Surf Forecasts:
Tankers surf forecast from 20 Aug 2026:
- Best quality surf: Thursday 20 Aug, 2PM (local time) - 2.5ft (0.7m), 18s period, SW swell with glassy winds.
- Most powerful swell: Thursday 27 Aug, 8AM (local time) - 3ft (0.9m), 17s period, S swell with 448 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Thursday 20 Aug, 2PM (local time) - 2.5ft (0.7m), 18s 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 Thursday (Aug 20) at 2PM. The primary swell is predicted to be 0.7m and 18s period. The wind is predicted to be glassy as the swell arrives.
The most powerful waves expected at Tankers in the next 16 days are 0.9m 17s and forecast to arrive on Thursday (Aug 27) 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 1.6m 7s period and expected on Sunday (Aug 23) at 2PM.
| Wave Type | Time (HST) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 2PM (Thu 20th Aug) | 2.5ft (0.7m) 18s |
| Best Surf | 2PM (Thu 20th Aug) | 2.5ft (0.7m) 18s |
| Most Powerful | 8AM (Thu 27th Aug) | 3ft (0.9m) 17s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Tankers over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
Alright, mate, Rusty here. Let's have a look at what's on the table for the next couple of weeks.
The only spot on the radar for this period is Tankers. The water temperature is sitting at 81°, which is pretty much bang on average for this time of year, so no surprises there.
The outlook starts off pretty flat and quiet. Right now, we’re looking at a bit of a slow start with no real action to speak of until the afternoon of Thursday, August 20th. That afternoon, the wind goes glassy, which is a beautiful thing. The swell is a small 2 ft from the SW, with a very long period of 17 seconds. That’s proper groundswell energy, but it's small. The combined energy is moderate (362). It’s a clean, calm afternoon, but the waves are on the tiny side.
Friday the 21st looks similar. The mornings are a bit messy with an onshore wind, but the afternoons glass off again. The swell holds at 3 ft from the SSW, with a period of 16 seconds. Still a long-period groundswell, but small. The energy is moderate (450 in the morning, 375 in the afternoon). It’s a beginner-friendly size, but don't expect much push.
Now, from Saturday the 22nd through to the end of the month, things get a bit tricky. The wind turns cross-offshore and gets strong, blowing 19 to 25 mph from the ENE for days. That’s clean-looking waves, but the wind is so strong it’s going to be hard work. The swell is all over the place, ranging from 2 ft up to 5 ft, but the periods are short at 7 to 8 seconds. That’s junky, windswell. The energy is moderate to strong (up to 579), but with that wind, it’s more of a kitesurfing show than a surfing one. The conditions are described as poor for most of this stretch.
We get a short, promising window around the 26th and 27th. The swell is still small to modest (2 ft to 3 ft), but the period is back to a very long 17 to 18 seconds from the S and SSW. The energy is strong (up to 734). The wind is still a moderate cross-off, so it’s clean, but it’s a contest between the long-period groundswell and the strong side wind. Not ideal for a standout, but the best of a pretty average run.
The real standout, if you can call it that, comes on Monday, August 31st. The morning sees a bump in swell to 6 ft from the E, with a 13-second period. The combined energy hits a strong 1238. This is the biggest swell in the whole forecast. However, the wind is still cross-off at 16 to 19 mph. At 6 ft, it’s getting into the territory where it’s a bit much for absolute beginners, but for the average surfer, it’s a solid step up. The main issue is that persistent, strong side wind. It’s going to be lumpy, but for a reef break like Tankers, that long-period E swell will wrap in.
After that, things drop off quickly. The first few days of September are back to small, weak swells and poor conditions, with a brief flare-up on the 3rd of September with a 3 ft S swell and onshore wind, but that’s more of the same.
Overall, the best bet is the afternoon of the 20th and 21st for clean, glassy conditions, even if it’s small. For a bigger wave, the morning of the 31st of August is the biggest, but it’s windy. This is a solid beginner’s break, but the conditions are inconsistent for good waves. The forecast looks changeable, so don’t write it off completely.
Rusty.
