Makapu'u Surf Forecast and Surf Report

G’day, I’m Rusty. Let’s take a look at what’s cooking over the next couple of weeks, in feet and miles per hour.

Right from the start, it’s a tough run. Makapu’u is the only break in the mix – a reef setup that’s exposed to swell – but for the first stretch, there’s nothing but poor surf. The water’s sitting at 81°, which is about normal for this time of year. Problem is, the trades have been howling from the east-northeast at 19 mph, straight onshore, and the wave quality is rubbish. There’s a big gap from Sunday the 6th right through to at least Monday the 14th with no real clean windows. The swell energy is often moderate to strong, but those winds kill it.

The first half-decent moment comes on Tuesday the 8th. Makapu’u on Tuesday morning gets a south cross-offshore breeze at 19 mph, with 6 ft swell from the east-northeast, period around 11 seconds. The combined energy is high (1860), but surf is still marginal. The afternoon is a tad better: wind drops to 12 mph, swell sits at 6 ft from the east-northeast with a 10-second period, and energy moderates (1055). Conditions are clean, so this is your best bet in the first week. It’s not a standout, but if you’re itching, Tuesday afternoon is the pick. Keep in mind, Makapu’u can get crowded sometimes, and it’s an advanced reef break.

The rest of the first week and into the second week is grim. Wednesday the 9th offers some small south-southwest groundswell at 3 ft with a long 14-second period, but the energy is weak (583) and light cross-onshore winds from the east-southeast ruin it. After that, it’s nonstop onshore trades and building swell that’s too big for beginners (over 8 ft some days) but still blown out. By Thursday the 17th, there’s 8 ft from the east with a short 8-second period and strong energy (1227), but the wind is still onshore from the northeast at 19 mph. That’s just lumpy whitewater – better for kites than paddles.

Looking further out, on Wednesday the 16th, there’s a spike from the south-southwest with a very long 18-second period and 3 ft swell, but fresh onshore wind ruins it. The pattern holds to the end of the 16 days. On Sunday the 20th, we see 8 ft from the east-northeast, but the period is a short 7 seconds and the wind is cranking at 22 mph onshore. That’s expert-only, and even then, it’s a struggle.

So, plain and simple: this 16-day window is a downer. There’s no true standout day. If you want the best of a bad lot, Tuesday the 8th afternoon offers the most rideable conditions, but it’s marginal. The energy is often strong, but the wind won’t cooperate. For a spot that’s usually fairly consistent, this is a rough patch – but forecasts shift, and it won’t stay this way forever. Hang in there.

Rusty

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