Kailua Beach Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, Rusty here. Gotta be straight with you from the jump – this forecast for Kailua Beach is a tough one to watch. We're going to be staring at an ugly stretch of onshore wind and choppy, bumpy waves pretty much right through the rest of August and well into the first week of September. The wind is hammering in from the ENE at 18 to 22 mph for days on end, and the swell is a short-period, wind-driven mess, hanging around 5 ft to 6 ft. The energy in the water is moderate for now, but it’s just not surfable with that wind.

Honestly, we don't see anything worth paddling out for until we get further into the second week of the forecast. There's a solid blank run of over a week with nothing but "poor surf conditions" flagged. The wind eases a bit around September 1st, dropping to 16 mph, but it's still onshore or cross-onshore and lumpy. The wave energy starts cranking up through the first week of September, but the quality is just not there.

Now, around the 8th of September, things start to look a little more interesting, but it's still not clean. We finally see a drop in wind on the morning of Tuesday the 8th, down to just a light breeze of 6 mph from the ENE. The swell is a clean 6 ft with a longer period of 10 seconds, and the energy is strong. It's still a cross-onshore wind, so it's not perfect, but this is the first glimmer of something that might be fun on a longboard.

Then we get to Wednesday the 9th of September. The afternoon brings a gem of a forecast. Swell is up to 7 ft from the ENE, the period jumps to a sweet 11 seconds, and the wind swings to a gentle offshore NE breeze at 9 mph. This is the standout moment of the entire 16 days. The energy is very strong, and that offshore wind is going to make for some clean, rippable walls at this point break. This is the pick of the period for the intermediate surfer – just remember the ENE swell direction is coming nicely into Kailua, but the NE offshore wind is exactly what this spot needs. It's a bit on the bigger side, but 7 ft with offshore wind is prime.

Thursday the 10th of September keeps the hope alive. Morning sees a light 6 mph breeze from the east, waves at 8 ft from the ENE, and a long period of 11 seconds. The energy is massive. The afternoon gets a little bigger, with 8 ft waves and very strong energy. The wind stays light. Now, 8 ft is pushing into expert territory for a point break, and with that long period, the sets will be powerful and the lulls longer. But for the experienced crew, this is a solid window. The water temp is a pleasant 81° and sitting right around average for this time of year.

If you’re a beginner, steer clear once it goes over 5 ft, and definitely past 7 ft. The good surf is all clustered in the second week, so be patient. The first nine days are a write-off unless you have a kite. For the rest of us, eyes on Wednesday the 9th and Thursday the 10th.

Rusty.

Read more