Rivermouth_Wailuku Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, it’s Rusty here, and I’ve been staring at this forecast for the Wailuku River mouth. Let’s be honest from the start: this is a tough stretch for surfers around here. The whole 16-day window is pretty much a write-off, with no real standout sessions to get excited about.

We’re looking at Rivermouth_Wailuku, a reef break that’s fairly consistent but craves an offshore wind from the SSW. Unfortunately, the trade winds are locked in from the ENE and NE, blowing cross-on shore for the entire first week and beyond. The water temp is sitting at 80°F, which is about normal for this time of year, so we can’t even blame the cold for the lack of quality.

We start off from Monday, 10 August, with a small 4ft swell from the ENE, but with a short period of 8 seconds and a cross-on breeze, it’s just choppy and weak. The combined energy is a meagre 229 (weak). Tuesday and Wednesday are more of the same – 4ft to 5ft, still short-period, still cross-on. Honestly, it’s frustrating.

The swell builds a little heading into the weekend of 15-16 August, hitting 7ft to 8ft from the ENE, and the period stretches to 10-11 seconds. The energy jumps up – on Sunday, 16 August, we see 1115 (strong) in the morning and 1328 (very strong) in the afternoon. But here’s the kicker: the wind swings around to the south, giving a clean, cross-off breeze. That’s the only window that looks marginally interesting. The morning is risky with a chance of thunderstorms, and the score is low, but by Sunday afternoon the wind is moderate and the surf is listed as clean. Still, the swell direction is ENE, while this break works best with a NNE swell, so the waves won’t be lined up properly. It’s a tease, and for a spot that’s a river mouth, those long-period (11 sec) ENE swells break too straight, so it’s more for the experienced crew taking a gamble.

The following week, from Monday, 18 August, through to the end of the forecast on 25 August, we’re back to small, weak, short-period chop. The swell drops to 3ft to 4ft, periods are 5-8 seconds, and the energy is weak (72 to 331). The cross-on trades are relentless. There’s nothing to recommend here.

If you’re a hardcore local, that Sunday, 16 August, afternoon might be your only chance to get wet, but it’s a gamble. For everyone else, it’s time to check the kite gear, because with that onshore wind and building swell, the setup looks far more interesting for kite surfing than paddle surfing. The forecast can always change, but for now, it’s a long blank run.

Rusty.

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