Tankers Surf Break

Lat Long: 21.30° N 158.06° W

Tankers Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Issued: 1 am 12 Aug 2026 (local time)

Forecast update in  hr  min

Today's Tankers sea temperature is
27.3° C
0.6° 

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


Tankers surf forecast from 12 Aug 2026:

  • Best quality surf: Wednesday 19 Aug, 2AM (local time) - 4ft (1.2m), 7s period, E swell with cross-offshore winds.
  • Most powerful swell: Sunday 16 Aug, 8AM (local time) - 16ft (5.0m), 11s period, E swell with 5,369 kJ wave energy.
  • Next surfable swell (1★+): Wednesday 19 Aug, 2AM (local time) - 4ft (1.2m), 7s period with E 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 Wednesday (Aug 19) at 2AM. The primary swell is predicted to be 1.2m and 7s period with a secondary swell of 0.5m and 13s. Another secondary swell of 0.4m and 8s is also forecast. 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 5.0m 11s and forecast to arrive on Sunday (Aug 16) at 8AM. Winds are predicted to be cross-offshore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 4.0m 10s period and expected on Sunday (Aug 16) at 5AM.

Wave TypeTime (HST) & Date Wave Height & Period
Next good surf (1 star+) 2AM (Wed 19th Aug)4ft (1.2m) 7s
Best Surf 2AM (Wed 19th Aug)4ft (1.2m) 7s
Most Powerful 8AM (Sun 16th Aug)16ft (5.0m) 11s

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


The Lowdown

Alright mate, Rusty here. Let’s have a proper look at what Tankers is shaping up to offer over the next few weeks. Straight up, I’ll be honest with you—it’s not looking like a classic run. We’ve got plenty of swell on the cards, but the wind and conditions are going to make it a real battle to find clean waves for most of this outlook.

Overall Pattern

For the first week and a half, the story is mostly one of persistent cross-offshore winds from the east-northeast. While that wind direction is favourable for keeping the surface clean, it’s blowing pretty hard—often a fresh breeze or stronger. The swell is coming in from a long-period southerly direction (16 to 18 seconds), which is a classic groundswell. That long period means the waves will have plenty of push and shape, but the south direction isn’t a perfect match for a break that wants it more from the south-east. On top of that, the combined energy readings are moderate to strong, sitting between 1029 and 2590 (depending on the day), so there’s definitely power in the water. The challenge is the wind strength.

We do get a short window right at the end of the forecast, around Saturday 22nd and into the start of the following week, where the wind finally drops off. That’s the part worth paying attention to.

Wednesday 12th August – Wednesday 19th August

It kicks off on Wednesday morning with a 3.3 ft south swell at 18 seconds, but with a moderate breeze from the east-northeast at 16 mph. It’s clean, but the scores aren't great. The swell is small and the wind is just a bit too punchy. The water temp is sitting at 81.1°F with a slight positive anomaly of 1.1°F, so it’s a touch warmer than average for this time of year—nothing wild, just a pleasant tropical feel.

Thursday and Friday see the swell bumping up slightly to 4.3 ft, but the wind gets stronger—19 to 22 mph. The combined energy drops a little, and the period shortens to 14-16 seconds. It’s still clean on the surface, but the wind is making it tough for anything truly enjoyable. The energy is moderate (771 to 986), but it feels like a lot of effort for not much reward.

Then we hit a real rough patch from Saturday 15th through to Tuesday 18th. The swell builds significantly—8.2 ft on Saturday, jumping to 11.5 ft on Sunday morning. That’s expert territory, no doubt. But the wind is the killer. On Saturday, it’s a strong breeze of 25-28 mph, and by Sunday it’s a near gale at 37 mph. There’s a risk of thunderstorms and moderate rain. The combined energy shoots up to 2590 on Sunday morning, which is very strong, but with that much wind and a short 10-second period, the quality is poor. Sunday afternoon swings onshore from the southeast at 25 mph, turning it into a messy, choppy mess. That kind of setup at a reef break with big, wind-affected swell? Honestly, it looks more like a kite surfing day than a paddle session.

Monday 17th and Tuesday 18th stay small to moderate (2.3 ft to 4.6 ft), but the wind remains a problem—cross-onshore on Monday and still a moderate breeze on Tuesday. The energy is low to moderate. Not worth paddling out for.

Thursday 20th August – End of Outlook

On Thursday 20th morning, we finally get a little relief. The swell drops right back to 2.3 ft from the south-west, but the period is a nice long 18 seconds. The wind is down to a gentle breeze of 9 mph from the east-northeast. The energy is moderate (466). It’s a small, clean window, but nothing to write home about.

