Little Makaha Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, Rusty here. Let’s have a look at what’s cookin’ for Little Makaha.

First things first, water temp is sittin’ at a warm 80°F which is pretty much spot on average for this time of year, so no nasty surprises when you paddle out.

Right, I’ll be straight with ya – the next week and a bit is a tough one. We’ve got a long stretch of tiny, weak surf with poor quality. The first few days are basically a write-off with nothing worth paddling for. From Saturday 18th July right through to Friday 25th July, it’s all small dribble or flat spells. The swell energy is barely there – we’re talkin’ combined energy values in the low tens to low hundreds (39, 22, 11) – that’s weak as dishwater. The wind is a steady cross-off from the ENE, but it doesn’t matter when there’s no push.

Now, we finally get a bit of a pulse around Sunday 26th July. The swell bumps up to 6 ft to 6 ft from the NE, but the period is a short 8 seconds. That’s windswell, not groundswell. It’s punchy but messy. The combined energy jumps up to 373 and 398, so you’ll feel the power, but the quality is still rated poor. The wind holds cross-off, so it won’t be blown out, but it’s not gonna be pretty. This swell is a bit much for beginners – over 5 ft – but not quite expert territory.

Monday 27th July hangs in there with a 4 ft to 5 ft NE swell, still short period (8 secs), energy dropping back to 169-248. You could get a few, but it’s not the standout.

Honestly, lookin’ at the whole 16-day window, the best bet is that Sunday 26th July when the swell is biggest. It’s not a classic, but it’s the only time the ocean shows any real grunt. It’s a reef break, so that short period windswell might still wrap in and offer a few close-outs. The crowds are “often” a problem here, so expect company.

The last few days of the month and into August (30th, 31st, 1st, 2nd) are back to weak, small SW swells with long periods (14-19 secs) but teeny tiny wave heights (0.7 ft to 2 ft). That’s a frustrating combo – long period energy but no size to ride. The energy values climb a bit (420 on the 30th afternoon, 127-192 after that), but the wave height just isn’t there.

So, there’s a gap of flat or tiny surf from the start until the 26th. If you’re desperate, Sunday 26th July is the only day with some size. It’s not a classic Makaha day, but it’s the best of a bad bunch.

Rusty.

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