Mangamaunu Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, folks, Rusty here. Let’s have a look at the next couple of weeks for the south shore of Kauai.

We’re starting off small, real small. The first few days of the outlook are a bit of a non-event for any surfer looking for a proper wave. We’ve got tiny, long-period groundswell pushing in, but it’s just not enough to get excited about. The energy is weak (102), and the conditions are clean enough, but there’s nothing to actually ride. That’s the story for Wednesday and Thursday.

Things start to get interesting as we head into the weekend. By Friday morning, the swell is picking up to 5 ft from the south, and the energy is ramping up strong (1613). The wind is a bit cross, though, making it a little messy. But then Friday afternoon, the wind goes glassy, the swell holds at 4 ft from the ESE, and the energy is still very strong (1612). That’s an excellent call for experienced surfers. The real standout, though, is going to be throughout the weekend. Saturday morning looks clean with cross-offshore winds and 5 ft swell from the ESE (960 energy), but Sunday morning is the peak. You’re looking at 5 ft of south swell, 16-second period, strong energy (1431), and clean conditions with a light cross-offshore breeze. For Mangamaunu, a world-class point break, this is the pick of the entire forecast. The water is sitting at 51°F, which is about average for this time of year.

Following that, we’ve got a real solid run of surf through Monday. Monday morning offers 6 ft of south swell (1325 energy) with light cross-offshore winds, and Monday afternoon goes glassy with 5 ft – also excellent for experienced surfers. The swell then slowly fades through Tuesday and Wednesday, but it stays clean and glassy, offering some decent, smaller waves for the more patient surfer.

We hit a bit of a lull from Thursday the 24th through to the weekend. The swell drops right off, with waves under 2 ft and very low energy. It’s flat, really. The wind stays clean, but there’s just no power.

Then, as we roll into the new week, there’s a glimmer of hope. On Monday the 28th, a short-period, weak south swell tries to push in, but it’s not great. The real next chance for a decent wave looks to be Tuesday the 29th afternoon, with a small 4 ft bump from the south, but it’s only an 8-second period. It’s rideable, but not a standout. The last few days of the forecast see a longer-period SE swell arriving on the 30th, with energy building back into the moderate range (234). The winds are clean, so it’s worth keeping an eye on, but it’s still a far cry from the quality of that weekend.

So, to sum it up: the best on offer is without a doubt the weekend of the 19th and 20th of July. Mangamaunu on Sunday morning and Monday afternoon are your best bets for clean, powerful, glassy waves. Week two is looking pretty average, with only a few small, workable windows.

Rusty.

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