Surf Forecasts:
Publics surf forecast from 15 Aug 2026:
- Best quality surf: Sunday 16 Aug, 8PM (local time) - 6.5ft (2.0m), 8s period, ENE swell with cross-offshore winds.
- Most powerful swell: Sunday 16 Aug, 2AM (local time) - 18ft (5.5m), 11s period, ENE swell with 6,455 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Sunday 16 Aug, 8PM (local time) - 6.5ft (2.0m), 8s period with ENE swell.
Best Forecast Surf Conditions for Publics this week:
The surf forecast for Publics over the next 16 days: The first swell (rated 1 star or higher) is forecast to arrive on Sunday (Aug 16) at 8PM. The primary swell is predicted to be 2.0m and 8s period with a secondary swell of 1.1m and 7s. The wind is predicted to be cross-offshore as the swell arrives.
The most powerful waves expected at Publics in the next 16 days are 5.5m 11s and forecast to arrive on Sunday (Aug 16) 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 0.9m 6s period and expected on Thursday (Aug 20) at 2AM.
| Wave Type | Time (HST) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 8PM (Sun 16th Aug) | 6.5ft (2.0m) 8s |
| Best Surf | 8PM (Sun 16th Aug) | 6.5ft (2.0m) 8s |
| Most Powerful | 2AM (Sun 16th Aug) | 18ft (5.5m) 11s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Publics over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
Alright folks, Rusty here. Let's have a look at what's on the menu for the Publics over the next couple of weeks.
Honestly, the first week is a bit of a non-starter. We've got a lot of size, but the wind is a mess. From Friday the 14th through most of the following week, it's a constant cross-off shore breeze, often fresh to strong, with a whole lot of east-northeast in it. The swell is up, with some readings over 10 ft on the Saturday the 15th, but the quality is just not there for paddle surfing. The wave energy is moderate to very strong (917 up to 2465), but it's all short-period, choppy wind swell, and the Neap tide or whatever is just making it a marginal, poor session. Honestly, for a few days there, with that much wind and consistent 10 ft+ swell, this setup is more interesting for the kite crew than for us.
The water temp is sitting around 81°F with a +1°F anomaly, so it's pretty average for this time of year. Nothing to write home about there.
We do have a long gap of poor to marginal conditions until we finally get a couple of windows that look promising. You'll want to circle Friday the 21st of August. The wind drops right out to a light breeze from the east, and we get a nice little 2 ft groundswell from the southwest with a very long period of 17 seconds. The energy is moderate (375), but it'll be clean. Does that sound small? It is. But it's the first real sign of life.
Now, the real standout is looking like Friday the 28th of August. That's over a week away, so it's a long-range call, but it's got promise. We're looking at a 5 ft swell from the east with a very long 17-second period, and the wind is light and offshore from the east. The wave energy is very strong (1500), and the conditions are tipped as excellent for experienced surfers. The only thing to watch with that long period is it can close out a beach break like Publics, but if it lines up, it'll be the best wave we've seen in this run. The Saturday the 29th morning also looks decent with a 4 ft east swell, 14-second period, and light winds, but the energy is a bit less (996).
So, bottom line: the first week is a write-off for clean surf. There's a tiny, clean window on the 21st, but the main event to keep an eye on is the last Friday of the month. Fingers crossed it holds.
Rusty.
