Waihee Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, Rusty here. Let’s take a look at what’s cooking at Waihee.

Right off the bat, I gotta be straight with you – the start of this 16-day run is a bit of a write-off. We’ve got a solid stormy start with a risk of thunderstorms on Sunday, September 6th, and that onshore wind is just tearing things up. The swell is coming from the ENE at 7 ft with a cross-onshore breeze of 15-18 mph, making for some real choppy, lumpy mess. The combined energy is through the roof at 1245 (moderate wave energy), but with that wind and the wrong direction, it’s just not surfable. Monday keeps that same story going with fresh cross-onshore winds and a similar swell, so forget about it.

Now, here’s where it gets interesting. We’ve got a real standout window on Tuesday, September 8th. The morning starts off with a clean 6 ft ENE swell at 11 seconds, but the magic is in the wind – a gentle offshore breeze from the south at 9 mph. That’s cleaning it right up. The combined energy is sitting at 883 (moderate wave energy), and it’s all pointing to the best surf of the whole forecast. Then Tuesday afternoon gets even better: the wind drops to a glassy 3 mph from the south, the swell settles to 5 ft from the ENE at 10 seconds, and the energy is 658. This is the window. The water temp is sitting at 80°F, which is about average for the time of year, so no surprises there. Waihee is a reef and point break, and with that clean offshore flow, it’s going to be offering up some nice, lined-up waves. It’s a pretty consistent spot, and crowds are only “sometimes” an issue, so you’ve got a good chance of scoring some empty ones.

After that, the week turns back to mediocrity. Wednesday through Saturday, September 9th to 12th, we’re back to cross-onshore winds, mostly moderate breezes, and the swell drops off. The waves are all under 5 ft, and the period drops to a short, weak 7-8 seconds later in the week. The combined energy drops to the 300-400 range (weak wave energy). Nothing exciting.

The second week, from September 13th to 21st, is a real grind. The swell stays small, mostly 2 ft to 5 ft, and the wind is almost always a cross-onshore from the ENE or NE. The period is short, mostly 6-8 seconds, and the energy is weak (under 250). The one highlight is that the swell direction on the 13th (NNE) actually matches the optimum swell direction for Waihee, but with a 3 ft, 8-second swell and a cross-onshore breeze, it’s still not worth paddling out for. The spot is fairly consistent, but the conditions just aren’t there.

So, the bottom line: Tuesday, September 8th is your day. The morning and the glassy afternoon are the only true standouts in this whole 16-day stretch. The rest of the time, it’s a waiting game.

Rusty.

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