Ohara Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, Rusty here. Let’s talk about what’s on the menu for the next couple of weeks. We’ve only got one spot in the frame, and it’s a bit of a waiting game.

First up, the water is sitting at a warm 81°, which is about a degree and a half above the usual for this time of year. Nothing wild, but it’s a nice little bonus.

The first few days are a write-off. We’ve got a big, powerful groundswell from the SE rolling in with a period of 17 seconds, but the wind is a nasty cross-onshore, and the wave energy is through the roof (3223). It’s just lumpy, blown-out junk. That swell builds through Tuesday and Wednesday, hitting a peak of 13ft with energy readings over 7900, but the wind stays onshore. It’s a mess. There’s a solid 4-5 day gap here where you’d be better off doing anything else.

Thursday, August 6th things start to get interesting. The wind switches to a clean cross-offshore, and the swell drops to a more manageable 10ft from the SSE with a period of 14 seconds. The energy is still high (3622), but it’s clean. However, the notes say this is still too big for Ohara, so unless you’re a very experienced surfer, stay out of the water. This window is for the brave only.

Friday through Sunday sees the swell drop back into the 5ft to 8ft range, but the wind stays clean and cross-offshore. The energy is winding down, but the conditions are looking nice. Watch out for the warning signs though – the reports say these are “marginal” or “questionable” tide conditions. It might be a bit fat or too shallow at certain times, but if you hit the tide right, there could be a clean, fun wave.

The real standout, the one I’d circle on the calendar, is Thursday, August 13th. The wind is light and cross-offshore, the swell is 5ft from the E with a 11-second period, and the energy is a modest 870. The notes say “expect very good surf conditions.” This is the best bet on offer. Clean, lined-up waves, nothing too heavy, and the crowd is only a “sometimes” problem, so you might have it fairly uncrowded.

Friday, August 14th is also a good shout. The swell drops to 4ft, but the wind stays clean and cross-offshore. It’s a smaller day, but still very good.

Then we hit the weekend of the 15th and 16th. The swell jumps back up to 10ft and 12ft, and the wind swings back onshore. It gets big and messy again. The energy on the 15th afternoon is a massive 2753, but it’s blown out. The notes say it’s too big for the break anyway. The following week looks like a slow, gradual decline with small, weak, onshore slop. Nothing to get excited about.

So, the short story: the first few days are a loss. The sweet spot is the clean, moderate swell from August 6th to the 14th, with the absolute best day being Thursday, August 13th for the cleanest, most user-friendly conditions.

Rusty out.

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