Ma'alaea Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, this is Rusty. Let’s talk about what’s on offer. The first real window of clean surf kicks off on Thursday morning, July 2nd, but honestly, it’s a slow-burn start. There’s a patchy stretch early on where the energy is there but the quality is just ordinary. Then things start to tighten up around Friday morning, July 3rd, and build into a sweet little run over the weekend into early next week. There are a couple of longer gaps where the surf just isn’t worth paddling out for, especially late in the first week and again into the second week, with several days in a row of marginal or poor conditions.

The standout here is Ma'alaea. This is an advanced reef break that’s inconsistent by nature, so when it lines up, you pay attention. The best bet of the whole forecast lands on Saturday, July 4th, with both morning and afternoon sessions offering solid clean waves. On Saturday morning, expect a 2ft swell from the SSW with a very long period of 21 seconds — groundswell at its finest — and combined energy hitting 470 (moderate). That’s a wave that will wrap beautifully along the reef, with cross-off winds out of the NE at 10 mph keeping things clean. The crowd factor is a concern here; it can get packed, so be ready to share.

By Saturday afternoon, the swell bumps up just slightly to 2ft from the SSW, period still long at 20 seconds, energy climbing to 563. The water is sitting at 79°F, which is about normal for this time of year, so no surprises there.

Another promising window pops up on Wednesday morning, July 15th, with a 1.3ft SSW swell, a period of 18 seconds, and a glassy start to the day with winds from the north at just 3 mph. That’s a rare, clean, long-period treat, but the energy is weak at 280. It’s a finesse session, not a power session.

For the second week, the action is scattered. Thursday morning, July 16th, offers glassy conditions at Ma'alaea with a 1.3ft SSW swell, period 16 seconds, but energy is low at 142. It’s a pretty window but not a standout. Later that same Thursday afternoon, a short-period 6ft easterly swell (6 seconds) rolls in with energy of 400, but that’s more of a lumpy, close-out candidate — better for the experienced.

Overall, if you’ve got one day to paddle out, make it Saturday, July 4th. The combination of long period, consistent light cross-off winds, and moderate energy makes for the most rewarding session in the whole 16-day window.

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