Ma'alaea Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, Rusty here. Let’s talk about Ma'alaea on Maui. We’re looking at a 16-day window but honestly, it’s a slow start and a pretty mellow run overall. The water temp is sitting right around 80°, which is about average for this time of year, so no surprises there.

The first real chance to get wet doesn’t come until Thursday the 23rd of July. It’s a small day, but there’s a sliver of hope in the afternoon. The swell is a tiny 2ft from the SSW with a long period of 20 seconds, giving it that groundswell feel. The energy is moderate (697). The wind is a light NNE cross-off, so conditions will be clean. It’s a reef break, known for being inconsistent, and it’s an advanced wave. The crowd factor is “sometimes,” so you might have a few locals out, but it won’t be a circus. For a Thursday afternoon, it’s a long-period swell, so it’ll wrap in nicely here, but don’t expect a ton of size.

Friday the 24th starts with a bit of cloud and a 2ft SSW swell, but the morning is a bit rough. The afternoon is the better call – 2.3ft from the SSW with a 17-second period, clean NE cross-off wind, and a solid energy reading of 773. That’s the pick of the first few days. The conditions are described as “very good,” and that’s about as good as it gets in this run.

Saturday the 25th morning is still okay with a 2ft SSW swell, but the afternoon turns ugly. The wind picks up to 15 mph, and the quality drops to poor. Skip Saturday afternoon.

Sunday the 26th through Monday the 27th sees a gradual decline. The swell holds around 2.3ft to 3ft, but the period drops to 15-16 seconds, and the energy fades. Monday morning is still clean, but the afternoon gets blown out again.

Tuesday the 28th and Wednesday the 29th are poor. The wind swings onshore, and the swell drops to 1.6ft-2ft with weak energy. Thursday the 30th is still marginal.

Now, if you’re patient, there’s a little gem on Friday the 31st of July. The morning is glassy – a 1.6ft SW swell with a 16-second period, and the wind is dead calm. For a reef break like Ma'alaea, that’s a dream. The waves will be small, but silky clean. The energy is low (205), so it’s not going to be pumping, but for a quiet session on a longboard, it’s hard to beat.

After that, the first week of August is a write-off. We get a few days of tiny 1ft to 1.6ft swell with weak energy and poor conditions. There’s a brief moment on Monday the 3rd of August afternoon where the swell jumps to 4.6ft, but it’s from the east with a pitiful 5-second period. That’s short-period windswell, and for a reef break that needs direction, it’s just messy. The energy is only 169, so it’s not going to be any good.

The standout here is definitely Friday the 31st of July morning. Glassy conditions, a little groundswell from the SW, and clean walls. It’s not a big day, but it’s the cleanest of the bunch. The afternoon of Friday the 24th is another solid option with better energy, but the wind is a little stronger.

Overall, it’s a quiet 16 days. The wave energy never gets strong, and the consistent trade winds spoil the afternoons. If you’re a beginner, the biggest swell hits 4.6ft, but that’s only on the 3rd of August and it’s poor quality. For the experts, Ma'alaea is a reef that needs a good direction, and we just don’t get it here. The best advice is to grab the glassy mornings and the clean Friday sessions.

Stay stoked.

Read more