Kewalos Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, let's get into it. Rusty here, and I've been staring at the charts for this stretch, and to be honest, things look pretty grim for a good while. That first week or so is gonna be a write-off for any kind of decent surf. We're looking at a dry spell that lasts from now right through until around the 26th of August. There's swell on the horizon, but you've got to be patient.

Let's talk about the only spot on the menu: Kewalos. It’s a reef break, so you need to know what you're doing out there, and it’s an exposed spot that lights up best when the swell comes from the SSE.

This first week is rough. From the 15th to the 26th, the surf quality is almost non-existent. We see a big, messy pulse of windswell on the 15th and 16th pushing 8 ft to 13 ft, but the wind is howling out of the ENE at 31 to 34 mph. That’s near gale force, so forget about it – it’s just a washing machine. The water temp is about average for this time of year, which is nice, but you won't be in it.

After that, the swell drops right off. We get a mix of tiny S and SSW groundswells, knee-high at best, between the 17th and the 25th. The combined swell energy is weak, often reading under 500. A few mornings are clean with cross-offshore ENE winds, but the waves are just too small to bother with. The whole setup is more frustrating than fun.

Now, the light at the end of the tunnel. Things start to look up on the 27th of August. Thursday morning we see a building E swell at 4 ft with a period stretching out to 18 seconds – that's proper groundswell energy. The wind stays clean and cross-off from the ENE at 19 mph. The energy jumps to 1351, which is a solid push. It’s still a "marginal" call, but it’s the first sign of life.

And then we get to the 30th of August, the Sunday. This is the standout. The morning brings a solid 10 ft swell from the ENE, with a period of 14 seconds and a combined energy reading of 3591 – that's some serious power. The wind is a moderate breeze from the ENE, keeping it cross-off and clean. This is a big, powerful swell, over 8 ft, so this is strictly for the experts. The crowds here are listed as "often," so expect a full pack of experienced locals. Just remember, that being a reef, a long-period swell like this will be lined up and hollow. If you're not on your game, you'll be in for a rough time.

So, there it is. Two weeks of quiet, then a promising build-up, capped off by a big, juicy swell for the experts on the 30th. Keep an eye on it, conditions can change.

Rusty.

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