Short Range ForecastHeavy rain (total 30mm), heaviest during Sun morning. Warm (max 27°C on Sun afternoon, min 25°C on Fri night). Winds decreasing (gales from the E on Sat night, light winds from the ENE by Sun night). | Days 5-7 Weather SummaryMostly dry. Warm (max 26°C on Mon afternoon, min 24°C on Wed night). Mainly fresh winds. | |||||||||||||||||||
Fri 14 | Saturday 15 | Sunday 16 | Monday 17 | Tuesday 18 | Wednesday 19 | Thursday 20 | ||||||||||||||
PM | 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) | ENE 8 | ENE 8 | ENE 8 | E 10 | ENE 11 | ENE 9 | ENE 8 | ENE 8 | S 14 | S 14 | ENE 7 | S 13 | S 13 | ENE 8 | ENE 8 | E 8 | ENE 7 | SSW 18 | SSW 17 | SW 16 |
Wave Graph  | ||||||||||||||||||||
 kJ | 555 | 984 | 1565 | 2407 | 6455 | 1297 | 676 | 408 | 334 | 260 | 170 | 165 | 119 | 143 | 163 | 100 | 193 | 207 | 200 | 274 |
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 | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | off |
High Tide | 5:22PM0.62m | 6:06AM0.44m | 5:54PM0.53m | 6:57AM0.47m | 6:24PM0.45m | 7:54AM0.49m | 6:52PM0.37m | 8:59AM0.51m | 7:16PM0.30m | 10:13AM0.53m | 11:25AM0.56m | 10:11PM0.21m | ||||||||
Low Tide | 00:03AM0.04m | 11:43AM0.14m | 00:30AM0.05m | 12:43PM0.20m | 00:58AM0.06m | 1:59PM0.25m | 1:27AM0.08m | 3:56PM0.27m | 2:01AM0.10m | 2:47AM0.12m | 8:27PM0.20m | |||||||||
 |  |  |  |  | | | | | |  | | | | | | | | | | |
 | — | — | 6:09 | — | — | 6:09 | — | — | 6:09 | — | — | 6:09 | — | — | 6:11 | — | — | 6:11 | — | — |
 | 7:01 | — | — | 7:00 | — | — | 7:00 | — | — | 7:00 | — | — | 6:59 | — | — | 6:58 | — | — | 6:57 | — |
mm | — | — | 1 | — | 8 | 15 | 4 | 2 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Temp °C | 26 | 25 | 26 | 26 | 26 | 26 | 27 | 26 | 25 | 26 | 25 | 25 | 26 | 25 | 25 | 26 | 25 | 26 | 26 | 26 |
Feels °C | 22 | 23 | 23 | 21 | 22 | 22 | 26 | 28 | 24 | 25 | 24 | 23 | 24 | 25 | 24 | 25 | 25 | 26 | 26 | 28 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | S 14 | S 14 | S 13 | S 13 | S 14 | ENE 9 | ENE 8 | ENE 8 | S 14 | S 14 | ENE 7 | S 13 | S 13 | S 13 | SW 16 | E 8 | E 8 | E 8 | E 8 | ENE 8 |
| kJ | 411 | 306 | 225 | 168 | 184 | 1297 | 676 | 408 | 334 | 260 | 158 | 165 | 119 | 116 | 129 | 84 | 82 | 74 | 90 | 173 |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | E 11 | W 11 | W 11 | W 13 | S 18 | S 13 | SSE 7 | S 14 | S 6 | SSE 5 | S 13 | SW 17 | SW 18 | SW 18 | S 12 | SSW 16 | NE 6 | NE 7 | NNE 7 | SW 16 |
| kJ | 62 | 9 | 9 | 30 | 56 | 157 | 203 | 246 | 16 | 10 | 170 | 74 | 80 | 79 | 44 | 100 | 61 | 46 | 41 | 274 |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | W 12 | SSW 17 | SW 17 | S 16 | W 13 | S 16 | S 13 | SSE 6 | WSW 5 | SSW 19 | E 9 | W 13 | W 13 | W 12 | NNE 7 | S 12 | SW 16 | SSW 18 | SSW 17 | S 15 |
| kJ | 11 | 29 | 12 | 43 | 30 | 188 | 166 | 41 | 3 | 37 | 25 | 14 | 31 | 25 | 9 | 45 | 129 | 207 | 200 | 38 |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | ENE 8 | ENE 8 | ENE 8 | E 10 | ENE 11 | SSE 7 | SSE 7 | — | ENE 8 | ENE 7 | — | ENE 7 | ENE 7 | ENE 8 | ENE 8 | NE 7 | ENE 7 | — | — | — |
| kJ | 555 | 984 | 1565 | 2407 | 6455 | 222 | 334 | — | 250 | 231 | — | 164 | 99 | 143 | 163 | 44 | 193 | — | — | — |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | ||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 125 | 203 | 127 | 203 | 203 | 125 | 47 | 0 | 33 | 32 | 32 | 32 | 1 | 32 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 |
Best forecast wave conditions in Oahu | ||||||||||||||||||||
Best forecast wave conditions in United States | ||||||||||||||||||||
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Information about the Publics Surf forecast
The above surf forecast table for Publics provides essential information for determining whether the surfing conditions will be good over the next 16 days. A general guide to surfing at Publics can be found by selecting the local surf guide option on the grey menu. Our Publics 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 (Publics) 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 Publics 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.
Publics is 6 km (4 miles) from Honolulu. If you plan a vacation in Oahu, look for hotels and other accommodation in Honolulu. Honolulu has rooms for a wide range of budgets as well as car hire and transport links.
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