Tubes Surf Forecast and Surf Report

G’day, it’s Rusty here.

Well, the next couple of weeks at Tubes (Big Island) are a bit of a mixed bag—a real waiting game for the sharp end of the window. The start is pretty lackluster with a few small, weak pulses trying to get going, but nothing that’ll get the heart racing just yet. The water’s running at 55° Fahrenheit, which is far colder than usual for this time of year, so you’ll want the thick rubber.

Wednesday morning kicks off with some weak 2ft SW swell at 15 seconds, but a cross-shore breeze chops it all up, so it’s a full pass. The afternoon bumps up to 3ft, but it’s still messy, and the tide’s doing weird things. Not worth paddling out for.

Thursday brings a bit more life. Morning is still clean-ish with a 3ft SSW groundswell but light cross-off wind—it’s rideable but nothing special. The afternoon though, that’s where it starts to get interesting. Swell jumps to 5ft from the SW at 16 seconds, with a moderate offshore wind, and the energy’s cranking (1677). That’s a solid, clean window—this is the first real standout of the period. Head out then.

Friday keeps the momentum. Morning has 7ft SW at 13 seconds with light offshore winds, clean and punchy. It’s a bit bigger, but still manageable for intermediates. The afternoon drops a touch in period (12s) and the wind goes cross, so the morning session is the go. Energy’s strong at 1422.

Saturday is a write-off. The morning is onshore and choppy with a weak 3ft, and the afternoon has size (6ft) but the cross-shore chop ruins it. Save your energy.

Sunday has some size—7ft SW at 15 seconds in the morning—but the wind is onshore and the tide’s iffy. It’s a messy, lumpy affair. Not great.

Monday the 14th backs right off. The swell drops to 4ft in the morning with light rain and a cross-on wind. It’s small and bumpy. Tuesday the 15th is a bit of a tease—morning is glassy with a weak 3ft, and the afternoon is clean with a cross-off breeze at 4ft. You’ll get a few grovelly ones, but it’s ordinary.

Now, here’s where it gets interesting. Wednesday the 16th is the big one. The morning pushes up to 10ft WSW at 9 seconds—short period, so it’ll be a bit walled, but the fresh offshore wind keeps it clean. The afternoon is the absolute standout of the whole stretch: 13ft SW at 14 seconds, with moderate offshore wind, and the energy’s roaring at a massive 6044. This is proper, solid, heavy surf. This is expert-only territory—if you’ve got the skills and the right board, this is the session you’ve been waiting for. The quality is excellent for those who can handle it.

After that, the wheels fall off. Thursday the 17th turns ugly with a strong cross-shore and lumpy conditions, even though there’s still 7ft on offer. It’s a washing machine. Friday the 18th is blown out completely with near gale-force winds, so don’t even bother.

Saturday the 19th sees things settle a bit. The morning is poor, but the afternoon comes alive again: 6ft SW at 16 seconds with a moderate offshore breeze (1571 energy). Clean and lined up—this is the second-best window after the 16th. The point should be reeling.

Sunday the 20th holds in there. Morning is 7ft with a cross-off breeze, decent but a bit lumpy; the afternoon cleans up with 6ft and offshore wind. Good, solid, surfable waves.

From Monday the 21st onward, it’s a slow fade. There’s still size—8ft SSW on Monday morning—but the cross-onshore wind chops it up badly. After that, the swell drops day by day with persistent onshore winds, ending with weak 1ft junk by Thursday the 24th. A total blank to finish.

So, the two standout windows are Thursday afternoon the 16th (huge, powerful, expert-only) and Saturday afternoon the 19th (smaller, cleaner, and far more user-friendly). Don’t waste your energy on the rest.

Catch you in the water.

Rusty.

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