Kihei Cove Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, this is Rusty. Let’s break down what Kihei Cove has in store for us over the next couple of weeks. We’ve got a bit of a slow start, but the second week is where the magic is hiding, so stick with me.

First thing’s first – water temp is sitting at a warm 80°, which is pretty much what you’d expect for this time of year, so no surprises there. No need for the thick rubber.

We kick off on Tuesday the 11th of August with small, knee-to-waist high swell at 3 ft from the SSW. That 14-second period is a nice long-period groundswell, giving the waves some shape, but it’s not a lot of energy. The combined energy is 324 (weak). The morning is glassy calm, with some clouds, so it’s actually pretty clean. The afternoon stays clean with a light offshore. It’s surfable, but nothing to write home about. This is beginner-friendly stuff.

Wednesday the 12th sees a bump up to 3 ft from the S. The period jumps to 18 seconds – that’s a very long period groundswell. The energy climbs to a moderate 879. Morning is clean with a light cross-offshore north wind, afternoon looks better with a moderate offshore breeze. The waves have more push, but with that long period, the sets will be a bit more spaced out. Still, decent shape for a point or reef break.

Thursday the 13th peaks out with a 4 ft to 4 ft S swell, period dropping from 16 to 15 seconds. Energy is still moderate (719-678). Morning is clean with cross-offshore winds, but the afternoon gets a bit marginal due to tides. Still, the wind stays cross-offshore and clean.

Friday the 14th stays around 3 ft, but the swell period drops to 14 seconds. The energy is moderate (445-422). The morning is clean with light winds, but the afternoon gets a fresh breeze that makes it less appealing.

Saturday the 15th brings stronger offshore winds (NE 22 mph) and rain showers. The swell is 3 ft from the S, period 13 seconds, energy at 293 (weak). The wind is fresh and offshore, which keeps the waves clean, but the quality is marginal. This is where it starts to look more interesting for kite surfing than paddle surfing – the wind is strong enough.

Sunday the 16th starts with rain showers and a fresh offshore (19 mph), but the swell is still small at 3 ft. The period bumps back up to 16 seconds, energy 446 (moderate). The morning is clean offshore, but the afternoon turns choppy with a cross-onshore wind. Not a good afternoon.

Then we hit a real lull. Monday the 17th to Thursday the 20th is mostly small, weak swell (1 ft to 2 ft) with long periods but very low energy (170-288). The winds are mostly glassy or light offshore, so it’s clean, but the waves are just too small to get excited about. It’s a gap of a few days where you’re better off doing something else.

Now, the standout. Keep your eyes on Tuesday the 25th of August and Wednesday the 26th. Tuesday morning shows 4 ft from the SSW, but the energy jumps to 1027 (strong). That morning is glassy calm – absolutely clean. Then Tuesday afternoon sees a 3 ft from the S with a 19-second period and 1187 energy (strong). Glassy again. Wednesday the 26th is the real ripper: 5 ft from the S, 17-second period, and energy at 1189 (very strong). Both morning and afternoon are clean, with glassy conditions in the morning and a light offshore in the afternoon. That’s the window. The swell direction (S) is a perfect match for the optimum (WSW) at this break, so it should line up well. These waves will have proper shape and power, and with such clean wind, the crowd could be a factor – Kihei Cove (Maui) is a pretty consistent spot, and when it’s firing like this, you can expect to share the water. It’s still a beginner-friendly spot, but this size is going to push you if you’re new.

The energy stays strong through the 25th and 26th, then starts to drop off a bit on the 27th (not in the data, but the trend is there). So, that Tuesday-Wednesday window is your best bet by far.

This is a classic case of patience paying off. The first week is small and just okay, but that second Tuesday and Wednesday are worth the wait.

Rusty, signing off.

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