | E 7 | NNE 7 | NE 7 | NE 7 | ENE 7 | E 8 | E 8 | ENE 7 | ENE 7 | ENE 8 | ENE 8 | ENE 6 |
Wave Graph | |||||||||||||||||||||
268 | 208 | 176 | 172 | 176 | 167 | 84 | 183 | 151 | 68 | 52 | 46 | 55 | 141 | 108 | 152 | 257 | 294 | 322 | 330 | 233 | |
Wind (km/h) | |||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | cross | cross-on | cross | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | glassy | cross-on | cross | cross | cross | cross | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | cross |
High Tide | 4:37PM0.58m | 6:48AM0.54m | 4:30PM0.52m | 8:48AM0.54m | 11:15AM0.58m | 12:08PM0.64m | 12:40PM0.69m | 10:27PM0.32m | 1:07PM0.73m | 11:42PM0.36m | |||||||||||
Low Tide | 11:04AM0.32m | 11:30PM0.11m | 11:51AM0.42m | 11:59PM0.12m | 00:42AM0.14m | 2:05AM0.15m | 4:00AM0.14m | 8:33PM0.31m | 5:11AM0.09m | 8:04PM0.29m | |||||||||||
6:05 | — | — | 6:05 | — | — | 6:05 | — | — | 6:05 | — | — | 6:05 | — | — | 6:05 | — | — | 6:07 | — | — | |
— | 6:53 | — | — | 6:52 | — | — | 6:52 | — | — | 6:52 | — | — | 6:51 | — | — | 6:50 | — | — | 6:49 | — | |
mm | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 1 | 2 | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Temp °C | 26 | 26 | 25 | 26 | 26 | 24 | 26 | 26 | 25 | 26 | 26 | 26 | 27 | 27 | 26 | 27 | 27 | 26 | 26 | 26 | 24 |
Feels °C | 27 | 27 | 26 | 27 | 27 | 25 | 28 | 28 | 27 | 30 | 30 | 30 | 30 | 30 | 29 | 28 | 28 | 27 | 26 | 26 | 23 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | W 11 | W 11 | E 9 | WSW 17 | WNW 13 | NNE 7 | E 8 | W 12 | WSW 16 | E 7 | E 7 | NE 7 | NE 7 | WSW 16 | NE 7 | NE 6 | W 10 | NW 13 | WNW 12 | WNW 11 | NW 11 |
10 | 10 | 15 | 28 | 17 | 5 | 84 | 11 | 26 | 68 | 52 | 46 | 55 | 26 | 21 | 10 | 17 | 46 | 56 | 48 | 58 | |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | WSW 6 | N 8 | W 11 | W 11 | WSW 18 | W 12 | NNE 6 | WSW 16 | W 11 | WSW 18 | WSW 18 | E 7 | WSW 17 | W 10 | NNE 7 | W 10 | WSW 16 | W 10 | SW 16 | SW 15 | SW 14 |
3 | 1 | 9 | 2 | 30 | 11 | 14 | 27 | 10 | 30 | 30 | 34 | 28 | 8 | 9 | 17 | 25 | 8 | 10 | 9 | 8 | |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | N 8 | W 6 | N 7 | W 13 | W 11 | SW 18 | W 12 | NW 10 | NW 10 | W 11 | W 11 | WSW 16 | W 10 | NW 8 | WSW 16 | WSW 16 | W 10 | WSW 16 | W 9 | W 9 | W 9 |
1 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 9 | 12 | 11 | 4 | 4 | 9 | 2 | 27 | 9 | 2 | 25 | 25 | 2 | 24 | 2 | 2 | 2 | |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | ENE 7 | ENE 7 | ENE 8 | ENE 7 | ENE 8 | ENE 8 | NE 6 | ENE 8 | ENE 8 | NNE 6 | NNE 7 | — | E 8 | ENE 7 | E 8 | E 8 | ENE 7 | ENE 7 | ENE 8 | ENE 8 | ENE 6 |
268 | 208 | 176 | 172 | 176 | 167 | 25 | 183 | 151 | 34 | 50 | — | 49 | 141 | 108 | 152 | 257 | 294 | 322 | 330 | 233 | |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 12 | 12 | 12 | 4 | 12 | 4 | 4 | 18 | 4 | 12 | 0 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 12 | 12 | 12 | 18 | 18 | 12 |
Best forecast wave conditions in Maui | |||||||||||||||||||||
Best forecast wave conditions in United States | |||||||||||||||||||||
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Information about the Kahului Harbor Surf forecast
The above surf forecast table for Kahului Harbor provides essential information for determining whether the surfing conditions will be good over the next 16 days. A general guide to surfing at Kahului Harbor can be found by selecting the local surf guide option on the grey menu. Our Kahului Harbor surf forecast is unique since it includes wave energy (power) that defines the real feel of the surf rather than just the height or the period. If you surf the same spot (Kahului Harbor) regularly then make a mental note of the wave energy from the surf forecast table each time you go. Very soon you may start to choose your surf days based on the wave energy alone combined with our forecast of favourable offshore wind conditions. Our star ratings will help here and of course you will also find the usual wave height and period predictions on our surf forecasts as well as a full break down of the swell components under our advanced users option (to reveal that, click the little Einstein character under the tide times).
Further information to help with frequently asked questions about our surf forecast for Kahului Harbor may be found under the help tab on the top menu and also by moving your mouse over the question marks on the surf forecast table itself. Please always bear in mind that the forecast is for near-shore open water and local factors at each surf break influence the actual breaking wave height, such as the beach / reef profile, water depths offshore and shelter.
Kahului Harbor is 3 km (2 miles) from Wailuku. If you plan a vacation in Maui, look for hotels and other accommodation in Wailuku. Wailuku has rooms for a wide range of budgets as well as car hire and transport links.