The Standout

If there’s one session to circle on your calendar, it’s Saturday 22nd August in the afternoon. That’s the moment it all comes together. The wind drops to almost nothing—a slight air from the north at just 3 mph. The surf report says “glassy,” and that’s exactly what it is. The swell is small, 2.3 ft from the south-west at 15 seconds, but with glassy conditions and a combined energy of 319 (moderate), it will be clean and fun. Tankers can be consistent, but it’s a beginner-friendly reef break, so with light crowds being possible, that afternoon window is the pick of the bunch. The crowd situation can be “often,” so don’t expect to have it to yourself, but with conditions that good, it’s worth sharing.

For the rest of the second week, it’s a bit of a mixed bag. Sunday 23rd and Monday 24th have a small cross-off wind and 3.0 ft to 3.3 ft swell from the south-south-west. The energy is moderate (595-620). It’s not terrible, but not a standout. The wind stays moderate, and the swell direction is better for Tankers, but it’s nothing special. Wednesday 26th has a fresh breeze and 3.9 ft swell with a moderate energy reading of 1048—clean, but still not a classic.

Overall, it’s

Short Range Forecast

Mostly dry. Warm (max 28°C on Wed afternoon, min 25°C on Wed night). Mainly fresh winds.

Days 4-6 Weather Summary

Heavy rain (total 27mm), heaviest during Sun morning. Warm (max 28°C on Sat afternoon, min 25°C on Sat night). Winds decreasing (gales from the NE on Sun morning, moderate winds from the ESE by Sun night).

Wednesday
12
Thursday
13
Friday
14
Saturday
15
Sunday
16
Monday
17
Tuesday
18
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
Rating
(10 max)
2
2
3
1
1
1
1
1
0
1
1
0
0
0
1
0
2
0
0
0
2
Swell
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Wave
Height (m)
Direction
Period (s)
1
S
18
1.1
S
18
1.4
S
16
1.3
S
16
1.3
S
15
1.2
S
15
1.1
S
14
1.1
S
14
1
S
14
2.5
E
11
3
E
11
0.8
S
13
3.5
E
10
2.2
E
9
0.9
S
14
1
S
14
0.9
S
14
0.8
S
13
1.3
E
7
1.4
E
7
1.2
E
7
Wave Graph
Metric surfscale
Energy kJ
627
741
1029
858
763
636
496
496
377
1397
1763
229
2239
836
315
412
329
222
168
176
128
Wind (km/h)
25
ENE
30
ENE
20
NE
30
ENE
35
ENE
30
ENE
35
ENE
35
ENE
30
NE
40
ENE
45
ENE
50
NE
60
ENE
40
ESE
20
ESE
25
SE
20
ENE
25
ENE
25
ENE
25
ENE
15
ENE
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-on
cross
cross-on
cross-off
cross-off
cross-off
cross-off
cross-off
High Tide
3:59PM0.80m
4:08AM0.41m
4:32PM0.75m
4:55AM0.46m
5:02PM0.68m
5:41AM0.50m
5:29PM0.60m
6:30AM0.53m
5:53PM0.51m
7:23AM0.54m
6:10PM0.44m
8:25AM0.55m
6:13PM0.37m
Low Tide
8:53AM0.02m
10:50PM0.10m
9:42AM0.06m
11:15PM0.09m
10:30AM0.11m
11:40PM0.09m
11:19AM0.18m
00:04AM0.09m
12:13PM0.25m
00:28AM0.10m
1:18PM0.31m
00:54AM0.11m
2:59PM0.34m
1:23AM0.13m
clear
clear
clear
clear
clear
clear
clear
clear
clear
clear
clear
rain showers
mod rain
mod rain
thunderstorm
thunderstorm
thunderstorm
clear
clear
clear
clear
<span class="translation_missing" title="translation missing: en.weather_tables.sunrise">Sunrise</span>
6:09
6:09
6:09
6:09
6:09
6:11
6:11
<span class="translation_missing" title="translation missing: en.weather_tables.sunset">Sunset</span>
7:04
7:02
7:02
7:01
7:00
7:00
7:00
 mm
1
9
6
8
1
2
Temp °C
27
28
26
28
28
26
27
28
26
27
28
26
26
27
27
27
27
26
26
27
25
Feels °C
25
26
26
26
25
25
24
25
24
24
24
23
20
25
26
28
28
26
24
25
24
  • Map Icons:
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  • Live Wave Height (m)
  • Live Wind Speed (km/h)
  • Surf Rating (10 Max)
  • Ocean Swells (m)
  • Wind Speed (km/h)
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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.

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