Ohara Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, folks, Rusty here. I’ve been staring at the charts for our little corner of the world, and it’s a tale of two halves. We’ve got a quiet start, then a massive pulse of energy that’s going to be a handful.

First up, we’ve got Ohara. It’s an inconsistent spot, so it takes a good lineup of conditions to get it going. The water temp is about average for this time of year.

We start off slow. Wednesday the 2nd and Thursday the 3rd of September offer some small, clean waves, with a light breeze and a bit of a cross-off wind. Swell is around 3ft to 3ft from the ESE, with a period of 10 seconds. The combined energy is moderate (205-275). It’s surfable, but nothing to write home about. Then things go a bit ugly from Friday the 4th through Saturday the 6th. The wind swings onshore, the rain comes in, and the surf gets choppy and messy. Not worth your time.

Now, here’s where it gets interesting. Sunday the 7th of September has a big jump in the forecast. Monday morning looks a bit iffy with a 6ft swell and onshore wind, but the afternoon is where the magic starts. That afternoon, a 7ft swell from the south with a 12-second period kicks in, and the wind goes cross-offshore. The combined energy is very strong (1508). This is the start of the good stuff.

From Tuesday the 8th to Thursday the 10th of September, the swell really pumps up. We’re looking at 10ft to 13ft of swell from the SSE. This is big, powerful stuff. The wind is offshore or cross-offshore, so the faces will be clean. But let’s be real: at 10ft and bigger, even with the offshore wind, this is for experts only. The combined energy is massive (2345-5395). The period is long (11 seconds), which means it’s a proper groundswell.

The standout period is definitely Friday the 11th and Saturday the 12th of September. The swell drops back to a more manageable 6ft to 7ft, still from the SSE, still with a decent period (9-12 seconds). The wind is offshore or cross-off. The combined energy is strong (853-1483). This is the sweet spot for experienced surfers at Ohara. The conditions are excellent, clean, and the wave quality is high. You’ll be sharing the lineup with others, so expect a crowd.

After that, it’s a mixed bag. Sunday the 13th and Monday the 14th get messy again with onshore winds and lumpy cross-chop. Then we get another big blast of energy on Tuesday the 15th and Wednesday the 16th of September, with 10ft to 12ft of swell from the SE. Again, that’s too big for most and is pushing into expert territory. The 14-second period on Tuesday is very long, so the waves will have a lot of power and long wait times between sets. The wind is offshore, which is great, but it’s a real challenge.

Overall, the best bet is the window from the afternoon of September 11th through the 12th. That’s where the stars align for a quality, powerful session without the absolute monster size. The rest of the period is either too small, too windy, or too big for anyone but the hardcore crew.

Rusty

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