Off The Wall Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, listen up. This 16-day stretch is a bit of a slow burn, but there’s a serious bang waiting for us if we’re patient. The early part of the run is all about cleaning up from a solid pulse, and the backend? That’s where things get properly nuts. The water’s sitting at 56°F which feels bloody cold – about 4°F colder than usual for this time of year, so you’ll be wanting the thickest suit you’ve got if you’re on the North Shore (Oahu).

It all kicks off on Tuesday morning, August 25th. We’ve got a solid 8 ft groundswell from the SW offering up really strong wave energy (2459), and it’s a clean, offshore SSE breeze. This is proper experienced surfer territory – big, powerful lines thumping into Off The Wall. That combo holds through Tuesday arvo and into Wednesday morning, easing a touch to 4 ft, but with light offshore glassy conditions and a clean face. That Wednesday morning, with only about 6 mph ESE wind, is your pick of the early week for a manageable but still punchy session.

Thursday the 27th gets a bit messy with onshore wind and smaller, weaker swell (827), so we’re taking a day off. Friday the 28th cleans up, but the wave energy is dropping fast (687). Still, the long period from the WSW (16 seconds) will be drawing some nice lines onto the reef, even if the height is only 3 ft. We get a bump in size over the weekend with Saturday morning offering a clean 5 ft from the WSW (1050), still with good shape.

Now, Sunday the 30th and Monday the 31st are write-offs for quality. The swell is there but the wind is howling – we’re talking 19 mph on Sunday arvo, turning it into a messy, choppy mess. There’s a lull here.

Then things start to get interesting. Tuesday, September 1st kicks off another building swell. The morning is still cross-onshore, but the afternoon sees it rock up to 10 ft from the SW (3059) – think big, raw power. The wind is cross-shore, so it’s not perfect, but the energy is massive.

Here’s the standout. We’re looking at Wednesday, September 2nd through to Friday, September 4th. On Wednesday morning, it’s big and messy with rain, but the afternoon switches to a clean, cross-offshore breeze with a solid 13 ft (9326) groundswell from the WSW. This is going to be serious. But the absolute crown jewel? Thursday, September 3rd. Morning session: clear skies, a fresh offshore ESE wind, and a massive 16 ft (8375) SW swell. 16 feet at Off The Wall with offshore wind? That is world-class, heavy, expert-only territory. The period is 11 seconds, so plenty of juice. The afternoon eases to 15 ft (5599) with light offshore wind – still insane, but a touch more manageable if you have the skills.

Friday the 4th gives you a reprieve. The swell drops to a cleaner, glassy 7 ft from the S (2158) in the morning. The crowds are “sometimes” at Off The Wall, but with conditions that good, you’ll have company.

After that peak, the swell fades through the weekend and into the second week. Saturday the 5th has a tiny 2 ft with a super long 22-second period – that’s a glassy wave but very small and inconsistent. Sunday the 6th looks clean again around 5 ft to 6 ft from the WSW with a good period. From Monday the 7th, it’s all pretty average: small swell (under 4 ft), weak energy (500 or less), and a mix of onshore or howling winds. The wave energy stays weak through the 8th and 9th, with strong winds (22 mph) ruining any chance of quality. There’s nothing worth chasing in that final third of the window.

The best on offer is clearly Thursday, September 3rd. A massive 16 ft SW groundswell with good period and a fresh offshore wind. If you can handle consequence, that’s your session. A close second is the Wednesday afternoon (Sept 2nd) 13 ft swell, but the wind is a bit cross-off, so Thursday is cleaner.

– Rusty

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