
Surf Forecasts:
Tankers surf forecast from 13 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: Friday 18 Sep, 2AM (local time) - 4ft (1.2m), 18s period, SSW swell with 826 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Saturday 12 Sep, 8PM (local time) - 1.5ft (0.5m), 16s 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 8PM. The primary swell is predicted to be 0.5m and 16s 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 1.2m 18s and forecast to arrive on Friday (Sep 18) 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 1.9m 10s period and expected on Thursday (Sep 17) at 5PM.
| Wave Type | Time (HST) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 8PM (Sat 12th Sep) | 1.5ft (0.5m) 16s |
| Best Surf | 5AM (Tue 15th Sep) | 2.5ft (0.7m) 21s |
| Most Powerful | 2AM (Fri 18th Sep) | 4ft (1.2m) 18s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Tankers over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
Alright folks, Rusty here with a look at what’s shaping up for Tankers. It’s a reef break that’s consistent and exposed to the south, so it’s got to be a good one to get the nod. The water temp sits at around 82°, pretty much what you’d expect for this time of year.
Right off the bat, Saturday the 12th is a bit of a non-starter. We've got tiny 2ft swell from the southwest with a long 16-second period, but it's a cross wind with marginal conditions. The energy is weak (256), so don't bother paddling out.
Sunday the 13th looks flat, with swell dropping to 1ft by the afternoon. The afternoon does turn glassy, but there’s virtually no wave to ride.
There’s a bit of a lull through Monday the 14th, but hang in there. Monday afternoon shows a cleaner picture with 2ft swell from the SW and a cross-off wind cleaning things up. Wave energy is still modest (314), but it’s a start.
Tuesday the 15th brings a bigger hump: 3ft of SW swell with a period of 20 seconds, and the energy jumps to a moderate 620 in the morning. The wind is cross-shore, so it's a bit lumpy, but that’s a long-period groundswell for you.
Now, the first true standout comes on Wednesday the 16th. It’s 3ft of SSW swell with a clean cross-off wind all day. The energy is pumping, hitting 625 in the morning and peaking at 712 in the afternoon. Glassy conditions, decent wave shape from that long period—this is where you want to be.
Thursday the 17th is a bit of a beast. The morning swell jumps to 6ft from the east, but the period drops to a short 10 seconds. That's a bit of a messy combo for a reef, and with energy up at 1172, it’s got some punch but the quality is questionable. The afternoon is cleaner but back down to 3ft.
Fast forward to the start of the second week, and things start to look promising again. Sunday the 20th morning: 7ft of east swell with a very short 7-second period. That’s a lot of water moving around, but the short period means it’s going to be a bit of a washing machine. The energy is still high (1013), and the wind is clean offshore, so for experts only. For the average surfer, it's a bit of a miss.
Monday the 21st through Thursday the 24th shows a consistent run of east groundswell, with heights ranging from 5ft to 6ft, periods between 7 and 10 seconds, and a steady cross-off wind from the ENE. The energy stays in the 630 to 798 range. It’s all labeled "marginal," but the conditions are clean. That Thursday afternoon is worth noting for the risk of thunderstorms—adds a bit of drama.
Heading into the final weekend, Friday the 25th sees a bit of a drop-off, with the swell turning back to a long-period SW 2ft in the afternoon. Energy is down to 570. By Sunday the 27th, it’s pretty much fizzled out to 2ft – 3ft and the energy is below 300.
For the standout, I’m going with Wednesday the 16th. The swell is on the smaller side, but the clean cross-off wind, the long period, and the consistent energy make for the best waves of the forecast. Get on it early.
This is Rusty, signing off.
