Ma'alaea Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, this is Rusty, and I’m looking at what we’ve got coming up for Ma'alaea. The water temp is sitting right around 80°, which is pretty much spot on average for this time of year, so no surprises there.

The first few days are a bit of a slow start. Thursday morning on the 3rd, you’re looking at small 2ft S swell with a 14-second period, but the wind is a light cross-offshore, so it’s clean. The energy is weak (255), so it’s really just a paddle-around wave. That afternoon, the wind picks up and the conditions get messy, so don’t expect much.

Friday the 4th sees a bump to 4ft from the south, period at 12 seconds, and the energy climbs to moderate (566). The morning is clean enough with a cross-off breeze, but it’s not a standout. The afternoon gets a bit more wind and becomes marginal.

Now, Saturday morning on the 5th is where it starts to get interesting. The swell holds at 4ft from the south, but the wind goes glassy – dead calm, light air from the north. That’s a major positive for clean surf. The energy is moderate (535), and it’s a good, fun wave. The afternoon is a bit more cross-off, but still workable.

But the real standout is Sunday the 6th. The swell builds to 5ft from the SSW, and the morning is glassy with a light NW wind. The energy is getting strong (998). Then the afternoon hits: 6ft SSW swell, 13-second period, glassy conditions, and the energy jumps to 1157. This is the best of the first week. The waves will have some push, but it’s not too big for a good intermediate. The wind is dead calm, so it’s going to be smooth.

Monday the 7th brings a serious pulse. The morning is a solid 8ft from the SW at 14 seconds, with glassy conditions. The energy is huge (2980). This is a big groundswell, and it’s going to be a proper expert session – too big for beginners. The afternoon, however, gets a strong onshore wind and the swell jumps to 13ft, but the wind destroys it, so that’s a no-go. The morning is the window.

After that, the surf drops off quickly. Tuesday the 8th is a write-off with cross-onshore winds and junky conditions. Wednesday the 9th morning has a tiny 3ft SSW swell and glassy wind, but it’s small. The rest of the week is a mix of small, clean but weak swells, or poor conditions.

The second week from the 10th to the 18th is mostly made up of small waist-to-chest high waves in the 1ft to 4ft range, with some decent periods. There’s a few clean glassy mornings like the 15th and 16th, where you get 2ft to 3ft SW swell with 18-21 second periods, and light winds. The energy is moderate (500-557). These are good for a longboard or a fun groveler, but nothing to get too worked up about. The 14th has a weird 1ft wave with a 24-second period – that’s a super long period groundswell, but it’s tiny, so it’s just a long wait for a small wave.

Overall, the standout is Sunday the 6th, both morning and afternoon, with building swell and glassy conditions. The Monday morning on the 7th is also a blast for the experienced crew. For the rest of it, you’ve got plenty of clean but smaller days, especially in the mornings.

This is Rusty, signing off.

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