Makapu'u Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, Rusty here. Let’s get into it for the region. The forecast starts with a proper thumping from the ENE, but the wind is a killer. We’re looking at a long stretch of poor conditions before a brief window of hope.

Right off the bat, Makapu'u is getting hammered by a strong breeze from the ENE at 25 mph, with swell heights starting at 8 ft and building. The combined wave energy is already pumping at 1070 (moderate), but with that wind, it’s just messy. This onshore blow is going to ruin things all the way through the first week. The swell direction is mostly ENE, but the water temp is about average for this time of year. Don’t even think about paddling out here until the wind changes.

We’ve got a big gap of no-good surf from the 3rd of September all the way through the 7th. The swell keeps building—by Monday the 7th, we’re looking at a 10 ft SSW groundswell with a 14-second period and wave energy hitting 5650 (strong). But it’s still blowing onshore, with risk of thunderstorms. By Monday afternoon, the swell jumps to 13 ft from the SSW, period 15 seconds, and the energy is massive at 10581 (very strong). That’s a serious amount of water moving, but the wind is cross-onshore, making it lumpy. That’s more of a kite surfing setup than a paddle surf one.

The first real chance for a wave comes on Tuesday the 8th of September. The wind finally relaxes to a cross-offshore breeze from the SSW at 19 mph dropping to 12 mph in the afternoon. The swell drops to 7 ft in the morning, with a 9-second period, and the energy is a moderate 1611. The afternoon gets even better with a 3 ft, 15-second groundswell, and the energy falls to 961. The waves will be clean. It’s a bit inconsistent, but for a reef break like Makapu'u, that long period will wrap in nicely. Crowds are sometimes an issue here, so keep an eye out.

Wednesday morning the 9th of September is the standout. We’ve got glassy conditions with the wind swinging NE at just 3 mph. The swell is 4 ft from the ENE, but the period is only 8 seconds. The energy is low at 261. It’s small, but it’s the cleanest the lineup will be in this entire 16-day window. It’s the only time you’ll see “glassy” in the forecast. Get on it early.

After that, it’s back to the grind. From Thursday the 10th onwards, the ENE wind returns, blowing onshore at 12-19 mph, and the swell climbs back up to 7 ft. The wave energy stays moderate to strong (1378 to 6065), but the wind just ruins the surface. By the 14th of September, we’re looking at 13 ft to 16 ft ENE swells with 11-second periods and energy well over 3000, but it’s all onshore slop. Only for the die-hard experts or the kite crew.

The second week is a write-off. The wind doesn’t let up, and the swell stays big and messy. The best bet is to hit that Wednesday morning on the 9th for a glassy, clean session at Makapu'u.

Rusty out.

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