Kewalos Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, Rusty here with a look at what’s coming up for us.

Overall, we’re looking at a pretty challenging stretch ahead. The surf is on the small to moderate side for the most part, with a lot of cross-offshore winds that keep things clean but never really let it rip. There are no true standouts, but there are a few windows where the conditions will be rideable for the advanced crew.

Let’s start at Kewalos. This is a reef break, so it’s for experienced surfers only. The water temp is right around average for this time of year, so nothing unusual there.

Monday morning, September 14th kicks off with tiny 1.0ft of swell from the SW, with a very long period of 23 seconds. That long period groundswell can make reef breaks like this one work, but the combined wave energy is weak at just 135. The cross-offshore breeze from the ENE at 12 mph will keep the surface clean, but there’s just not enough push. It's poor surf.

The swell builds a touch through Tuesday the 15th and Wednesday the 16th, with heights around 2ft to 3ft and periods dropping from 20 down to 18 seconds. The wave energy climbs into the moderate range (438 to 827), but it’s still marginal. The wind stays a consistent cross-off from the ENE, blowing 12 to 19 mph.

Then we hit Thursday, September 17th. We get a spike in size to about 7ft from the ENE in the morning, but with a short, weak period of only 8 seconds. The combined energy is moderate at 950, and the cross-off wind is a fresh 19 mph. It’s still only rated marginal, and that short period, onshore swell won’t form any proper lines over the reef. The afternoon sees a risk of thunderstorms and similar conditions.

Friday the 18th drops back to 3ft from the SSW with a long 17-second period and strong energy (1102), but the wind goes cross-shore, creating a chop. Not great.

Saturday the 19th and Sunday the 20th see a return of short-period, windswell from the ENE, with heights around 6ft to 8ft. The wave energy is solid (950 to 1000), but with periods of just 8 seconds, these waves will be lumpy and weak. The cross-off wind from the ENE at 19 mph keeps it clean, but that’s about all it has going for it. This is really only for the experts who don't mind a bumpy ride.

From Monday, September 21st through Monday the 28th, it’s a long stretch of similar marginal conditions. We see heights fluctuating between 3ft and 7ft, mostly short-period ENE windswell, with a few small pulses of longer-period SSW groundswell mid-week and into the last days of September. The wave energy stays moderate overall (439 to 941). Winds are always cross-off from the ENE or NE, keeping the surface clean, but the wave quality remains poor to marginal for the entire run. It’s not bad, but it’s never good either.

The standout window, if you can call it that, would be Thursday, September 17th and Sunday, September 20th for size, but with that short period and consistent wind, it’s a workout, not a treat. The only other look is the SSW groundswell pulses on Friday the 18th morning and Monday the 28th afternoon with 3ft at 17 seconds and 3ft at 17 seconds respectively, but the wind direction is a hazard on the 18th, and the energy is lower on the 28th.

Rusty, signing off.

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