Short Range ForecastMostly dry. Warm (max 27°C on Sat afternoon, min 24°C on Sun night). Wind will be generally light. | Days 4-6 Weather SummaryMostly dry. Warm (max 29°C on Wed afternoon, min 25°C on Tue morning). Mainly fresh winds. | ||||||||||||||||||||
Saturday 12 | Sunday 13 | Monday 14 | Tuesday 15 | Wednesday 16 | Thursday 17 | Friday 18 | |||||||||||||||
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) | 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 | E 10 | SW 16 | SSW 18 | SSW 17 | SSW 17 | SSW 16 |
Wave Graph | |||||||||||||||||||||
245 | 124 | 116 | 107 | 84 | 134 | 87 | 227 | 224 | 557 | 480 | 535 | 541 | 541 | 510 | 627 | 371 | 826 | 615 | 675 | 627 | |
Wind (km/h) | |||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | cross | cross-on | cross-off | cross | glassy | cross-off | cross | cross-off | cross-off | cross | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross | cross | cross-off |
High Tide | 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 | 8:35AM0.57m | 10:01AM0.57m | ||||||||||
Low Tide | 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 | 00:43AM0.16m | 1:55AM0.18m | |||||||||
6:18 | — | — | 6:18 | — | — | 6:18 | — | — | 6:18 | — | — | 6:18 | — | — | 6:18 | — | — | 6:18 | — | — | |
— | 6:37 | — | — | 6:37 | — | — | 6:36 | — | — | 6:35 | — | — | 6:34 | — | — | 6:32 | — | — | 6:31 | — | |
mm | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 1 | 4 | 3 |
Temp °C | 26 | 27 | 26 | 26 | 27 | 26 | 26 | 27 | 26 | 27 | 28 | 27 | 28 | 29 | 26 | 27 | 28 | 26 | 27 | 28 | 27 |
Feels °C | 27 | 28 | 28 | 27 | 28 | 28 | 26 | 27 | 28 | 29 | 29 | 28 | 28 | 28 | 26 | 26 | 26 | 26 | 27 | 30 | 29 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SW 16 | ENE 10 | SSW 13 | SW 15 | E 9 | SSW 14 | SSW 14 | SW 22 | SW 21 | SW 20 | SSW 19 | SW 19 | SSW 18 | SSW 18 | SSW 17 | SSW 16 | SW 16 | SSW 18 | SSW 17 | SSW 17 | SSW 16 |
245 | 75 | 116 | 107 | 38 | 134 | 76 | 227 | 224 | 557 | 480 | 535 | 541 | 541 | 510 | 322 | 371 | 826 | 615 | 675 | 627 | |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | ENE 10 | SW 16 | ENE 9 | E 5 | SSW 15 | NE 8 | NE 9 | SSW 14 | E 5 | E 6 | E 12 | E 11 | E 10 | SW 11 | SW 11 | SSW 20 | SSW 19 | SSE 10 | SSE 10 | SSE 9 | SSE 7 |
75 | 124 | 28 | 12 | 84 | 18 | 19 | 75 | 12 | 22 | 44 | 37 | 50 | 31 | 31 | 216 | 214 | 10 | 9 | 30 | 26 | |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SW 8 | SW 13 | SSW 16 | SSW 12 | NE 9 | ENE 9 | SW 24 | SSW 11 | SSW 13 | SW 13 | SW 12 | SW 12 | SW 12 | SSE 12 | SSE 11 | WSW 8 | SSE 10 | SW 10 | W 9 | S 21 | S 20 |
11 | 87 | 98 | 57 | 20 | 15 | 87 | 12 | 68 | 41 | 38 | 38 | 34 | 14 | 12 | 7 | 11 | 4 | 2 | 36 | 67 | |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | — | ENE 4 | ENE 5 | ENE 9 | E 4 | E 5 | ENE 8 | ENE 5 | ENE 5 | ENE 6 | ENE 5 | E 6 | E 6 | E 7 | E 10 | ENE 10 | E 9 | E 9 | E 9 | E 8 |
— | — | 5 | 10 | 59 | 9 | 21 | 96 | 14 | 40 | 37 | 50 | 85 | 126 | 200 | 627 | 710 | 553 | 399 | 304 | 239 | |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 7 | 7 | 4 | 7 | 3 | 3 | 7 | 4 | 3 | 7 | 7 | 7 | 7 | 149 | 7 | 17 | 149 | 7 | 12 | 7 | 3 |
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.










