Makapu'u Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, Rusty here. Let's get straight into it, yeah? I've been lookin' hard at the charts for this stretch of coast, and I gotta be honest with you – it's a bit of a rough patch ahead. The whole 16-day window is a tough one. There's nothing that I'd call a great session, not even a good one. It's a long, dry spell. It's a solid run of "poor surf conditions" stamped all over the board.

The only spot on the menu is Makapu'u. It's a reef setup, so it's got that in its favour for holding a bit of shape, but the wind is the enemy here. From August 23 right through the first week and into the second, the wind is hammering straight onshore – a relentless, fresh to strong breeze from the ENE and NE, kickin' up chop and messin' up any chance of a clean face. For a spot that needs an offshore wind from the WSW, this is about as bad as it gets. The water temp is sitting at a pretty normal 81°F for this time of year, nothing unusual there, but you won't be enjoying it with that wind.

The combined swell energy starts off moderate, around 658 (moderate energy), and builds. By September 1, we start seeing strong energy numbers like 1335, and it keeps climbing. By September 6, the combined energy is blowing up past 2756 (very strong energy), with solid 10ft swell. But it's all wrong. The swell direction is from the ENE, which is nowhere near the break's optimum ESE. The period is short, around 7 to 8 seconds, meaning weak, wind-chopped, onshore slop. The one exception is a brief spike around August 27 where a long-period 18-second groundswell sneaks in from the south, but it’s barely 4ft and the ENE wind still wrecks it – total waste.

The best of a bad bunch? Look, there's no highlight. There's no standout. The whole period is a washout. This is a blank run that's normal for this area when the trades lock in like this. If you're absolutely desperate, the biggest, most powerful stuff hits around September 6 and 7, with 10ft swell and 12-second period from the ENE, but the combined energy of 2798 tells you it’s a beast. With that wind and that direction, that set-up looks more interesting for kite surfing than paddle surfing. Too much closeout, too much wind. For the rest of us, save your energy. The forecasts can always change, but right now, it's a no-go.

Stay dry, folks.

Rusty.

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