Makapu'u Surf Forecast and Surf Report

G’day, Rusty here, looking at what’s shaping up for the next couple of weeks. Straight up, it’s a rough stretch for waves at Makapu'u. The whole 16-day window is one long gap with no real surf on offer, so don’t get your hopes up for a decent paddle. The first few days especially are a write-off.

From Monday, the 31st of August, we’ve got a solid ENE swell running, but the wind is absolutely howling onshore from the ENE at 22 to 28 mph, making it messy and blown-out. That swell sits around 7 ft to 7 ft with a short, weak period of 7 to 8 seconds, and the combined wave energy is moderate (754 to 924). It’s just poor conditions, no two ways about it.

Come Wednesday, the 2nd of September, the wind stays strong onshore, and the swell drops a bit to 6 ft, but by the afternoon we see a long-period 16-second S swell push through at 3 ft. That’s a groundswell, but it’s tiny and the wind is still ruining it. The energy is moderate (904), but it’s not worth getting excited about.

Thursday the 3rd and Friday the 4th are worse. The swell builds to 8 ft and then 12 ft with strong onshore ENE winds at 28 mph, and the energy shoots up to strong levels (1115 to 1678). This is big, messy, and only for the most experienced – and even then, the wind is trash. Beginners, stay well clear; this is punishing.

The weekend of the 5th and 6th of September sees the swell around 8 ft to 10 ft, still onshore, with a risk of thunderstorms. The period jumps to 13 seconds on the Saturday afternoon, giving a very long-period groundswell, and the energy goes through the roof (3035). That’s a lot of power, but it’s breaking straight on a beach setup, so it’s more of a kite-surfing show than a clean paddle. The wind is still onshore, and the wave comment says “poor surf conditions.”

The following week, from the 7th of September onwards, the swell holds big – 10 ft to 15 ft – with strong NE winds and that long 12-second period. The energy is extreme (3144 to 6445), but conditions are still poor. On Tuesday the 8th, we get a brief moment where the wind shifts to a cross-offshore from the NW at 22 mph, and the swell drops to 8 ft with a 10-second period. For a split second, the surf looks clean, but it’s only a marginal option (rated 2/10). The rest of the week is a mix of onshore winds, cross-shore breezes, and small, weak swell.

From the 10th of September onward, the swell drops right off to 4 ft to 5 ft, with short periods and onshore winds. The energy falls to weak or low-moderate levels (201 to 548). There’s nothing to recommend here.

Bottom line: there are no good surf options in this 16-day window. Makapu’u is a reef break that’s fairly consistent, but it’s stubbornly blown out by strong onshore trade winds for the whole run. For a spot that’s usually reliable, this is a tough spell. Keep an eye on the forecasts, because it tends not to stay this poor for long, but for now, leave the board at home.

Rusty.

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