Little Makaha Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, Rusty here. Let’s take a look at what’s cookin’ for the next couple of weeks.

Honestly, it’s a flat spell. We’re looking at a long stretch of poor surf with very little to get excited about. The first recommendation doesn’t show up until Thursday the 20th of August, and even then, it’s ordinary.

Thursday, 20th August – Things finally get a pulse. Little Makaha (Oahu) will see a small, mixed bag. The morning has a weak 1 ft groundswell from the SW with a long 18-second period, but the energy is still low (129). The wind is a gentle cross-off from the NE, keeping it clean. The afternoon brings a bump in size to 4 ft, but it’s a short, choppy 7-second period from the NE, making it a bit of a mess. The combined energy is moderate (249). For a beginner-friendly reef, this is probably the best of a bad bunch, but it’s not a standout. Water temp is a warm 80°, right on the money for this time of year.

Friday, 21st August – The morning holds onto a small 1 ft SW groundswell (17 seconds, 124 energy) with light ENE winds, but it’s still just surfable, not good. The afternoon gets blown out as the wind picks up to 15 mph, killing the vibe.

Saturday, 22nd August through Monday, 31st August – A long, grim run. The swell stays tiny, mostly 1.0 ft to 2 ft. The wind is a persistent cross-off from the ENE, often moderate to strong, keeping the surface clean but the waves are just too weak. Energy readings are mostly in the 30-150 range (weak). The groundswell that appears in the second half of the week has a longer period (11-12 seconds), but it’s still too small to do anything with. There’s a brief moment on the 29th of August (Saturday morning) with a 2 ft swell from the W and a 12-second period, and energy hitting 151, but it’s still poor conditions.

Tuesday, 1st September through Wednesday, 2nd September – Into September, the story doesn’t change much. The 2nd of September (Wednesday) has the biggest swell in the entire forecast: up to 3 ft from the SW with a 12-second period and moderate energy (235), but the wind is a cross-off and the surf quality is still called poor. For a flat reef break, the setup would actually be more interesting for kite surfing than paddle surfing.

The Bottom Line: There’s no standout session. The best you can hope for is a few small, clean waves on the 20th of August morning or the 2nd of September afternoon. For beginners, the 1 ft to 4 ft range is fine, but the quality just isn’t there. Crowds are likely at Little Makaha, but with this lack of surf, it might be quiet. Long-range, nothing is building. Sometimes it’s just like this.

Rusty.

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