Malama Lefts Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, Rusty here. Let’s be straight with you: the next couple of weeks are looking pretty grim for a proper paddle. The only spot in the game is Malama Lefts, and for the most part, the wind and swell just aren't lining up for a clean session.

The pattern is a long, drawn-out run of messy, onshore slop. For the first six days, from Sunday the 19th right through to Friday the 25th, we’re dealing with a relentless cross-onshore wind. The swell is small and weak, with the combined energy barely cracking 100 on the Monday, and then dropping right back down. The water is sitting at 82°, which is spot on average for this time of year, so no surprises there.

We get a little break around the 27th and 28th, where the wind switches to a cleaner cross-offshore direction. The swell is tiny – only 2ft to 2ft – but it’s clean. The combined energy is low, so it’s not going to be exciting, but it’s surfable. That’s the best we’ve got for the first week, but honestly, it’s a struggle to get excited about.

Then we hit a real weird one. Around the 29th and 30th of July, we see a long-period groundswell arrive, with periods of 15 to 19 seconds. The energy jumps up, but the swell height is tiny, only 1ft to 3ft. That long period on a reef break like Malama Lefts can line up some nice shapes, but there’s hardly any water moving. The cross-shore wind is also fresh to strong, which will chop up any potential. It’s a tease, not a goer.

The real standout, if you can call it that, is the last day of the run. The morning of Monday the 3rd of August. There’s a 6ft east swell, with a moderate cross-shore wind. The combined energy is a solid 571, which is a decent push. The period is a short 9 seconds, so it’s a wind swell, not a groundswell, meaning it’ll be a bit lumpy and less lined up. But it’s the biggest, most energetic swell of the whole window, and the wind isn't trashing it completely. It’s still marginal, but it’s the only day that’s worth a look. The crowds are "sometimes" an issue at Malama Lefts, so on a Monday morning with a bit of size, you might have a few friends out, but it won’t be a circus.

If you’re a beginner, anything over 5ft is a bit much, and this is 6ft, so it’s probably one for the intermediates and up. Anything over 8ft is expert-only, but we’re not seeing that.

Take the long-range stuff with a pinch of salt. The 3rd of August is a week and a half away, so it’s promising but not set in stone. For now, the best advice is to keep an eye on that Monday morning, because the rest of the fortnight is a write-off.

Rusty.

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