Ma'alaea Surf Forecast and Surf Report

G’day, Rusty here. Looks like we’re in for a bit of a slow burn at Ma'alaea (Maui) this time. The next week or so is gonna be pretty quiet, with only small, weak swell and mostly cross-off winds that won't do us any favours. But hang in there, because the second half of the outlook starts to show some real promise, with a proper pulse of south groundswell and some glassy mornings to clean it all up.

Right now, the first real action we see is Saturday afternoon the 1st, but it’s nothing to get excited about – just 2 ft of weak, long-period SW swell with a combined energy of only 113. Winds are cross-off from the NE at 6 mph, so it’ll be clean, but the waves are tiny and ordinary. Definitely not worth paddling out for. Sunday the 2nd is even worse, with swell dropping to 1 ft and wind picking up to 9-12 mph. That’s a pass.

We’ve got a long stretch of flat-to-poor conditions from here. Monday the 3rd through to Thursday the 6th are all on tiny 1 ft swell with combined energy barely cracking 100 most of the time. A couple of those mornings do see glassy conditions – Monday and Tuesday especially, with winds dropping to zero or just a puff from the north – but the swell is so small it’s barely surfable. Even the longer-period stuff (12-14 seconds) can’t save these tiny waves. You’d be sitting there staring at a flat line.

Friday the 7th is interesting, but not in a good way. The swell jumps to 3 ft and then 4 ft in the afternoon, all from the east, but with a period of just 5-6 seconds. That’s short-period windswell, and combined energy hits 256, so there’s some push, but it’s gonna be bumpy and weak. Winds are cross-off, so it’ll be clean-ish, but the quality just isn't there for a reef break like Ma'alaea.

Then we fall right back into the doldrums from Saturday the 8th through to the 11th. Swell drops back to 1-2 ft, mostly from the SSW, with periods in the 14-17 second range. Combined energy stays moderate, but the size is just too small to make the most of that long-period groundswell. Winds are cross-off and on the lighter side, so the ocean looks pretty, but there’s hardly anything to ride.

Now, here’s where it gets good. From Wednesday the 12th onwards, things start to wake up. We’ve got a solid push of south swell arriving, with swell heights building to 3 ft on the 12th, 3 ft on the 13th and 14th, and holding around that through the weekend. The period is nice and long – 15 to 18 seconds – which is proper groundswell. Combined energy readings jump into the 400s, 500s, even 749 on the 12th afternoon. That’s moderate to strong energy, and you’ll feel it.

The standout sessions look like the mornings of Wednesday the 12th and Thursday the 13th. Both have glassy conditions with a light breeze from the north, which is almost directly offshore for Ma'alaea. Swell is 2-3 ft from the south, with a period of 16-18 seconds. That long-period south swell is exactly what this reef break loves, and with clean, glassy conditions, it’s gonna be really fun. Keep in mind, though, this is an advanced spot and it’s inconsistent, so you’ll need patience, but when the sets show, they’ll be sweet. The water temperature is sitting at 80°, which is about average for this time of year, so you can go with a spring suit or just boardies.

Overall, the best bet is Wednesday morning the 12th and Thursday morning the 13th – glassy, clean, and a solid south groundswell rolling in. The 15th also looks promising with lighter winds and 3 ft swell. If you can wait, that’s the window worth pointing the car at.

Rusty.

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