
Surf Forecasts:
Tankers surf forecast from 11 Sep 2026:
- Best quality surf: Tuesday 15 Sep, 5AM (local time) - 2.5ft (0.7m), 21s period, SW swell with cross-offshore winds.
- Most powerful swell: Wednesday 16 Sep, 5PM (local time) - 3.5ft (1.0m), 18s period, SSW swell with 644 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Saturday 12 Sep, 5AM (local time) - 2.5ft (0.7m), 15s period with SW swell.
Best Forecast Surf Conditions for Tankers this week:
The surf forecast for Tankers over the next 16 days: The first swell (rated 1 star or higher) is forecast to arrive on Saturday (Sep 12) at 5AM. The primary swell is predicted to be 0.7m and 15s period. The wind is predicted to be cross-offshore as the swell arrives.
The most powerful waves expected at Tankers in the next 16 days are 1.0m 18s and forecast to arrive on Wednesday (Sep 16) at 5PM. Winds are predicted to be cross-offshore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 2.0m 8s period and expected on Thursday (Sep 17) at 8AM.
| Wave Type | Time (HST) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 5AM (Sat 12th Sep) | 2.5ft (0.7m) 15s |
| Best Surf | 5AM (Tue 15th Sep) | 2.5ft (0.7m) 21s |
| Most Powerful | 5PM (Wed 16th Sep) | 3.5ft (1.0m) 18s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Tankers over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
Alright, Rusty here. Let’s have a look at what’s coming our way.
Honestly, the next 16 days are looking pretty average for Tankers. There’s nothing in this window that screams “drop everything and go.” Most of the time, the swell is small and the conditions are only just surfable. The combined wave energy stays moderate for the most part, hovering in the hundreds (between 152 and 1088), which tells you the ocean’s not exactly firing.
We start off on Thursday the 10th of September with a tiny 2ft swell out of the SSW. It's got a nice long period of 16 seconds, which usually means proper groundswell, but at this size it’s more of a wet-suit paddle than a real session. Wind’s cross-shore from the E at 12 mph, so it’s not going to be glassy. The water sits at a warm 81° – about average for this time of year, with no anomaly to speak of.
Friday the 11th looks similar: 2ft SSW swell, period holding at 16 seconds, but the wind turns cross-offshore from the ENE, which keeps the surface clean. Still, it’s tiny.
The weekend and into next week doesn’t bring much joy. Swells stay below 3ft, with periods lingering in the 15-20 second range, but the energy stays moderate. It’s just not happening. By Monday the 14th, we’ve got a 1ft swell with a 24-second period – that’s an incredibly long period for such a tiny wave. At a reef break like Tankers, that long period might give a little shape, but there’s just no push.
Now, there is a bit of a pulse around Tuesday the 15th. We see 3ft of SSW swell, period still solid at 20 seconds, and the combined energy climbs to 623. The wind stays light from the E, so it’s clean-ish. This is probably the best bet in the first week, but it’s still only marginal.
Towards the middle of the second week, the swell picks up a bit. Thursday the 17th of September brings a 5ft swell, but it’s coming from the E with a short period of 9 seconds – that’s windswell, not groundswell. The energy is strong (989), but the quality won’t be there. The wind also picks up to 22 mph from the ENE, so it’s going to be lumpy and tough. This is expert territory, size-wise, but with poor quality, it might actually be more interesting for kite surfing than regular paddle surfing.
The real standout, if you can wait, is on Wednesday the 23rd of September. The afternoon session looks like a genuine winner. The wind drops to glassy – 0 mph from the SSE – and the swell is a clean 2ft out of the SSW with a period of 19 seconds. The combined energy is a solid 723. That’s the kind of window where Tankers can show its true colours, with really clean, lined-up waves. This is the one to aim for.
Following that, Thursday the 24th and Friday the 25th still offer surfable 3ft to 3ft SSW swell, but the wind comes up again, so it won’t be as good as that Wednesday afternoon.
Bottom line: it’s a long, flat run with one bright spot. That Wednesday the 23rd afternoon is your best chance for a decent session. The rest is for getting wet and not much else.
Rusty.
