Makaha Surf Forecast and Surf Report

G’day, this is Rusty. Look, I’m not gonna sugarcoat it – the next couple of weeks are a bit of a grind for Makaha. We’ve got a tiny, choppy little south-west swell rolling in this afternoon, but honestly, it’s pretty marginal with a cross-on wind messing things up. The water is sitting at a very unusual 72°, which is 9° warmer than average for this time of year – that’s seriously toasty and not what you’d expect.

We kick off on Thursday afternoon, 23 July, with a weak 0.5 ft SW swell, but the 9 mph cross-on wind out of the SSW is putting a nasty chop on it. Combined wave energy is a moderate 627, but the quality is barely there. Friday morning, 24 July, cleans up a touch – 0.6 ft SW swell with a lighter 6 mph cross-on wind leaving just small wind ripples. The afternoon builds slightly to 0.8 ft SW swell, and the wind goes fully onshore but still light, energy hitting 648. Still, nothing to get excited about.

Saturday 25 July stays in the same boat: 0.8 ft SW swell in the morning with onshore wind, then a slight bump to 1 ft from the SSW in the afternoon. The period drops to 12 seconds, and energy climbs to 888, but it’s still just marginal. Sunday 26 July has 1.0 ft swell with a cross-shore wind – a bit more surfable, but don’t expect any gems.

Monday 27 July is where things get a little more interesting, but we’re still stuck in marginal territory – 1 ft SW swell in the morning, bumping to 2 ft by the afternoon. The energy jumps to 1224 (moderate-strong), and the wind lightens to a gentle breeze. The 2 ft is starting to push the limits for beginners. Tuesday 28 July holds 2 ft SW swell through the morning, with energy at 1020. The wind is cross-on, so it’ll be a bit lumpy. By the afternoon, the wind swings cross-shore, which is a slight improvement.

From Wednesday 29 July onward, the swell slowly fades. 2 ft Wednesday morning, dropping to 1 ft in the afternoon, period shortening to 13 seconds. By the end of the month, 30 and 31 July, we’re into poor surf conditions with 1 ft to 1 ft SW swell and building cross-shore winds up to 12 mph on the 31st. Energy drops to around 363-411 – weak. There’s a long gap here with no real standouts.

The first week of August doesn’t offer much hope either. A very small 0.8 ft swell on the morning of 1 August, building slightly to 1 ft in the afternoon. The wind goes onshore again. Sunday 2 August has 1 ft to 2 ft, but the period drops to 8 seconds on the Sunday afternoon – that’s short-period windswell, and with 9 mph cross-on wind, it’s a messy mix. The energy is moderate but it’s not quality.

The best window in the whole 16 days is probably Monday 27 July afternoon or Tuesday 28 July, where we see 2 ft SW swell with moderate energy. It’s not clean, but it’s the biggest of the run. For a break that’s very consistent and exposed to the SW, you’d hope for better direction alignment. The optimum swell direction for Makaha is SW, so the direction is good, but the winds are just never properly offshore. Crowds are often a factor here, so expect company.

Honestly, the whole outlook is a long stretch of marginal to poor conditions. There’s no standout day worth making a special trip for. A proper clean session with glassy winds just isn’t on the cards. Still, Makaha is very consistent, so if a front shifts, things can turn quick. Keep an eye on it, but don’t hold your breath.

That’s it from me. Rusty.

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