Kealia Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, Rusty here. Let’s talk about what’s on the menu for the next 16 days at Kealia. Right off the bat, I’ve got to be straight with you—this is a tough stretch. The opening days are a write-off, and we’re looking at a long wait before anything even remotely worth paddling out for shows up.

We start with nothing. The first solid week, from the 1st of September right through to the 8th, is a total bust. The wind is howling onshore from the ENE at 15 to 18 mph, and the swell coming from the same direction? That’s junk. We’re talking about 6 ft to 8 ft of short-period, wind-affected slop with terrible energy readings. The combined wave energy sits between 392 and 947, which is moderate at best, but with the wind and period, it’s a mess. The water temp is about 81°F with a tiny anomaly of 0.4°F, so that’s totally normal for this time of year, but you won’t care because you won’t be in it.

There’s a glimmer of hope on Sunday the 6th and Monday the 7th. The swell gets proper long-period, dropping to 13 seconds, and the energy jumps way up to between 1634 and 1999. That’s strong wave energy. But the wind is still cross-on or onshore, and the swell direction is ENE, which is the *opposite* of what we want here. Kealia is a beach and reef setup that loves swell from the NE. This ENE stuff runs straight into the beach, and with that long period, it’ll be breaking too straight and closed out. It’s going to be a washing machine. The conditions are still poor or marginal. Not worth it.

Now, the real standout—if you can call it that—is the Tuesday the 14th of September. The hardcore chargers might want to keep an eye on this. We’ve got a massive 15 ft to 12 ft ENE swell rolling in, with periods of 9 seconds. The combined energy? Off the charts at 4495 and 4493, that’s very strong energy. But listen, this is an onshore wind again, 12 mph from the ENE, and the swell is coming from the wrong direction. At this size, over 8 ft, it’s only for experts. And with the wind and the wrong angle, this is going to be a beast of a closeout. Honestly, for a spot like this, with that much swell and strong onshore wind, the setup looks more interesting for kite surfing than paddle surfing. Beginners, stay well away.

After that, the surf drops off a cliff. By the 15th and 16th, we’re back to tiny 4 ft to 2 ft waves with low energy and poor conditions.

So, to sum it up: the best on offer is the 14th of September, but only if you’re an expert with a death wish and a tolerance for messy, blown-out, powerful closeouts. The rest of the 16 days is a frustrating gap of poor surf. For a place that’s fairly consistent, this is a rough spell, but it’s a dry run. Forecasts can change.

Rusty.

Read more