Surf Forecasts:
Ma'alaea surf forecast from 18 Aug 2026:
- Best quality surf: Friday 21 Aug, 5AM (local time) - 2ft (0.6m), 17s period, SW swell with glassy winds.
- Most powerful swell: Friday 21 Aug, 5AM (local time) - 2ft (0.6m), 17s period, SW swell with 227 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Monday 17 Aug, 5PM (local time) - 2.5ft (0.7m), 14s period with S swell.
Best Forecast Surf Conditions for Ma'alaea this week:
The surf forecast for Ma'alaea over the next 16 days: The first swell (rated 1 star or higher) is forecast to arrive on Monday (Aug 17) at 5PM. The primary swell is predicted to be 0.7m and 14s period with a secondary swell of 0.3m and 5s. The wind is predicted to be cross-offshore as the swell arrives.
The most powerful waves expected at Ma'alaea in the next 16 days are 0.6m 17s and forecast to arrive on Friday (Aug 21) at 5AM. Winds are predicted to be glassy at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 2.0m 7s period and expected on Monday (Aug 24) at 2PM.
| Wave Type | Time (HST) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 5PM (Mon 17th Aug) | 2.5ft (0.7m) 14s |
| Best Surf | 5AM (Fri 21st Aug) | 2ft (0.6m) 17s |
| Most Powerful | 5AM (Fri 21st Aug) | 2ft (0.6m) 17s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Ma'alaea over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
G’day, it’s Rusty here. The next couple of weeks are a lesson in patience – we’ve got a solid window of small, clean, but pretty gutless surf for the most part. It’s gonna feel like a waiting game until that last week of August rolls around, and that’s where the real story is. The energy is weak for almost the entire stretch, but there’s a proper pulse of southwest groundswell that shows up around the 27th and 28th that will wake the reef up.
For the first few days, Monday the 17th through the weekend, we’re looking at ankle to knee-high dribble. Every session is ‘surfable’ but ordinary – nothing to get excited about. The combined energy is weak, reading between 139 and 336. The swell is all over the place in direction, but it’s just not doing the job. The plus side? The winds are super light, glassy on most mornings, which is always a good thing for keeping the surface clean, but there’s just no push behind it.
We finally see a slight bump in energy on Friday the 21st with the combined swell energy hitting 275, but it’s still just small – around 2ft at 17 seconds. That long period is a tease. There’s nothing to do but wax the board and wait.
Now, the standout window: Thursday the 27th and Friday the 28th. This is where it gets interesting. The combined swell energy rockets up to 682 on Thursday morning, then hits a massive 1109 on Friday afternoon. We’re talking swell heights climbing from 4ft to a solid 6ft by Friday arvo, with a strong 12-second period from the SSW. This is the real deal. The break is Ma’alaea (Maui), a shallow, fast reef that loves south swell, and this matches its optimum S direction perfectly. The wind is offshore or light cross-off, so it’s gonna be glassy and clean. This is expert territory though – over 5ft on a reef this shallow is not for the faint of heart. If you’re a beginner, stay well clear. For the crew who know, Thursday and Friday are your days.
Saturday the 29th still holds solid size – around 6ft in the morning with energy at 1086 – but the direction swings a bit more westerly, and it’s not quite as clean. Still, it’s a strong finish to the week before it fades out again to smaller, weaker surf as we head into the start of September.
The very end of the run, the 31st and 1st of September, has a modest bump to 2-2.5ft with energy climbing back into the 400s, but it’s not the same quality as the 27th. The water temp is a touch above average at 80.4°, nothing wild.
So, mark your calendar for the 27th and 28th. That’s the one. Before that, it’s small, clean, and a bit of a slog. After that, it backs off again. Make the most of that window.
