Kihei Cove Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, grab your shortboard and listen up. It’s Rusty here.

Right now, the surf is small but promising, and it’s all about one spot: Kihei Cove (Maui). This is a beginner-friendly reef break that is *very consistent*, so you can almost always find a wave here. The water temp is about average for this time of year, nothing crazy.

It kicks off on Tuesday morning, August 25th, with a tiny but clean 2 ft SSW swell. The period is a very long 16 seconds, meaning those are proper groundswell lines with good energy. The wind is light offshore from the NE, making it glassy clean. The combined energy is moderate (290). Don't expect much power, but for a log or a foam board, it’s got shape.

That same tiny but long-period swell holds through Tuesday afternoon (2 ft, 16s, energy 296) with a moderate offshore breeze keeping it tidy. Wednesday, August 26th, sees a slight bump to 2 ft from the SSW, with periods still solid at 14-17 seconds. The energy jumps into the moderate range (454-551) and the offshore wind stays consistent. It’s clean and rideable.

The standout session of the whole run is the early part of Thursday, August 27th. That morning, we get 3 ft of SSW swell with a 16-second period and combined energy reading 846 – that’s a serious push of power for this reef. The wind is a light cross-offshore at 3 mph, meaning near-perfect, clean conditions. This is the best combination of size, energy, and glassy texture. Get on it.

The quality slowly backs off from Friday, August 28th through the following week. Swell drops from 2 ft down to 1 ft by the 31st, though there are always clean windows thanks to persistent offshore or very light winds. The energy levels dip below 200 on those smaller days.

Then, things get interesting again right as we hit September. Tuesday, September 1st, brings a fresh 3 ft SSW groundswell (18s period, energy 504) with light cross-off wind. Wednesday, September 2nd, is a hidden gem: a 3 ft S swell with glassy conditions (0 mph wind from the ENE in the afternoon) and moderate energy (537). That’s knee-to-waist high perfection for beginners.

Thursday, September 3rd, keeps the 3 ft S swell alive with glassy mornings, but the energy drops. After that, the second week of September is mostly smaller stuff, with occasional glassy windows on the 6th, 7th, and 8th that offer a clean 2 ft to 2 ft on a long-period SSW swell.

The second window that’s worth a paddle is the morning of Monday, September 7th and Tuesday, September 8th. Both mornings are glassy, with Tuesday the 8th seeing a 2 ft SSW swell with a very long 20-second period and a combined energy of 508 – solid, clean lines for a longboard.

Just be warned: the morning of Wednesday, September 9th is a write-off. It’s got a 3 ft SSW swell, but a cross-onshore wind from the SSE makes it choppy and poor.

Overall, Kihei Cove is the only game in town. It’s small, clean, and perfect for learning or logging. Don’t expect to get tubed, but expect to get your hair wet.

Rusty.

Read more