Surf Forecasts:
Pipeline surf forecast from 17 Aug 2026:
- Best quality surf: Thursday 20 Aug, 11AM (local time) - 2.5ft (0.7m), 18s period, SW swell with cross-offshore winds.
- Most powerful swell: Friday 21 Aug, 8AM (local time) - 2.5ft (0.8m), 17s period, SSW swell with 368 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Thursday 20 Aug, 11AM (local time) - 2.5ft (0.7m), 18s period with SW swell.
Best Forecast Surf Conditions for Pipeline this week:
The surf forecast for Pipeline over the next 16 days: The first swell (rated 1 star or higher) is forecast to arrive on Thursday (Aug 20) at 11AM. The primary swell is predicted to be 0.7m and 18s period. The wind is predicted to be cross-offshore as the swell arrives.
The most powerful waves expected at Pipeline in the next 16 days are 0.8m 17s and forecast to arrive on Friday (Aug 21) at 8AM. Winds are predicted to be cross-offshore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 2.3m 8s period and expected on Sunday (Aug 16) at 11PM.
| Wave Type | Time (HST) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 11AM (Thu 20th Aug) | 2.5ft (0.7m) 18s |
| Best Surf | 11AM (Thu 20th Aug) | 2.5ft (0.7m) 18s |
| Most Powerful | 8AM (Fri 21st Aug) | 2.5ft (0.8m) 17s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Pipeline over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
Alright, mate, Rusty here again, this time in feet and miles per hour for the imperial crew.
Right from the get-go, this 16-day forecast starts flat. No surf worth mentionin’ until the first decent pulse on Thursday, 20th of August. The break we’re talkin’ about is Pipeline – a gnarly reef for advanced surfers only. If you ain’t comfortable in heavy, shallow water, leave it to the pros.
Thursday morning, 20th of August, we get a small but noticeable groundswell: 2ft from the SW, with a very long period of 18 seconds. Combined wave energy is 316 (moderate). Wind is a gentle cross-off from the ENE at 9 mph, so the surface will stay clean. Water temp is 80°, about average for the time of year. Still, the surf is considered marginal – the tide might be tricky and the size is just barely there.
The real standout is Friday morning, 21st of August. Swell is still around 2ft from the SW with a period of 17 seconds – that’s proper groundswell. Combined energy climbs to 353 (moderate). But the wind is the hero: a light breeze from the east at just 6 mph, cross-off, makin’ that reef line glassy and smooth. It’ll be clean, shaped-up, and the crowd will be thick (it’s Pipeline, mate, crowds are inevitable). If you’re an expert, this is your moment. The report calls it good surf conditions.
Saturday the 22nd and Sunday the 23rd are marginal – similar size, but wind picks up to 12-15 mph from the east, still cross-off. Energy drops a bit (326 down to 226). Still rideable, but not as crisp as Friday.
The second week, from Monday the 24th through to the 31st, is spotty. There are pulses of energy – Tuesday the 25th morning hits 313 combined (SW, 16 seconds, 2ft), and Sunday the 30th morning has 334 – but the wind is moderate to fresh cross-off at 15-19 mph. The report flags most of these as poor or marginal. Even on the 31st, combined energy jumps to 445 (strong), but the swell is still only 3ft and the wind is a fresh 19 mph cross-off, which will chop it up a bit. Might still be fun for a local charger, but no match for that clean Friday.
Your best bet is Friday morning, 21st of August at Pipeline. Light wind, long-period groundswell, clean conditions. The rest of the run is small or average. This spot is for experts only, so if you’re not that level, just watch the show.
Rusty.
