Surf Forecasts:
Pipeline surf forecast from 19 Aug 2026:
- Best quality surf: Thursday 20 Aug, 8AM (local time) - 2ft (0.6m), 18s period, SSW 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, 8AM (local time) - 2ft (0.6m), 18s period with SSW 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 8AM. The primary swell is predicted to be 0.6m 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 offshore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 2.4m 7s period and expected on Monday (Aug 24) at 11PM.
| Wave Type | Time (HST) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 8AM (Thu 20th Aug) | 2ft (0.6m) 18s |
| Best Surf | 8AM (Thu 20th Aug) | 2ft (0.6m) 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, Rusty here. Let’s talk about what’s coming up for Pipeline. I gotta be straight with you – the next couple of weeks are looking pretty grim. There’s nothing happening for the first few days. The water temp is sitting around 80°, which is pretty average for this time of year, no surprises there.
We finally see a glimmer of life starting Thursday morning, August 20th. The swell bumps up a touch to 2ft from the SSW, with a solid 18-second period between sets. The combined wave energy is moderate at 207, and with a gentle breeze out of the ENE, it’s staying clean. It’s not big, but for a spot like this, that long period groundswell could shape up some nice lines. This window stretches through Friday, August 21st, when we see the best of it: 2ft from the SW, a 17-second period, and combined energy hitting 291. The wind goes light out of the east, so expect clean, organized walls. This is your best bet for the whole period.
Saturday, August 22nd, starts to drop off. The swell stays around 2-3ft but the wind picks up to 15 mph, making it a bit lumpy. After that, from Sunday the 23rd all the way through to the end of August, it’s a write-off. Winds are howling at 18 mph from the ENE, keeping the surf poor. The swell is tiny and weak – combined energy drops below 100 for most of those days. You’re looking at a long, flat spell.
There’s a faint pulse around September 1st with some 2ft from the north, but the wind turns cross-shore and the period drops to 12 seconds. It’s messy and not worth getting excited about. Honestly, if you’re not out there on Thursday and Friday, you’re better off waiting for the next proper swell.
Rusty.
Short Range ForecastMostly dry. Warm (max 27°C on Fri morning, min 24°C on Tue night). Wind will be generally light. | Days 5-7 Weather SummaryLight rain (total 2mm), mostly falling on Mon afternoon. Warm (max 27°C on Sat afternoon, min 25°C on Fri night). Winds increasing (light winds from the ESE on Fri night, strong winds from the ENE by Mon morning). | ||||||||||||||||||
Wednesday 19 | Thursday 20 | Friday 21 | Saturday 22 | Sunday 23 | Monday 24 | ||||||||||||||
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) | SW 18 | SW 16 | SW 19 | SSW 16 | SSW 18 | SSW 17 | SW 16 | SW 17 | SW 16 | SSW 16 | SSW 16 | SW 16 | SW 16 | SSW 15 | SSW 15 | SSW 14 | SSW 14 | SSW 13 | SSW 13 |
Wave Graph  | |||||||||||||||||||
 kJ | 79 | 129 | 100 | 175 | 207 | 202 | 274 | 295 | 264 | 322 | 326 | 255 | 245 | 201 | 191 | 186 | 168 | 158 | 127 |
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 | 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 | 10:00AM0.55m | 11:33AM0.60m | 12:16PM0.64m | 12:49PM0.67m | 1:16PM0.70m | 11:38PM0.32m | 1:41PM0.73m | 00:27AM0.35m | |||||||||||
Low Tide | 00:09AM0.17m | 00:51AM0.18m | 2:10AM0.18m | 3:50AM0.17m | 5:00AM0.14m | 9:01PM0.30m | 5:49AM0.11m | 8:51PM0.29m | |||||||||||
 |  | |  |  | | | | | | | | | | | | |  |  | |
 | — | 6:11 | — | — | 6:11 | — | — | 6:11 | — | — | 6:11 | — | — | 6:11 | — | — | 6:13 | — | — |
 | 7:00 | — | 6:59 | — | — | 6:59 | — | — | 6:58 | — | — | 6:57 | — | — | 6:55 | — | — | 6:54 | — |
mm | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 2 | 6 |
Temp °C | 25 | 25 | 26 | 25 | 26 | 26 | 26 | 27 | 27 | 26 | 26 | 27 | 25 | 26 | 26 | 25 | 26 | 26 | 25 |
Feels °C | 25 | 25 | 27 | 25 | 28 | 28 | 29 | 30 | 29 | 28 | 27 | 26 | 24 | 25 | 25 | 23 | 23 | 23 | 23 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | S 13 | S 12 | S 12 | SSW 16 | NE 6 | NE 7 | NE 7 | NE 7 | NE 7 | SSW 16 | SSW 16 | SW 16 | SW 16 | SSW 15 | NW 12 | ESE 11 | SSW 14 | SSW 13 | SSW 13 |
| kJ | 117 | 69 | 69 | 175 | 40 | 52 | 122 | 91 | 112 | 322 | 326 | 255 | 245 | 201 | 140 | 158 | 168 | 158 | 127 |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SW 18 | SW 16 | SSW 16 | S 12 | E 8 | SSW 17 | SW 16 | SW 17 | SW 16 | W 10 | W 10 | W 11 | WNW 12 | WNW 11 | SSW 15 | SSW 14 | NW 11 | WNW 11 | NW 10 |
| kJ | 79 | 129 | 100 | 69 | 57 | 202 | 274 | 295 | 264 | 52 | 52 | 61 | 123 | 105 | 191 | 186 | 94 | 78 | 54 |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | WNW 12 | WNW 12 | SW 19 | WSW 8 | SSW 18 | E 8 | W 10 | W 11 | W 11 | S 11 | SSE 14 | WNW 13 | S 12 | SSE 13 | S 11 | NW 11 | SSE 13 | SSW 18 | SSW 17 |
| kJ | 28 | 28 | 92 | 13 | 207 | 41 | 30 | 55 | 56 | 20 | 67 | 69 | 46 | 59 | 22 | 96 | 32 | 61 | 96 |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | ENE 7 | ENE 7 | ENE 6 | ENE 7 | — | — | — | — | — | ENE 7 | ENE 7 | ENE 7 | E 7 | ENE 6 | ENE 6 | ENE 6 | E 6 | E 7 | E 8 |
| kJ | 149 | 121 | 117 | 140 | — | — | — | — | — | 128 | 152 | 206 | 262 | 245 | 256 | 261 | 379 | 488 | 657 |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 24 | 2 | 2 | 6 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 5 | 24 | 24 | 168 | 167 | 168 | 26 | 29 |
Best forecast wave conditions in Oahu | |||||||||||||||||||
Best forecast wave conditions in United States | |||||||||||||||||||
Header Global | |||||||||||||||||||
- Map Icons:
Break
Live Wave Height (m)
Live Wind Speed (km/h)
Surf Rating (10 Max)
Ocean Swells (m)- Wind Speed (km/h)
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.
Nearest