Short Range ForecastMostly dry. Warm (max 28°C on Mon afternoon, min 24°C on Mon night). Wind will be generally light. | Days 4-6 Weather SummaryLight rain (total 4mm), mostly falling on Fri afternoon. Warm (max 28°C on Fri afternoon, min 25°C on Thu night). Wind will be generally light. | ||||||||||||||||||||
Monday 17 | Tuesday 18 | Wednesday 19 | Thursday 20 | Friday 21 | Saturday 22 | Sunday 23 | |||||||||||||||
AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | |
Swell Height Map | |||||||||||||||||||||
Wave Height (m) Direction Period (s) | S 14 | S 14 | S 13 | S 13 | S 13 | S 13 | SW 16 | SW 16 | SW 16 | SW 18 | SW 17 | SSW 16 | SSW 17 | SSW 16 | SW 16 | SSW 16 | SSW 16 | E 6 | SW 15 | SSW 15 | SSW 14 |
Wave Graph | |||||||||||||||||||||
203 | 198 | 125 | 119 | 119 | 82 | 66 | 94 | 67 | 152 | 147 | 179 | 193 | 173 | 203 | 171 | 166 | 163 | 107 | 89 | 140 | |
Wind (km/h) | |||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | glassy | cross-off | cross-off | glassy | cross-off | cross-off | glassy | glassy | cross-off | glassy | glassy | glassy | glassy | off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off |
High Tide | 7:05PM0.45m | 8:49AM0.59m | 7:47PM0.37m | 9:55AM0.62m | 8:54PM0.32m | 10:59AM0.65m | 10:27PM0.29m | 11:57AM0.68m | 11:47PM0.30m | 12:49PM0.72m | 00:48AM0.31m | 1:33PM0.75m | 1:37AM0.34m | ||||||||
Low Tide | 1:27PM0.24m | 1:18AM0.06m | 2:48PM0.28m | 1:59AM0.08m | 4:45PM0.29m | 2:49AM0.09m | 6:46PM0.26m | 3:49AM0.10m | 7:40PM0.22m | 4:52AM0.09m | 8:14PM0.19m | 5:52AM0.08m | 8:41PM0.16m | ||||||||
6:05 | — | — | 6:05 | — | — | 6:05 | — | — | 6:05 | — | — | 6:05 | — | — | 6:07 | — | — | 6:07 | — | — | |
— | 6:53 | — | — | 6:52 | — | — | 6:52 | — | — | 6:52 | — | — | 6:51 | — | — | 6:50 | — | — | 6:49 | — | |
mm | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 1 | 3 | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Temp °C | 27 | 28 | 25 | 27 | 27 | 24 | 27 | 27 | 25 | 27 | 27 | 26 | 27 | 28 | 27 | 28 | 28 | 27 | 27 | 27 | 24 |
Feels °C | 30 | 31 | 26 | 30 | 29 | 24 | 30 | 29 | 26 | 31 | 32 | 30 | 31 | 32 | 32 | 31 | 31 | 29 | 28 | 26 | 23 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | S 14 | S 14 | S 13 | S 13 | S 13 | S 13 | S 12 | S 12 | SW 16 | SW 18 | SW 17 | SSW 16 | SSW 17 | SSW 16 | SW 16 | SSW 16 | SSW 16 | SW 15 | SW 15 | SSW 15 | SSW 14 |
203 | 198 | 125 | 119 | 119 | 82 | 44 | 45 | 67 | 152 | 147 | 179 | 193 | 173 | 203 | 171 | 166 | 112 | 107 | 89 | 140 | |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SSW 5 | S 5 | ESE 5 | SW 17 | SW 18 | SSW 18 | SW 16 | SW 16 | S 12 | S 11 | S 11 | S 11 | S 11 | NNE 7 | S 13 | S 12 | S 12 | SE 6 | SSE 13 | SW 15 | SE 6 |
9 | 4 | 5 | 73 | 79 | 31 | 66 | 94 | 45 | 21 | 20 | 21 | 21 | 15 | 54 | 47 | 46 | 9 | 58 | 33 | 11 | |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | NNE 6 | ESE 6 | WNW 6 | N 5 | W 13 | W 12 | W 12 | W 12 | N 6 | NNE 6 | S 12 | S 15 | S 14 | S 11 | W 10 | SE 6 | WNW 10 | S 12 | NNE 6 | S 11 | SSE 13 |
3 | 3 | 4 | 2 | 14 | 11 | 11 | 11 | 3 | 4 | 11 | 38 | 36 | 21 | 17 | 8 | 19 | 25 | 12 | 22 | 33 | |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | E 5 | E 8 | E 5 | E 8 | N 5 | NNE 3 | — | NNE 6 | E 8 | — | N 3 | N 7 | E 4 | — | E 5 | E 6 | E 5 | E 6 | E 6 | N 3 | NNE 6 |
124 | 133 | 85 | 152 | 5 | 2 | — | 13 | 99 | — | 5 | 8 | 25 | — | 109 | 92 | 55 | 163 | 102 | 4 | 12 | |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 9 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 9 | 9 | 0 |
Best forecast wave conditions in Maui | |||||||||||||||||||||
Best forecast wave conditions in United States | |||||||||||||||||||||
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Information about the Ma'alaea Surf forecast
The above surf forecast table for Ma'alaea provides essential information for determining whether the surfing conditions will be good over the next 16 days. A general guide to surfing at Ma'alaea can be found by selecting the local surf guide option on the grey menu. Our Ma'alaea surf forecast is unique since it includes wave energy (power) that defines the real feel of the surf rather than just the height or the period. If you surf the same spot (Ma'alaea) regularly then make a mental note of the wave energy from the surf forecast table each time you go. Very soon you may start to choose your surf days based on the wave energy alone combined with our forecast of favourable offshore wind conditions. Our star ratings will help here and of course you will also find the usual wave height and period predictions on our surf forecasts as well as a full break down of the swell components under our advanced users option (to reveal that, click the little Einstein character under the tide times).
Further information to help with frequently asked questions about our surf forecast for Ma'alaea may be found under the help tab on the top menu and also by moving your mouse over the question marks on the surf forecast table itself. Please always bear in mind that the forecast is for near-shore open water and local factors at each surf break influence the actual breaking wave height, such as the beach / reef profile, water depths offshore and shelter.
Are you planning a vacation in Maui? If you are looking for accommodation near Ma'alaea, camping, hotels and condos and appartments in Maui, consider staying in Kihei which is 5 km (3 miles) away. Other places in and around Maui where you can find information about places to rent, and car hire include Wailuku which is 10 km (6 miles) away, Kahului, Lanai - Lanai and Kaunakakai - Molokai.