Short Range ForecastSome drizzle, heaviest during Sun night. Warm (max 26°C on Sun night, min 24°C on Mon night). Wind will be generally light. | Days 5-7 Weather SummaryMostly dry. Warm (max 28°C on Sat afternoon, min 24°C on Wed night). Wind will be generally light. | ||||||||||||||||||
Monday 17 | Tuesday 18 | Wednesday 19 | Thursday 20 | Friday 21 | Saturday 22 | ||||||||||||||
Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | |
Swell Height Map |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | ||||||||||||
Wave Height (m) Direction Period (s) | ENE 8 | SW 6 | SW 6 | SW 6 | SW 17 | SSW 18 | SW 18 | SW 16 | SW 19 | SSW 16 | SW 18 | SSW 17 | SW 16 | SW 17 | SW 16 | SSW 16 | SSW 16 | SW 16 | SW 16 |
Wave Graph  | |||||||||||||||||||
 kJ | 0 | 9 | 10 | 10 | 74 | 121 | 79 | 129 | 100 | 175 | 316 | 202 | 274 | 295 | 264 | 322 | 326 | 255 | 245 |
Wind (km/h) | |||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off |
High Tide | 6:14AM0.52m | 4:19PM0.52m | 7:40AM0.53m | 3:28PM0.49m | 10:00AM0.55m | 11:33AM0.60m | 12:16PM0.64m | 12:49PM0.67m | |||||||||||
Low Tide | 11:17PM0.17m | 11:16AM0.40m | 11:40PM0.17m | 12:35PM0.47m | 00:09AM0.17m | 00:51AM0.18m | 2:10AM0.18m | 3:50AM0.17m | 5:00AM0.14m | ||||||||||
 |  | |  | |  |  | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
 | — | 6:09 | — | — | 6:11 | — | — | 6:11 | — | — | 6:11 | — | — | 6:11 | — | — | 6:11 | — | — |
 | 7:01 | — | 7:00 | — | — | 7:00 | — | — | 6:59 | — | — | 6:59 | — | — | 6:58 | — | — | 6:57 | — |
mm | 1 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Temp °C | 26 | 25 | 26 | 25 | 25 | 26 | 25 | 25 | 26 | 25 | 26 | 26 | 25 | 26 | 26 | 26 | 27 | 28 | 26 |
Feels °C | 27 | 25 | 26 | 25 | 25 | 25 | 25 | 25 | 26 | 26 | 27 | 27 | 27 | 28 | 28 | 29 | 28 | 29 | 27 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | S 13 | S 14 | S 14 | S 14 | S 13 | S 13 | S 13 | S 12 | S 12 | SSW 16 | E 8 | E 8 | NE 7 | NE 7 | ENE 7 | SSW 16 | SSW 16 | SW 16 | SW 16 |
| kJ | 166 | 338 | 260 | 175 | 165 | 119 | 117 | 69 | 69 | 175 | 60 | 55 | 102 | 122 | 86 | 322 | 326 | 255 | 245 |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | S 7 | S 6 | S 6 | SW 6 | SW 17 | SSW 18 | SW 18 | SW 16 | SSW 16 | S 12 | NE 6 | SSW 17 | SW 16 | SW 17 | SW 16 | NNE 7 | SSE 14 | WSW 9 | SSE 12 |
| kJ | 51 | 18 | 16 | 10 | 74 | 121 | 79 | 129 | 100 | 71 | 43 | 202 | 274 | 295 | 264 | 25 | 66 | 17 | 49 |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | S 16 | SW 6 | SW 6 | SSW 5 | SW 6 | WNW 13 | NNE 7 | WNW 12 | SW 19 | W 11 | SW 18 | S 11 | S 11 | S 11 | S 11 | S 11 | S 10 | S 12 | SW 10 |
| kJ | 176 | 9 | 10 | 5 | 10 | 33 | 9 | 28 | 92 | 9 | 316 | 39 | 38 | 37 | 21 | 20 | 18 | 27 | 23 |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | ENE 8 | ENE 8 | ENE 7 | ENE 7 | ENE 6 | ENE 7 | E 8 | ENE 7 | ENE 6 | ENE 8 | — | NE 6 | — | — | ENE 3 | E 7 | ENE 6 | ENE 6 | E 7 |
| kJ | 599 | 375 | 292 | 215 | 160 | 152 | 163 | 121 | 121 | 153 | — | 43 | — | — | 1 | 86 | 123 | 145 | 202 |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 11 | 26 | 26 | 26 | 24 | 24 | 10 | 2 | 6 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 24 | 6 | 24 |
Best forecast wave conditions in Oahu | |||||||||||||||||||
Best forecast wave conditions in United States | |||||||||||||||||||
Header Global | |||||||||||||||||||
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FREE! Surf-Forecast.com widget for your website
The surf report / weather widget below is available to embed on third party websites free of charge and provides a summary of our Pipeline surf forecast. Simply grab the html code snippet that we provide and paste it into your own site. You can choose your preferred language and metric/imperial units for the surf forecast feed to suit users of your site. Click here to get the code.
Information about the Pipeline Surf forecast
The above surf forecast table for Pipeline provides essential information for determining whether the surfing conditions will be good over the next 16 days. A general guide to surfing at Pipeline can be found by selecting the local surf guide option on the grey menu. Our Pipeline surf forecast is unique since it includes wave energy (power) that defines the real feel of the surf rather than just the height or the period. If you surf the same spot (Pipeline) regularly then make a mental note of the wave energy from the surf forecast table each time you go. Very soon you may start to choose your surf days based on the wave energy alone combined with our forecast of favourable offshore wind conditions. Our star ratings will help here and of course you will also find the usual wave height and period predictions on our surf forecasts as well as a full break down of the swell components under our advanced users option (to reveal that, click the little Einstein character under the tide times).
Further information to help with frequently asked questions about our surf forecast for Pipeline may be found under the help tab on the top menu and also by moving your mouse over the question marks on the surf forecast table itself. Please always bear in mind that the forecast is for near-shore open water and local factors at each surf break influence the actual breaking wave height, such as the beach / reef profile, water depths offshore and shelter.
Pipeline is 19 km (12 miles) from Wahiawa. If you plan a vacation in Oahu, look for hotels and other accommodation in Wahiawa. Wahiawa has rooms for a wide range of budgets as well as car hire and transport links.
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