Kewalos Surf Forecast and Surf Report

G’day, Rusty here. Let’s talk about what’s coming up over the next couple of weeks. We’ve got a slow start, but the back end of the run has some real gems if you’re willing to wait.

The first wave worth paddling for hits on Thursday the 4th of September. The morning brings a pretty short-period 1.3m swell from the S with a 12-second period, but the energy is surprisingly solid (1419). The wind is a fresh cross-offshore, so the surface will be clean. It’s a marginal call, but it’s a start. The afternoon swaps to a 1.2m E swell with a longer 14-second period, which is better for shape, but the wind picks up a bit. Still worth a look.

The real standout window starts kicking off later. Friday the 5th of September morning has a building 2.3m swell from the ENE with a very long 14-second period. The combined energy is strong (2598). The wind is a fresh cross-offshore, so the lineup at Kewalos (Oahu) should be nicely groomed. This is a proper groundswell, so expect some push and good lines. The afternoon is similar, maybe a touch smaller at 2.1m, but still solid.

Saturday the 6th and Sunday the 7th of September are the absolute pick of the period. Saturday morning delivers a 2.1m ENE swell with a 12-second period and a huge energy reading (2713). The wind is a moderate cross-offshore, keeping things clean. Sunday the 7th is even better in the afternoon: a 2.4m ENE swell, 13-second period, and the energy jumps to a massive 5265. The wind stays moderate cross-offshore. This is your best bet—big, powerful, and clean. That’s the one to circle.

Now, a word of caution: this is a reef break and it’s consistently for advanced surfers. When the swell gets over 2.5m, it’s expert-only territory. The morning of Tuesday the 8th of September, the swell jumps to 4.5m from the SW, but the wind is a near gale cross-onshore, making it a total mess. The afternoon is a bit lighter but still blown out. This one is a write-off.

After that, things settle down. The water temperature is sitting at a warm 27°C, which is about 0.3° above normal for this time of year, so pretty average.

The second week sees a drop in size but some real quality if you time it right. Wednesday the 9th and Thursday the 10th are mostly marginal with onshore wind and small swell. The action picks up again on Saturday the 12th of September. The afternoon is magic: glassy conditions, ENE swell at 1.6m with an 11-second period, and the energy is moderate (790). That’s a clean, fun session.

Sunday the 13th of September afternoon is also glassy with a 1.4m ENE swell, and Monday the 14th of September morning is glassy too with a smaller 1.2m swell. The afternoon of the 14th is a real oddity: a tiny 0.6m swell from the SW but with a massive 24-second period. That’s a very long period groundswell, which tends to be super clean and lined up on a reef like this, but it’s tiny.

Overall, the best of the best is the Sunday the 7th of September afternoon. That’s your standout. The Saturday the 5th and Saturday the 12th are also excellent, especially the 12th for the glassy conditions. Keep an eye on the wind, and don’t bother with the 8th.

Rusty.

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