Ohara Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, Rusty here. Let's break down what's cookin' in the Ohara zone.

Water's warm at about 81°F, right where it should be for mid-August.

The first week is a real bummer. Starting Sunday, August 16th, we've got a solid run of weak, disappointing surf. Swell is tiny, from 2ft to 4ft, out of the east. The energy is low, pretty much all below 300 (weak). The wind is junk, mostly cross-shore, and the waves are poor. It's a write-off until about the end of that week. Tuesday the 18th afternoon looks slightly cleaner, but still only a 2ft wave. Not worth paddling out for.

We finally get a sniff of offshore wind on the morning of Friday, August 21st, but the swell is a pathetic 2ft. It is a start, but just not enough.

Now, the last week of August into the first day of September is where the ocean wakes up... and then some. It’s a massive size event, but you have to pick your spot. The surf just explodes around Wednesday, August 26th. The swell jumps up with a very long period SSE groundswell, energy levels hitting 1851 (moderate to strong) and climbing.

The best window by far is the morning of Wednesday, August 26th. We’re looking at a solid 6ft wave from the SSE with a long 15-second period, and the wind is a gentle offshore from the south. The energy is pumping at 1851. That is the one to circle on your calendar.

After that, it gets insane. We are talking 8ft to 13ft surf, and by Monday, August 31st, it's predicted to be 24ft. The energy readings hit 26936, which is just enormous. The wind stays cross-off, so it would be clean, but every single prediction says the same thing: it's too big for this break. This is big-wave territory only, and even then, it's a maybe. For a standard session, that morning of the 26th is the only true standout in the whole forecast.

Rusty out.

Read more