Ma'alaea Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, Rusty here. Let’s take a look at what’s on the cards for Ma'alaea over the next couple of weeks. We’ve got a bit of a slow start, but there’s a real standout waiting for us down the line.

Right now, we’re in a quiet patch. The first few days are all about small, south-southwest groundswell – think around 2ft to 3ft. The water temp is sitting at 80°, pretty normal for this time of year. It’s not terrible, but it’s not exactly firing. Monday morning the 10th is dead glassy with some clouds and a whisper of a WNW breeze at 3 mph, but the combined wave energy is only 184, so it’s weak. Tuesday morning the 11th is dead calm, glassy again with the same small swell. You could get wet, but you won’t be writing home about it.

Things start to perk up on Tuesday afternoon the 11th and into Wednesday the 12th. The swell bumps up just a touch to 3ft from the south, and the period stretches to 18 seconds on Wednesday morning – that’s proper long-period groundswell energy. The combined energy jumps to 622, so there’s now some moderate juice in the water. The wind is a clean cross-off from the north at 6 mph, keeping the surface tidy. This is the first time I’d say it’s genuinely worth a paddle.

Now, here’s the catch: Ma'alaea is an advanced reef break, and it’s inconsistent. It doesn’t fire often, so when it does, you pay attention. It’s also a spot that can get crowded sometimes, so be ready to share. It needs that south swell to wrap in properly, and we get a good run of that south and south-southwest swell through the middle of the week. The best of this early window is likely Wednesday the 12th morning, with that 18-second period and clean conditions.

We hit a bit of a lull from Friday the 14th through the weekend. The wind picks up strong – 15 to 22 mph from the north – and the swell drops back. By Sunday the 16th, we’ve got onshore wind and a messy 8ft windswell with a period of just 6 seconds. That’s weak, choppy, and not worth your time. It's more of a kite-surfing setup than a paddle-surfing one.

After that, the surf ticks over with small, surfable but ordinary conditions. Then, we get to the real highlight. Mark your calendars for Monday the 24th afternoon and especially Tuesday the 25th. On Monday afternoon, the swell is still small at 1ft, but the period is an incredible 23 seconds – very long-period groundswell. The combined energy is 488, moderate, but that period is a sign of serious deep-water energy.

But Tuesday the 25th is the one. Morning sees a clean 3ft south-southwest swell with a 19-second period and combined energy of 1037 – that’s strong. The wind is a light, clean cross-off from the north-northeast at 9 mph. By the afternoon, it’s even better: 3ft south-southwest swell, 18-second period, and the energy hits 1131. The water will be clean, the lines will have proper shape, and for this inconsistent reef, that’s the absolute standout window. It’s a long-range call, so keep an eye on it, but the ingredients look prime for a few proper waves.

So, to sum it up: a slow start, a decent mid-week window around the 12th, then a blank few days, and then a promising swell around the 24th and 25th. Get on it if you can.

Rusty.

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