Ma'alaea Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, this is Rusty. Let's have a look at what's on the cards for the next couple of weeks.

Right off the bat, the first few days aren't giving us much to work with. Sunday the 23rd is a write-off – messy rain and a brisk cross-off breeze, with just a tiny 1ft swell. Not worth paddling out for. The wait continues through to Monday the 24th, where we've got glassy conditions in the morning with a light WNW wind, but the swell is still tiny at 2ft. It's surfable, but only just. The afternoon is much the same, glassy again but with a risk of a storm. The energy is weak (156) and (148) respectively, so it's a real struggle.

The real interest starts to build for Tuesday morning, August 25th at Ma'alaea (Maui). We've got a jump in swell to 5ft, pushing in from the east. The wind is a clean cross-off from the NNE, and while the period is a short 6 seconds, the wave energy is ramping up to a moderate 359. This is a solid option for the experienced surfer; it's a bit too much for beginners at that size. Wednesday morning, August 26th, looks even better for the same crew, with a slightly bigger 5ft east swell and energy climbing to 445. The wind stays clean and cross-off.

But the true standout window is Thursday morning, August 27th. The swell settles to a more manageable 4ft from the south, but the period stretches to a very long 17 seconds, and the energy hits a strong 803. This is proper groundswell. For a reef break like Ma'alaea, that long period is going to produce some beautifully shaped, powerful lines. The wind is a light cross-off, so it's going to be clean. This is the best of the bunch for the first week. The water temperature is a warm 81°F, which is about average for this time of year, so a shorty or boardshorts will do.

The quality drops off again after that, with a long stretch of marginal to poor conditions through the end of August and into early September. The swell is small and the winds are often too strong. There's a gap of several days with no real recommendations.

The second week has a couple of little flickers. Thursday morning, September 3rd, looks promising with a 2ft south swell, glassy conditions, and a moderate energy (411). It's a small window but clean. Then the pattern shifts. Sunday, September 6th, and into Monday, September 7th, bring a consistent run of good surf. The swell is in the 2ft to 3ft range from the SSW, with a long period of 16-18 seconds and energy readings in the 300-500 range. The wind is off and cross-off, keeping things clean. The Monday morning session on the 7th with a light offshore wind from the north looks particularly sweet. This is a promising end to the outlook, but we're a couple of weeks out, so keep an eye on it.

Signing off, Rusty.

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