Waihee Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Howzit, Rusty here. Alright, let’s cut through the fluff. The next 16 days at Waihee are mostly a long, boring stretch of poor conditions, but if you’re patient, there’s a big finish waiting.

From Saturday the 22nd of August through the end of the month, forget it. We’ve got cross-onshore ENE winds blowing 12 to 18 mph, just chopping up everything. Swell’s running 4 to 5 ft from the east, with a short, weak period of 7 to 9 seconds – total windswell junk. The combined swell energy is moderate, in the low hundreds (247-584). Water temp is 80°, right where it should be for this time of year. Not worth paddling out.

The first real chance shows up on Wednesday the 2nd of September. Swell drops to 4 ft from the NNE, period’s only 8 seconds, and the combined energy is a modest 251. But the wind switches to a light NNE at 3 mph, almost glassy. It’s described as “on,” so conditions are clean, but it’s still small and marginal. You might get a few fun ones if you’re keen.

Then it’s back to poor conditions Thursday the 3rd and Friday the 4th – tiny swell of 2 to 2 ft from the north and east, weak energy (145-272), and cross-onshore winds. Not worth your time.

Now, Saturday the 5th of September things get interesting. Morning brings 5 ft swell from the east with a long period of 16 seconds, and the combined energy jumps to 1447 – that’s strong. Wind’s a gentle 9 mph from the ENE, still cross-onshore, but the long period groundswell is pushing through. By the afternoon, the swell builds to 6 ft from the east, same long period, and energy hits 1818. Wind drops even lighter to 6 mph. It’s a bit lumpy, but it’s looking promising.

Then Sunday the 6th of September is the big one. We’ve got a solid 10 ft swell from the ENE, with a period of 13 seconds. The combined energy is pumping – 3098 in the morning, 3225 in the afternoon. That’s very strong energy. The wind is cross-onshore at 9 to 12 mph, so it’s not clean, but with that much power, the waves will be big and heavy. A 10 ft swell is well over 8 ft, so this is for experts only. Beginners, stay on the beach. At Waihee (Maui), a reef and point break, the long period groundswell could set up some decent lines, but it might also break a bit fast and straight. Crowds are “sometimes” an issue, and with a swell this size, expect the local crew to be out in force. It’s not perfect, but it’s the best you’re going to get.

So, bottom line: the first two weeks are mostly a dud. Wednesday the 2nd is a small, clean option, and then the big, powerful swell on Saturday the 5th and especially Sunday the 6th of September is your best bet. Just be ready for a heavy session.

Rusty.

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