Pipeline Surf Break

Lat Long: 21.67° N 158.05° W

Pipeline Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Issued: 1 am 14 Sep 2026 (local time)

Forecast update in  hr  min

Today's Pipeline sea temperature is
26.9°C
0.0° 

Pipeline surf forecast is for near shore open water. Breaking waves will often be smaller at less exposed spots.


Pipeline surf forecast from 15 Sep 2026:

  • Most powerful swell: Friday 18 Sep, 2AM (local time) - 3.5ft (1.1m), 18s period, SSW swell with 768 kJ wave energy.

Best Forecast Surf Conditions for Pipeline this week:

The most powerful waves expected at Pipeline in the next 16 days are 1.1m 18s and forecast to arrive on Friday (Sep 18) at 2AM. Winds are predicted to be cross-offshore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 2.1m 7s period and expected on Thursday (Sep 17) at 2PM.

Wave TypeTime (HST) & Date Wave Height & Period
Next good surf (1 star+)--
Best Surf--
Most Powerful 2AM (Fri 18th Sep)3.5ft (1.1m) 18s

Table - best surf conditions forecast for Pipeline over the next 16 days.


The Lowdown

Alright, Rusty here. Let’s talk about what’s on the menu.

This is not a classic Pipeline swell. We’re looking at a long stretch of small, weak surf before anything gets interesting. The first real chance to get wet is on Monday, September 14th, but it’s nothing to write home about.

Monday, September 14th: We start with a tiny 1ft wave in the morning. The energy is low (163). It’s clean with a cross-off wind from the ENE at 12 mph, but the swell is from the SW with a very long 24-second period. That means the waves will have shape, but at 1ft, it’s barely a ripple. Water temp is a warm 80°, which is normal for the time of year. The afternoon inches up to 2ft but still marginal.

Tuesday 15th to Friday 18th: This whole stretch is a grind. Swell sits between 2ft and 3ft from the SSW. The period drops from 20 seconds to 15 seconds, so the quality fades. The energy gets into the moderate range (589 on Tuesday morning, peaking at 628 Friday morning), but the cross-off winds stay steady at 12-16 mph. It’s clean, but it’s small and weak. This is longboard or foil territory, not Pipe.

Saturday 19th to Thursday 24th: Things go flat. Swell stays around 2-3ft, but the scores drop to zero. Energy dips under 400, and the period shortens to 12-16 seconds. The wind is still cross-off but picks up to a fresh 19 mph at times. This is a gap of about 6 days with no real surf to recommend. It’s quiet.

Friday, September 25th: A little life. Morning has 3ft from the SSW with a 15-second period and energy back up to 542. The wind drops to a gentle 9 mph from the NNE, but it’s cross-shore. The afternoon improves: 3ft, 15 seconds, 591 energy, with a lighter NNE breeze at 9 mph. It’s still cross-shore, but the surface is cleaner. For the first time in over a week, there’s something to ride.

Saturday, September 26th: The pick of the run. Morning has 3ft from the SSW, 14-second period, and energy of 520. The wind is a light 6 mph from the NNE – that’s almost glassy. The cross-shore is light with just small ripples. It’s still small for Pipe, but the conditions are the cleanest we’ve seen. This is your best session. Crowds at Pipeline are often heavy, but with surf this small, it might be a bit easier to find a wave.

Sunday 27th to Tuesday 29th: The swell tries to build. Sunday morning is 3ft with a 16-second period and 766 energy, but the wind swings to a light cross-on from the NNW. By Monday the 28th, the afternoon swell hits 4ft from the SSW with a very long 18-second period, and energy jumps to 1214 (strong) – the biggest of the forecast. But the wind is cross-on from the north at 9 mph, so there will be some chop. Tuesday the 29th has 4ft with 901 energy and light cross-on winds. This is the most powerful swell, but the wind direction holds it back. At 4ft, it’s fine for intermediates, but that long 18-second period will make the waves fat and walling at a beach break. Pipe is a reef, so it should handle it – but the cross-on wind is a bummer.

The standout is Saturday the 26th. The swell direction from the SSW matches the break’s optimum (WNW) better than anything else, the wind is nearly glassy, and the energy is moderate. It’s small, but it’s the cleanest window. If you only have one day, that’s it.

Stay patient, watch that Saturday morning, and skip the flat days.

Rusty.

Short Range Forecast

Mostly dry. Warm (max 27°C on Tue morning, min 25°C on Mon morning). Wind will be generally light.

Days 4-6 Weather Summary

Light rain (total 8mm), mostly falling on Thu afternoon. Warm (max 28°C on Fri afternoon, min 25°C on Thu night). Wind will be generally light.

Monday
14
Tuesday
15
Wednesday
16
Thursday
17
Friday
18
Saturday
19
Sunday
20
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
Rating
(10 max)
0
1
1
2
1
2
2
1
1
1
2
2
1
1
2
1
0
1
0
0
0
Swell
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Wave
Height (m)
Direction
Period (s)
0.3
SW
24
0.5
SW
22
0.5
SW
21
0.8
SSW
20
0.7
SW
20
0.9
SW
19
0.9
SSW
18
0.9
SSW
18
0.9
SSW
17
0.8
SSW
16
0.8
SSW
16
1.1
SSW
18
1
SSW
17
1
SSW
17
1
SSW
16
0.9
SSW
15
0.9
SSW
16
0.8
SSW
15
0.9
SSW
15
0.9
SSW
15
1
SSW
15
Wave Graph
Metric surfscale
Energy kJ
87
227
224
490
388
535
547
541
516
322
322
768
622
580
539
414
382
291
408
370
456
Wind (km/h)
20
ENE
20
ENE
15
E
20
E
20
ENE
20
E
20
ENE
25
ENE
25
ENE
25
ENE
25
ENE
25
E
25
E
25
E
20
E
25
E
25
E
25
E
25
E
25
E
25
E
Wind State
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
cross-off
cross-off
High Tide
3:14PM0.49m
5:33AM0.61m
2:56PM0.46m
6:37AM0.59m
8:23AM0.57m
10:24AM0.59m
11:23AM0.62m
11:59AM0.65m
11:14PM0.30m
Low Tide
10:39AM0.37m
10:01PM0.12m
11:37AM0.42m
10:21PM0.13m
10:44PM0.15m
11:15PM0.18m
00:18AM0.21m
2:58AM0.22m
8:12PM0.28m
clear
clear
part cloud
clear
clear
clear
part cloud
clear
part cloud
part cloud
thunderstorm
thunderstorm
clear
clear
clear
clear
clear
part cloud
part cloud
part cloud
part cloud
<span class="translation_missing" title="translation missing: en.weather_tables.sunrise">Sunrise</span>
6:18
6:18
6:18
6:18
6:18
6:20
6:20
<span class="translation_missing" title="translation missing: en.weather_tables.sunset">Sunset</span>
6:36
6:35
6:34
6:32
6:31
6:30
6:30
 mm
2
6
Temp °C
26
26
25
27
27
26
27
27
26
26
27
26
27
28
26
26
27
26
26
27
26
Feels °C
26
25
26
28
28
27
28
28
27
27
28
26
26
27
26
25
27
26
26
26
26
  • Map Icons:
  • Break
  • Live Wave Height (m)
  • Live Wind Speed (km/h)
  • Surf Rating (10 Max)
  • Ocean Swells (m)
  • Wind Speed (km/h)
Map placeholder
How to use the Wavefinder 
submit an eyeball surf report

Quick surf report for Pipeline:

join our community of surf reporters

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 locationNearest