Little Makaha Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright crew, Rusty here breaking down Little Makaha for the next couple of weeks.

Right off the bat, you’re staring at a flat spell. From Thursday the 13th of August through the weekend and into the next week, it’s a total bust. There are days and days of "poor surf conditions" — the swell is barely a ripple at 0.7 ft, with the energy pathetically low. There’s a long, dry stretch where you’d just be paddling in circles. For this break and this time of year, that’s normal, but it’s still a bummer.

Things perk up a little in the second week. Around Wednesday the 19th of August, we get a pulse of moderate combined swell energy (131) with a 3 ft wave from the NE. The period is short at 7 seconds though, so it's not carrying any real power. It’s a wind-swell kind of day. The cross-off wind from the ENE at 12 mph keeps it clean. It’s a beginner-friendly day, but just okay.

The real stand-out is Thursday the 20th of August. By the afternoon, the swell pushes up to 4 ft from the NE, with combined energy at 260 (moderate wave energy). The wind is cross-off from the ENE at 12 mph — light enough for clean faces. The period stays short, but on a log, that’s fine. If you’re gonna paddle out all week, do it Thursday afternoon. Expect a crowd, though — it’s often busy here. Water temp is about average for this time of year.

After Thursday, the ocean pulls the plug again. By the 22nd, we’re back to 1 ft and low energy. A couple of days later, we get a faint trace of a long-period (18 seconds) 1.0 ft swell, but it’s just too small to do anything with. That long period might look good on paper, but for a small, exposed reef like this, you need more size.

For the best shot, don’t miss Thursday the 20th of August. The rest of the outlook is a waiting game.

- Rusty

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