Makapu'u Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, Rusty here. Gotta be straight with you – the 16-day window for Makapu'u is a tough one. We're looking at a long stretch of onshore winds and poor conditions, so don't get your hopes up too early.

Right now, starting Thursday the 16th, we've got a nice long-period groundswell rolling in from the SSW at 2 ft, with a period of 17 seconds. That's a solid, clean energy reading (402) but the wind is onshore out of the ENE at 16 mph, which is just ruining it. The water temp is sitting at 79°, which is bang on average for the time of year.

The real problem here is the wind. From Friday the 17th right through to Tuesday the 28th, it's a relentless grind of onshore ENE winds, most days blowing a fresh breeze of 19 to 25 mph. The swell builds, peaking around Saturday the 25th and Sunday the 26th with some serious size—8 ft from the ENE on Saturday and a very strong 5 ft from the E on Sunday with a 16-second period. The combined energy numbers are huge on those days (1923 and 2769), but with that strong onshore wind, the surf will be a messy, blown-out nightmare. That's not a paddle situation; that's a kite-surfing setup if you're into that kind of thing.

In amongst all that, there's a brief tease on the 22nd and 23rd of July. A very long-period SSW swell (23 seconds on the 22nd, 20 seconds on the 23rd) is pushing through, with moderate to strong wave energy (958 and 950). For a moment there, the swell direction is right in the zone for this spot, but that howling ENE wind never lets up, so it's all for nothing.

The only glimmer of hope doesn't show up until the very end of the run. On Tuesday morning the 28th, we finally see a slight drop in the wind to 12 mph, and the swell is a solid 7 ft from the E with a 14-second period. The energy is still strong (1853), and the forecast just barely nudges into a "marginal" rating. It's still onshore, so it's not clean, but it's the best the whole 16 days has to offer. If you're desperate, that's the window to check, but keep your expectations on the ground. The 29th and 30th see the wind ease a touch more, dropping to 9-12 mph, and the swell drops to a more manageable 5 ft with a 12-second period. Still onshore, but at least it's not a total gale.

So, the honest truth? There's no standout session here. The whole period is a write-off for clean, quality waves at Makapu'u. The wind just won't play ball. Stick a pin in Tuesday the 28th and see if the models improve, but as it stands, it's a waiting game for the next proper swell window.

Rusty.

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