Kewalos Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, Rusty here. Let’s get into it.

Right now we’re looking at a bit of a slow start for the South Shore (Oahu) scene. The first few days are going to be tough to recommend. The swell is there but the wind is just too strong, with a fresh to strong breeze howling out of the ENE. You’ll see some 6ft to 8ft ENE swell running from Tuesday through Thursday, but the short 7 to 8 second period means it’s going to be bumpy and weak in the water, with the combined wave energy still climbing but not offering much quality. The conditions are clean but the wind state is just too much for a good session. The water temp is sitting at 80.8°F, which is about average for this time of year, so no surprises there.

A small window starts to open up later in the week. Saturday, the 5th of September, things start to get interesting. We’ve got a 7ft to 7ft ENE groundswell with a long period of 13 seconds rolling in, and the wind drops to a fresh breeze. The wave energy is up in the 2000s, so there’s real power behind it. By Sunday the 6th, the wind eases further to a moderate breeze, and the swell holds solid at 7ft from the ENE with that long period. Kewalos is your spot here – a reef break that handles that long-period energy well. The wind is cross-offshore, keeping it clean. It’s an advanced wave, so don’t take a soft-top out. The crowd factor says “often,” so expect some company. This stretch, from Saturday morning through Sunday afternoon, is the best bet in the whole run.

The following week has a bit of a split personality. Monday the 7th still has some decent 6ft ENE swell with a gentle breeze in the afternoon, but the morning gets a bit of cross-chop. Not terrible, but not the standout.

Then, around Wednesday the 9th, the swell direction wobbles and the size drops, with a lot of marginal reads through Thursday and Friday. The real action comes back on Friday the 11th of September. That morning, a 10ft ENE swell starts to build, and by the afternoon it’s 11ft with a 9-second period. The wind is a moderate breeze from the east, clean and cross-off. This is solid, heavy stuff – over 8ft, so experts only. The wave energy is over 2400. It’s a powerful, chunky swell.

The true standout is Saturday the 12th of September. We’ve got a 13ft ENE swell, 10-second period, and the wind drops to a gentle breeze, still cross-off. The combined energy is massive – over 4000 in the morning. That’s a big, clean, powerful day at Kewalos. The water will be moving, and the sets will be full of juice. For experts, this is the one to circle on the calendar.

After that, the plug gets pulled. Sunday the 13th through Wednesday the 16th, the swell tanks. We’re talking 1ft to 3ft from the SSW and SW, with very long periods (15-20 seconds) but almost no size. The energy drops into the low hundreds. It’s flat, or close to it. That’s a solid 4-day gap with nothing to recommend.

So, bottom line: the first few days are a write-off thanks to wind. The best surf is the long-period ENE swell from Saturday the 5th through Sunday the 6th, and then the big, punchy stuff on Friday the 11th and especially Saturday the 12th of September. After that, take a break.

Stay safe out there.

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