Lahaina Breakwall/Harbour Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, Rusty here. Let’s get stuck into what’s shaping up for the next couple of weeks.

Honestly, the first week is a bit of a write-off for quality surf. We’ve got a long quiet spell with very small waves and poor conditions. The first real glimmer of hope doesn’t roll in until way later, so patience is the name of the game.

The standout window is the weekend of September 20th-21st. That’s when we finally see a pulse of NNW swell, and the winds look like they’ll play ball. Let’s break it down.

Lahaina Breakwall/Harbour is the only spot in the forecast, and it’s a reef setup that’s fairly exposed to the action. The water temperature is sitting at 80°, which is right on the money for this time of year – no surprises there.

The first few days are a tough watch. Monday morning (7th) there’s a risk of thunderstorms, cross-off winds, and a tiny 3 ft SW swell (combined energy of 397). It’s poor. The afternoon bumps up to 4 ft with a very long 15-second period, but the wind is still messy and the energy reading is moderate (947). That afternoon is listed as marginal, so not worth getting excited about. Tuesday (8th) is a complete no-go; a fresh cross-onshore wind and a lumpy 6 ft WSW swell (energy of 1150) will be a washing machine. That’s only for experts if anyone’s silly enough to go out.

From Wednesday (9th) right through to the start of the second week, the swell drops right off. We’re talking 1.0 ft to 2 ft most days, with some long-period groundswell (15-16 seconds) but zero power. The energy readings are mostly in the double digits (47-108), which is weak. The winds are light and clean, often offshore from the NE or ENE, but there’s just no wave to work with. It’s clean, but flat. You’ll be paddling for nothing.

There’s a slight uptick on the 15th and 16th of September, with some SW swell energy climbing into the 200s (206 and 222), but at 2 ft to 2 ft, it’s still tiny. Clean, but very ordinary. That pattern holds through the 17th, 18th, and 19th, with the 18th Friday afternoon finally showing a “good surf conditions” tag with a 2 ft SW swell and moderate offshore winds (energy 290). That’s a small step up, but still not the main event.

Now, the real standout. Sunday, September 20th is the best of the whole run. The swell shifts to the NNW, building to 3 ft in the morning and 3 ft in the afternoon. The period is a solid 12 seconds, so it’s a proper groundswell, and the energy jumps to 316 and then 405 – that’s moderate energy, finally. The winds are light and offshore from the ENE, or even lighter from the NE in the afternoon, which means clean, glassy conditions at Lahaina Breakwall/Harbour. This is a proper surf window.

Monday the 21st keeps the good run going with a 3 ft to 4 ft NNW swell, clean offshore winds, and energy readings of 346 and 361. This is the best-sized, cleanest swell of the whole forecast. The swell direction (NNW) is a bit off the optimum WSW direction for this spot, but with clean conditions and solid energy, it’ll still produce fun, rideable waves. Crowds are “sometimes” an issue here, so if you can get out early, you’ll have a better time.

After that, Tuesday the 22nd sees the swell drop back to 3 ft and 3 ft NNW, with energy fading to 232 and then 105. The wind stays clean, but the pulse is fading.

In summary, don’t bother with the first 12 days. The wait is long, but the weekend of the 20th and 21st is the real deal. Clean glass, a solid NNW pulse, and the best conditions on offer. Lock it in.

Stay salty,
Rusty

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