Short Range ForecastMostly dry. Warm (max 28°C on Sat morning, min 25°C on Thu morning). Winds increasing (calm on Thu afternoon, fresh winds from the ENE by Sat afternoon). | Days 4-6 Weather SummaryMostly dry. Warm (max 28°C on Sun afternoon, min 25°C on Sun night). Mainly fresh winds. | ||||||||||||||||||||
Thursday 20 | Friday 21 | Saturday 22 | Sunday 23 | Monday 24 | Tuesday 25 | Wednesday 26 | |||||||||||||||
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 18 | SW 17 | SSW 16 | SSW 17 | SSW 16 | SW 16 | SSW 16 | SSW 16 | E 7 | E 7 | SSW 15 | E 7 | SSW 14 | SSW 13 | SSW 13 | E 8 | E 8 | S 18 | SSW 14 | S 18 | S 18 |
Wave Graph | |||||||||||||||||||||
316 | 305 | 347 | 368 | 326 | 367 | 326 | 314 | 247 | 257 | 191 | 157 | 166 | 156 | 140 | 241 | 227 | 167 | 215 | 395 | 226 | |
Wind (km/h) | |||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | cross-on | glassy | cross | on | glassy | 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-off | cross-off | cross-off |
High Tide | 11:04AM0.57m | 12:12PM0.60m | 11:03PM0.23m | 1:02PM0.64m | 00:38AM0.25m | 1:42PM0.67m | 1:26AM0.28m | 2:15PM0.70m | 2:05AM0.31m | 2:45PM0.72m | 2:41AM0.35m | 3:13PM0.72m | 3:16AM0.40m | ||||||||
Low Tide | 3:11AM0.15m | 9:15PM0.23m | 9:01PM0.20m | 5:49AM0.13m | 9:11PM0.18m | 6:44AM0.10m | 9:26PM0.16m | 7:29AM0.08m | 9:43PM0.15m | 8:10AM0.07m | 10:00PM0.13m | ||||||||||
6:11 | — | — | 6:11 | — | — | 6:11 | — | — | 6:13 | — | — | 6:13 | — | — | 6:13 | — | — | 6:13 | — | — | |
— | 6:58 | — | — | 6:57 | — | — | 6:57 | — | — | 6:55 | — | — | 6:54 | — | — | 6:53 | — | — | 6:52 | — | |
mm | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Temp °C | 27 | 27 | 27 | 26 | 27 | 27 | 28 | 28 | 26 | 27 | 28 | 26 | 27 | 28 | 26 | 27 | 27 | 26 | 26 | 27 | 26 |
Feels °C | 30 | 31 | 31 | 29 | 30 | 31 | 27 | 26 | 25 | 24 | 25 | 25 | 25 | 25 | 25 | 25 | 25 | 26 | 25 | 27 | 27 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | E 8 | ENE 7 | SSW 16 | SSW 17 | SSW 16 | SW 16 | E 7 | SSW 16 | SW 16 | SW 15 | SSW 15 | SSW 14 | SSW 14 | SSW 13 | ESE 8 | SSW 12 | SSW 16 | SSW 15 | SSW 14 | S 18 | SSW 13 |
55 | 73 | 347 | 368 | 326 | 367 | 72 | 314 | 245 | 232 | 191 | 134 | 166 | 156 | 53 | 119 | 196 | 121 | 215 | 395 | 137 | |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SW 18 | SW 17 | ENE 7 | ENE 7 | ENE 7 | ENE 7 | SSW 16 | WNW 11 | S 14 | S 13 | WNW 11 | SSE 13 | SSE 12 | SSE 12 | SSW 13 | SSW 16 | SSW 12 | SSW 12 | S 18 | SSW 13 | S 18 |
316 | 305 | 57 | 40 | 38 | 49 | 326 | 102 | 106 | 90 | 44 | 96 | 85 | 81 | 140 | 147 | 81 | 81 | 165 | 135 | 226 | |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | S 11 | W 11 | W 9 | W 11 | W 10 | W 10 | W 10 | S 12 | WNW 10 | WNW 11 | SSE 11 | E 9 | E 8 | E 8 | SSW 17 | SSE 13 | SSE 10 | S 18 | SSE 12 | SSE 8 | SSW 16 |
63 | 57 | 42 | 82 | 49 | 50 | 75 | 47 | 63 | 68 | 42 | 38 | 37 | 34 | 93 | 54 | 20 | 167 | 55 | 13 | 87 | |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | — | — | — | — | ENE 7 | ENE 7 | E 7 | E 7 | E 7 | ENE 7 | E 7 | E 6 | ENE 6 | E 7 | E 8 | E 8 | E 7 | E 7 | E 6 | E 6 |
— | — | — | — | — | 83 | 51 | 157 | 247 | 257 | 232 | 157 | 123 | 104 | 126 | 241 | 227 | 155 | 124 | 91 | 104 | |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 4 | 3 | 7 | 10 | 3 | 4 | 7 | 21 | 17 | 25 | 28 | 7 | 17 | 17 | 7 | 17 | 17 | 7 | 7 | 7 | 7 |
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.











