Waihee Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, Rusty here. Let’s be straight with you: this 16-day window for Waihee is a tough one to call. The only break with any kind of recommendation is Waihee itself, a reef and point setup. For nearly the whole run the winds are howling from the ENE, slamming right across the swell.

Right at the start, we’ve got a bit of a run-up from Sunday the 23rd of August, but that first afternoon is a write-off – rain showers, and a gusty 19 mph cross-onshore wind. The water temp is sitting at a pretty normal 80°F, so no surprises there for the time of year. We’re looking at a solid stretch of days where the combined energy is moderate, bouncing around the low-to-mid hundreds (245, 362, 324...), but it’s all blown out. The swell is mostly a short-period, 5 ft to 6 ft ENE windswell, but with that fresh to moderate cross-onshore breeze, it’s just lumpy and choppy. Not a wave you’d paddle out for.

This pattern holds through all of next week. From Monday the 24th right through to Saturday the 30th of August, it’s the same story: clear skies or a few clouds, but that stubborn ENE wind between 12 and 16 mph keeps the conditions poor. The swell energy fluctuates but never really cleans up.

We get a slight uptick as we roll into September. On the 1st and 2nd, the swell height pushes up to 7 ft, and the combined energy jumps to strong levels (563, 592 on the 2nd). Still, the wind stays cross-onshore, so it’s still a choppy mess.

Now, here’s the one glimmer. On Sunday the 6th of September, the swell gets a bit of size, hitting 8 ft from the NE. The period stretches out to 12 seconds – that’s a proper long-period groundswell. The combined energy is a strong 1839. The wind drops to a gentle 9 mph cross-onshore breeze. The rating calls this “marginal,” but for a bigger, more powerful swell, and with the wind backing off just a touch, it’s the best we’ve got. That’s a promise, not a guarantee this far out.

Monday the 7th still has some size (7 ft) and a more favorable onshore wind from the NE, but again, it’s only a marginal call.

So, the honest truth? There are no standout days here. The whole period is plagued by cross-onshore winds that kill any chance of clean surf. The only day that even hints at being rideable is Sunday the 6th of September, with that bigger, longer-period groundswell and lighter wind. If you’re an experienced surfer and you’re desperate, that’s your window. For everyone else, this looks more interesting for kite surfing than paddle surfing, given the consistent wind and messy conditions.

Signing off,
Rusty.

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