Ma'alaea Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, it’s Rusty here. Let’s have a look at what’s on offer for the Ma'alaea zone over the next couple of weeks.

Right off the bat, we’ve got a bit of a flat spell to work through. The first proper surfable waves don’t show up until Monday, August 3rd, but honestly, it’s pretty underwhelming. We’re looking at a tiny 1ft swell from the SSW, with a 12-second period. The combined wave energy is weak (98). The saving grace is that the wind is glassy in the morning, so it’ll be clean, but there’s just no push.

Tuesday and Wednesday are more of the same—small, weak, and not worth getting excited about. The Wednesday afternoon gets a little bump with a 15-second period, but the energy is still only moderate (125) and the wind is cross-off, so it’s clean but tiny. The real problem here is that Ma'alaea is inconsistent, and this stretch proves it. We’re looking at several days of "surfable but very ordinary" conditions.

Now, hold on. Friday, August 7th, there’s a flash of something different. The afternoon brings a 5ft swell from the east with a short 6-second period, but the combined energy jumps to a moderate 287. The wind is a gentle cross-off from the NE, keeping things clean. This is the best we’ll see in the first week. It’s not huge, but it’s the most size we’ve had.

The weekend is a bit of a letdown again. It’s back to the small, long-period groundswell from the SW, but with very low energy. The wind is cross-off or glassy, but the waves are just too weak to get excited about. The crowd factor here is a "sometimes" thing, but with waves this small, it probably won’t be an issue.

The real standout, the one you’ve been waiting for, is Wednesday, August 12th. The morning session is looking like the pick of the entire forecast. We’ve got a 3ft swell from the south, but with a 18-second period. That’s very long-period groundswell, and the combined energy is a strong 671. The wind is glassy, dead calm. This is the kind of set-up that will make Ma'alaea’s reef work. The swell direction from the south is right in the sweet spot for this break. Because it’s such a long period, the sets will be clean and powerful, with good gaps between them. This is an advanced wave, so only the skilled crew should be out there. It’s a big day.

Thursday, August 13th, and Friday, August 14th mornings are also good. Still clean with glassy winds, and the swell is holding at 3ft from the south with a 16-14 second period. The energy is still strong (568 and 467). This is a solid run of quality surf.

The following weekend drops off. Saturday, August 15th, has a 5ft windswell from the east with a terrible 6-second period, and the wind is a messy cross-shore. That’s one for the kite crew, not for paddling. The rest of the second week fades back to small, weak, and poor conditions. The last day, Tuesday, August 18th, has a 6ft east swell, but it’s short-period windswell (6 seconds) and the wind is blowing cross-off, so it’s likely bumpy and messy.

Overall, the best bet is without a doubt Wednesday, August 12th, with the glassy morning and that long-period south swell. The Thursday and Friday mornings are also great, but the 12th is the gem. The rest of the forecast is a long, slow wait for those few good days.

Rusty out.

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