Pipeline Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, Rusty here. Let’s have a look at what’s on the cards for this stretch.

Overall, we’re looking at a long, drawn-out run of small, clean surf at Pipeline. The energy is there, but it’s mostly from long-period groundswells that are coming in from the west and south, which isn’t ideal for the break. The wind stays cross-offshore from the east or east-northeast almost the whole time, which means the surface will be glassy clean. The catch is the wave heights stay pretty small and the quality is only marginal for the most part. The water temp here is 81°, which is bang on average for this time of year, so no surprises there. Crowds are often a factor at Pipeline, so expect company even when it’s small.

The first real nod we get is Saturday morning, September 12th. We’ve got a clean 2ft swell from the southwest, with a very long 15-second period. The combined energy is moderate (338). It’s not big, but it’s clean and there’s enough push for a few good ones. Saturday afternoon drops off to 2ft, so the morning is the window.

Sunday morning, September 13th, brings a little shift: a 3ft swell from the north-northeast with a shorter period of 9 seconds. Still clean with that cross-off wind, and combined energy is moderate (302). Worth a look if you missed Saturday.

From Monday the 14th through to the end of the following week, it’s just a series of small, marginal days. Swells bounce between 1.0ft and 3ft, mostly from the south-southwest, with periods ranging from 13 to 24 seconds. The energy readings climb into the high hundreds and low thousands as the week goes on—like Wednesday the 16th showing 581—but the wave heights just don’t back it up. It’s clean but not really breaking with any punch at Pipeline.

There’s a little uptick on Saturday, September 19th, in the afternoon. The swell holds at 3ft from the south-southwest, period 16 seconds, and the combined energy is a solid 517. Wind is a gentle breeze, and the conditions are flagged as very good. That afternoon might be the best pick of the first week.

The second week starts with more of the same small stuff, mostly in the 1ft to 3ft range, until we hit Sunday, September 27th. That’s the standout. The swell jumps to 5ft in the morning and 5ft in the afternoon, from the north-northwest with a 17-second period. Combined energy goes ballistic—1343 in the morning, 1435 in the afternoon. That’s strong energy for Pipeline, but at 5ft it’s still manageable for strong intermediates and up. The wind stays clean and cross-off. This is the day to circle on the calendar. It’s still over a week out, so keep an eye on it, but it’s got real potential.

If you’re a beginner, anything over 5ft could be a handful, but the 27th may be pushing it for you. For experts, it’s game on.

Signing off, Rusty.

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