Ohara Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, Rusty here again, same story but in feet and miles.

We’re looking at a patchy run at Ohara. The first decent waves show up on Wednesday morning, July 29th, with a clean, glassy 6 ft SSW swell, period around 7 seconds. The energy’s moderate (427), and with the wind dead calm, the surface will be like a mirror. That’s your best bet early on—a solid, fun-sized wave for intermediates, but the short period means it might be a bit fat and lacking a real push. Water temp is about average for the time of year, nothing wild.

Thursday morning, July 30th, drops back to 2 ft, still glassy, but really small. Thursday afternoon sees a tiny 2 ft with a cross-off breeze, still clean but essentially a dribbler. Friday through Saturday morning is a write-off—cross-on winds and choppy, messy surf under 2 ft. Not worth paddling out.

Then Sunday, August 2nd, things get interesting. A long-period SE groundswell (15 seconds) rolls in at 4 ft, with moderate energy (608). The wind is a light cross-shore, so it’ll be a bit textured but rideable. The long period will give these waves some real shape and punch, but on a beach break they can be a bit straight and tricky to find a good peak. Crowds are possible here.

Monday, August 3rd, the swell pumps up to 7 ft SE with a very long 17-second period, and energy is strong (2856). But the wind is a moderate cross-onshore, making it choppy and hard to handle. By Monday afternoon it’s 8 ft and ugly. Tuesday through Wednesday, August 4th-5th, the swell gets huge—12 ft to 18 ft—with strong cross-onshore winds. This is getting into expert-only territory, but the wind is ruining it. Honestly, the setup looks more interesting for kite surfing than paddle surfing.

Thursday, August 6th, the swell is still massive (20 ft SSE) but the wind swings cross-offshore, cleaning things up. Still, that’s way too big for anything but a very experienced crew, and even then, it’s a battle. Friday, August 7th, drops to 10 ft S with clean cross-off winds, still big but more manageable. Still, for most of us, it’s a watch-and-wait situation.

The standout here is Saturday afternoon, August 8th. The swell drops to 6 ft S, period 9 seconds, and the wind is offshore from the SSE at 15 mph. The energy is solid (1232), and the conditions are clean. This is the best of the whole run—good size, proper offshore wind, and a wave that’s punchy enough for experienced surfers. Crowds are possible.

Sunday, August 9th, holds at 6 ft ESE with a very long 15-second period, and offshore wind again. That’s a beautiful combo for a point or reef, but at a beach break it might be a bit too straight. Still, clean and worth a look.

The last week fades. Monday through Wednesday, August 10th-12th, sees dropping swell (3 ft to 4 ft) with clean cross-off or offshore winds, but the energy is low. Wednesday afternoon, August 12th, has a 3 ft E swell with a moderate offshore—clean, but small. Thursday morning, August 13th, finishes with a 4 ft E swell, light winds, and clean conditions.

So, to sum it up: Wednesday morning July 29th is the early winner for clean, glassy fun. The true standout is Saturday afternoon August 8th—6 ft, offshore, clean, and punchy. After that, it’s a slow fade.

Rusty.

Read more