Makapu'u Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, Rusty here. Let’s talk about what’s coming up for the Makapu’u area. The overall pattern for the next couple of weeks is a bit of a mixed bag – there’s swell energy building through the period, but the wind is going to be a persistent pain in the neck, keeping conditions messy. There’s no real standout session in the first week, so we’ve got to be patient.

The first bit of any note is Monday, August 17th, but honestly, it’s a write-off. We’ve got a small 3 ft S swell with a weak energy reading (663), but the wind is howling onshore from the ENE at 19 mph, making a mess of things. It’s a no-go.

Moving through the week, the wind stays locked in from the east and northeast, blowing onshore at 12-22 mph. The swell does slowly build, but it’s all short-period windswell (6-8 seconds) with energy creeping up from the low hundreds into the mid-hundreds. The wave comment is consistently “poor surf conditions,” so there’s nothing to get excited about.

By the weekend of August 22nd and 23rd, the swell picks up a bit more, hitting 6 ft to 6 ft from the ENE, but the wind cranks up to 22 mph. The energy is getting stronger (511-554), but with those onshore winds and short periods, it’s just going to be a choppy, blown-out mess. Not worth the paddle.

Now, into the second week, things get serious but not necessarily good for surfing. From Monday, August 24th, we see swell heights climbing past 7 ft, and by Tuesday the 25th, we’re looking at a solid 10 ft swell from the ENE with a period of 8 seconds. The combined energy jumps to 1198, which is a strong reading. The problem? The wind is a relentless 25-28 mph onshore. This setup is way too big for beginners (over 8 ft) and the quality is going to be horrific. This looks more like a kite-surfing scenario than a paddle-surfing one.

The biggest energy of the whole forecast hits on Thursday, August 27th, with a massive 13 ft swell from the E at 9 seconds, cranking out a very strong energy reading of 3181. But again, the wind is onshore at 22 mph. For the experts, there might be some massive, raw waves, but the wind will tear them apart.

The final days of August and into September 1st still show a lot of energy (over 1000 consistently), with swell hanging around 6 ft to 8 ft and periods stretching to 9-10 seconds. The wind is still a problem, blowing strong from the ENE at 25-28 mph. The water temperature is sitting at 80°, which is pretty much average for this time of year.

To wrap it up: There is no standout surf in this entire 16-day window. The consistent onshore winds from the ENE ruin every single opportunity. The biggest swells (August 25th-28th) are for experts only and will be blown out, while the smaller swells are just too weak and messy. Don’t bother getting your hopes up for Makapu’u until that trade wind eases off. We’re in for a rough, windy stretch.

Rusty.

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