Pipeline Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Howdy, I'm Rusty, and I've been staring at the charts for the North Shore, and well, it's a bit of a slow one for us. The next week and a bit is looking small and pretty average, so we've got a long stretch of quiet water before things start to hum.

Right now, through the end of August and into the first week of September, the surf is just not there. We're looking at tiny, weak swell with poor conditions, and the combined energy is barely a whisper, with values like 80 and 116. It's a total write-off for a surf. The water temp is about average for this time of year, so nothing to write home about there.

We then hit a big gap of almost nothing. From the 2nd of September right through to the 5th, it's a dead zone with zero energy, then a few tiny pulses of 1ft to 1ft, but the period is too short or the swell is too small to do anything with. You'd be better off waxing your board and just staring at it.

The first real sign of life comes on the 6th of September. It's still marginal, but we start seeing a 2ft SSW groundswell with a long 16-second period, and the energy climbs to 289. The wind is a clean cross-offshore from the ENE at 20 km/h, which is a positive. The wave comment says "marginal surf forecast or questionable tide conditions," so it's a blink-and-you'll-miss-it window. It's not worth getting excited about just yet.

The real standout, the one that's got my attention, is shaping up for the end of the second week. Thursday, 11th September and Saturday, 13th September are looking like the best bets. On the 11th, we've got a solid 3ft SSW groundswell with a 16-second period, combined energy of 590, and light ENE winds at 10 km/h. The wave comment is "expect very good surf conditions." Then on the 12th, the swell picks up to 4ft from the west at 16 seconds, with a massive energy reading of 1036, but the wind is a bit stronger. The 11th is the cleaner day.

For a break like Pipeline (Oahu), which is a world-class reef break, a long-period swell like this is perfect. It's exposed to the WNW swell direction, and this SSW and W swell will wrap in nicely. The 3ft to 4ft range is manageable for a lot of surfers, but that 4ft with that much energy will be a handful for anyone not used to the North Shore. The winds are light and cross-offshore, which will keep the waves clean and lined up. Crowds are always a factor at Pipeline, so expect a full lineup, but for those who can handle it, this is the best window we've got.

So, the call is: the next week is a write-off, but hold tight for the 11th, 12th, and 13th of September. That's our window.

Rusty.

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