Short Range ForecastMostly dry. Warm (max 27°C on Thu morning, min 24°C on Fri night). Winds decreasing (fresh winds from the E on Thu afternoon, light winds from the ESE by Sat afternoon). | Days 4-6 Weather SummaryMostly dry. Warm (max 28°C on Tue afternoon, min 24°C on Sun morning). Wind will be generally light. | ||||||||||||||||||||
Thursday 10 | Friday 11 | Saturday 12 | Sunday 13 | Monday 14 | Tuesday 15 | Wednesday 16 | |||||||||||||||
AM | 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) | SSW 16 | SSW 18 | SW 16 | SW 16 | SW 15 | SW 15 | SW 16 | SW 16 | SSW 13 | SW 15 | SSW 15 | SSW 14 | SW 24 | SW 22 | SW 21 | SW 20 | SSW 19 | SW 19 | SSW 18 | SSW 18 | SSW 17 |
Wave Graph | |||||||||||||||||||||
181 | 209 | 268 | 258 | 229 | 226 | 245 | 124 | 116 | 107 | 84 | 134 | 87 | 227 | 224 | 557 | 480 | 535 | 541 | 644 | 510 | |
Wind (km/h) | |||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | cross | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross | cross | cross-off | cross-off | cross | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross | cross-off | cross-off | cross | cross-off | cross-off |
High Tide | 3:25PM0.68m | 3:53AM0.55m | 3:54PM0.62m | 4:32AM0.59m | 4:21PM0.55m | 5:11AM0.62m | 4:46PM0.48m | 5:51AM0.63m | 5:07PM0.41m | 6:35AM0.62m | 5:22PM0.36m | 7:27AM0.60m | 5:15PM0.31m | ||||||||
Low Tide | 8:56AM0.09m | 9:53PM0.08m | 9:45AM0.12m | 10:14PM0.07m | 10:32AM0.16m | 10:36PM0.07m | 11:21AM0.20m | 10:57PM0.08m | 12:14PM0.24m | 11:18PM0.09m | 1:19PM0.28m | 11:41PM0.11m | 3:06PM0.30m | 00:08AM0.13m | |||||||
6:16 | — | — | 6:18 | — | — | 6:18 | — | — | 6:18 | — | — | 6:18 | — | — | 6:18 | — | — | 6:18 | — | — | |
— | 6:39 | — | — | 6:38 | — | — | 6:37 | — | — | 6:37 | — | — | 6:36 | — | — | 6:35 | — | — | 6:34 | — | |
mm | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Temp °C | 27 | 27 | 26 | 26 | 27 | 26 | 26 | 27 | 26 | 26 | 27 | 26 | 26 | 27 | 26 | 27 | 28 | 27 | 27 | 28 | 26 |
Feels °C | 27 | 25 | 26 | 26 | 27 | 26 | 27 | 27 | 27 | 26 | 27 | 27 | 27 | 28 | 27 | 29 | 30 | 29 | 27 | 28 | 25 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SSW 13 | SSW 12 | SW 16 | SW 16 | SW 15 | SW 15 | SW 16 | ENE 10 | ENE 9 | SW 15 | E 5 | SSW 14 | SSW 14 | ENE 8 | ENE 8 | SW 20 | SSW 19 | SW 19 | SSW 18 | SSW 18 | E 9 |
173 | 175 | 268 | 258 | 229 | 226 | 245 | 75 | 65 | 107 | 12 | 134 | 76 | 39 | 50 | 557 | 480 | 535 | 541 | 644 | 251 | |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SSW 16 | SSW 18 | E 11 | E 11 | SSW 12 | SSE 8 | ENE 10 | SW 16 | SSW 13 | E 5 | SSW 15 | NE 8 | NE 9 | SW 22 | SW 21 | E 7 | ENE 7 | ENE 7 | E 10 | ENE 8 | SSW 17 |
181 | 209 | 64 | 88 | 46 | 26 | 100 | 124 | 116 | 13 | 84 | 18 | 19 | 227 | 224 | 25 | 43 | 57 | 151 | 107 | 510 | |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | E 12 | E 12 | SSW 12 | S 11 | SW 9 | SSW 11 | SSW 10 | SW 13 | SSW 16 | SSW 12 | SSW 12 | SE 8 | SW 24 | SSW 14 | SSW 13 | SW 13 | SW 12 | E 11 | SW 12 | E 10 | SW 11 |
104 | 72 | 77 | 66 | 28 | 40 | 22 | 87 | 98 | 57 | 56 | 18 | 87 | 74 | 68 | 41 | 38 | 37 | 34 | 49 | 31 | |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | E 7 | E 7 | E 7 | ENE 7 | ENE 11 | ENE 10 | — | — | E 5 | E 5 | ENE 5 | E 5 | E 5 | NE 8 | NE 8 | NE 8 | NE 7 | NE 7 | NE 7 | ENE 8 | ENE 8 |
131 | 150 | 100 | 60 | 249 | 195 | — | — | 13 | 18 | 20 | 12 | 7 | 70 | 67 | 79 | 79 | 77 | 62 | 202 | 389 | |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 17 | 9 | 7 | 7 | 4 | 7 | 7 | 7 | 4 | 4 | 7 | 7 | 4 | 4 | 3 | 7 | 7 | 3 | 7 | 17 | 17 |
Best forecast wave conditions in Oahu | |||||||||||||||||||||
Best forecast wave conditions in United States | |||||||||||||||||||||
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Information about the Tankers Surf forecast
The above surf forecast table for Tankers provides essential information for determining whether the surfing conditions will be good over the next 16 days. A general guide to surfing at Tankers can be found by selecting the local surf guide option on the grey menu. Our Tankers 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 (Tankers) 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 Tankers 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.
Tankers is 5 km (3 miles) from Makakilo City. If you plan a vacation in Oahu, look for hotels and other accommodation in Makakilo City. Makakilo City has rooms for a wide range of budgets as well as car hire and transport links.










