Surf Forecasts:
Tankers surf forecast from 20 Aug 2026:
- Best quality surf: Wednesday 26 Aug, 2PM (local time) - 2ft (0.6m), 18s period, S swell with cross-offshore winds.
- Most powerful swell: Wednesday 26 Aug, 8PM (local time) - 3ft (0.9m), 18s period, S swell with 527 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Wednesday 19 Aug, 11PM (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 Wednesday (Aug 19) at 11PM. 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 0.9m 18s and forecast to arrive on Wednesday (Aug 26) at 8PM. Winds are predicted to be cross-offshore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 1.8m 7s period and expected on Sunday (Aug 23) at 8PM.
| Wave Type | Time (HST) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 11PM (Wed 19th Aug) | 1.5ft (0.5m) 16s |
| Best Surf | 2PM (Wed 26th Aug) | 2ft (0.6m) 18s |
| Most Powerful | 8PM (Wed 26th Aug) | 3ft (0.9m) 18s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Tankers over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
G’day, Rusty here. Look, I’m not gonna sugarcoat it – this 16-day stretch for Tankers (Tankers) is a proper mixed bag with a lot of waiting around. The water is sitting at a warm 81°, which is about normal for this time of year, so no surprises there.
The first sniff of anything decent won’t come until Thursday the 20th. Wednesday the 19th is a write-off with tiny 2 ft SW groundswell and a light cross breeze – just marginal pond slop. The standout for the whole run is Thursday morning, 20th August. That’s your best bet. We’ve got a clean 2 ft SW groundswell from the south-west, building with a solid 18-second period. That long-period groundswell will wrap into the reef with real shape. The wind is glassy, dead calm – there’s nothing better. The combined swell energy is moderate at 411 – enough to feel it push through. It is a consistent reef break, so expect a few others out there, but it’ll be worth it. Friday afternoon the 21st also looks nice with 3 ft SSW groundswell at 16 seconds and glassy conditions – clean, but not quite as big as Thursday.
Then we hit a wall. From Saturday the 22nd right through to Tuesday the 25th morning, the wind cranks up from the east-northeast at 22 to 25 mph. Swell stays low around 2 ft to 3 ft, but with that strong breeze, it’s just a mess. The combined energy is moderate (482 on Saturday), but the wind is too strong for a clean paddle. The setup looks more interesting for kite surfing than paddle surfing for those days.
Tuesday the 25th morning sees a shift – a 4 ft east swell with a short 8-second period, but still cross-shore winds. Not great.
From Friday the 28th through to the end of the run, we get a persistent east swell building to 5 ft-6 ft, but with periods as short as 7-8 seconds. That’s short-period windswell. The wind stays cross-off from the east-northeast, so the waves are clean but mushy. The combined energy climbs into the strong range (643 on the 31st, 750 on 1st September). It’s not terrible, but it’s not the classic reef bowl you’d want. By the 1st and 2nd of September, that period extends to 10-11 seconds, which is better, but still not the standout quality of that Thursday the 20th.
So, bottom line: if you’re free, get out Thursday morning the 20th – that’s the day. The rest is either blown out or boggy windswell. Things might improve by the first week of September, but it’s a long way off and the forecast gets less certain. I’d be keeping an eye on it.
Rusty.
Short Range ForecastMostly dry. Warm (max 27°C on Wed afternoon, min 25°C on Wed night). Winds increasing (calm on Thu night, fresh winds from the E by Sat morning). | Days 5-7 Weather SummarySome drizzle, heaviest during Mon afternoon. Warm (max 28°C on Sat afternoon, min 25°C on Sat night). Winds decreasing (strong winds from the ENE on Mon morning, moderate winds from the ENE by Mon night). | |||||||||||||||||||
Wed 19 | Thursday 20 | Friday 21 | Saturday 22 | Sunday 23 | Monday 24 | Tuesday 25 | ||||||||||||||
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 | SSW 16 | SW 18 | SW 17 | SSW 16 | SSW 17 | SSW 16 | SW 16 | SSW 16 | SSW 16 | E 7 | E 7 | SSW 15 | E 7 | E 7 | E 8 | E 8 | E 8 | E 8 | SSW 15 |
Wave Graph | ||||||||||||||||||||
125 | 175 | 316 | 305 | 347 | 368 | 326 | 367 | 326 | 314 | 303 | 371 | 191 | 333 | 243 | 203 | 245 | 245 | 196 | 167 | |
Wind (km/h) | ||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | cross-off | cross-off | glassy | cross | glassy | cross-on | glassy | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross | cross-off | cross-off | cross | cross | 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 | |||||||||
Low Tide | 2:04AM0.14m | 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 | ||||||||||
— | — | 6:11 | — | — | 6:11 | — | — | 6:11 | — | — | 6:13 | — | — | 6:13 | — | — | 6:13 | — | — | |
6:59 | — | — | 6:58 | — | — | 6:57 | — | — | 6:57 | — | — | 6:55 | — | — | 6:54 | — | — | 6:53 | — | |
mm | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 1 | — | — | — | — |
Temp °C | 27 | 26 | 26 | 27 | 27 | 26 | 27 | 26 | 27 | 28 | 26 | 27 | 28 | 26 | 27 | 27 | 26 | 28 | 28 | 27 |
Feels °C | 26 | 27 | 29 | 30 | 32 | 30 | 31 | 30 | 25 | 25 | 24 | 24 | 25 | 24 | 26 | 27 | 27 | 28 | 29 | 28 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | S 12 | E 8 | E 8 | ENE 7 | SSW 16 | SSW 17 | SSW 16 | SW 16 | E 7 | SSW 16 | SW 16 | SSW 15 | SSW 15 | SSW 14 | SSW 14 | E 8 | SSW 13 | SSW 12 | E 8 | SSW 15 |
71 | 80 | 55 | 57 | 347 | 368 | 326 | 367 | 92 | 314 | 245 | 201 | 191 | 186 | 166 | 203 | 127 | 119 | 177 | 167 | |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SW 16 | SSW 16 | SW 18 | SW 17 | ENE 7 | ENE 7 | W 11 | ENE 7 | SSW 16 | WNW 11 | S 14 | S 13 | SE 14 | SSE 13 | S 12 | SSW 13 | SSE 8 | SSW 16 | SSW 16 | SSW 12 |
125 | 175 | 316 | 305 | 57 | 40 | 83 | 62 | 326 | 126 | 106 | 92 | 99 | 108 | 76 | 156 | 51 | 146 | 196 | 81 | |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SW 19 | S 12 | S 11 | W 11 | W 9 | W 11 | ENE 7 | W 10 | WNW 11 | S 12 | W 10 | WNW 11 | WNW 11 | SSE 13 | SE 10 | SE 8 | SSW 16 | SSE 7 | SSE 6 | S 18 |
93 | 45 | 40 | 57 | 42 | 82 | 40 | 74 | 91 | 47 | 56 | 68 | 44 | 56 | 32 | 33 | 105 | 26 | 24 | 165 | |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | E 8 | ENE 7 | — | — | — | — | — | — | ENE 7 | ENE 7 | E 7 | E 7 | ENE 7 | E 7 | E 7 | ENE 7 | E 8 | E 8 | ENE 7 | E 8 |
86 | 75 | — | — | — | — | — | — | 158 | 171 | 303 | 371 | 277 | 333 | 243 | 128 | 245 | 245 | 132 | 146 | |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | ||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 7 | 3 | 4 | 7 | 3 | 11 | 3 | 4 | 10 | 21 | 21 | 28 | 150 | 150 | 28 | 7 | 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.











