Pipeline Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, Rusty here, looking at the numbers for the North Shore. Gotta be straight with you – this is a quiet stretch ahead for Pipeline. The pattern’s pretty locked into small, clean but weak swells that just don’t have the grunt for a wave like this. For the most part, you’re looking at poor conditions for paddling out, and the first real chance to even think about it is a few days away.

We start off with nothing rideable. Tuesday the 25th through to Monday the 1st of September, the swell heights sit between 0.7 ft and 2 ft. The wind is cross-off from the east-northeast, so the surface will be clean and pretty, but the energy is low. On the morning of the 1st, the combined energy bumps up to 406 with a 2 ft, 18-second period groundswell from the SSW, but the forecast still says poor surf. That long period is nice for a point or reef, but for Pipeline it just ain’t enough size.

Then there’s a bit of a gap. Wednesday the 2nd morning shows a small increase – 3 ft swell from the SSW at 16 seconds, combined energy of 442, but it’s only a 1 out of 10, called “marginal.” After that, from Wednesday afternoon through to Friday the 4th, we’re looking at zero swell or tiny 0.3 ft to 1.0 ft junk. Proper flat spell.

The best of the whole 16-day window looks to be around Sunday the 6th and Monday the 7th of September. Sunday morning the 6th sees 3 ft of SSW swell at 16 seconds, combined energy of 330, with lighter easterly wind at 12 mph. That’s “marginal” but the best on offer. Monday the 7th morning has 3 ft from the same direction, 14-second period, and combined energy jumps up to 533. Wind is a light cross-off from the east-southeast. It’s still a 2 out of 10, but for this run, that’s the standout. Keep your expectations in check – it’s small, inconsistent, and Pipeline needs a lot more than that to show its teeth. No standout here for the crowds, but then again, with surf this tiny, the lineup will be quiet.

Water temp is about average for this time of year. No anomalies to report.

The swell direction is coming from the SSW, which isn’t the ideal optimum for Pipeline – it likes a nice WNW wrap. But the long periods, especially with the 16-18 second swells, will at least give the wave some shape if it ever gets enough height.

Stay tuned, but for now, it’s a waiting game. Rusty out.

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