Waihee Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, Rusty here. Let’s have a look at what’s on offer for Waihee over the next couple of weeks.

Straight up, I gotta be honest with you – this is a tough outlook. The whole 16-day window is looking pretty grim. We’ve got a solid run of poor conditions, and the first recommendation doesn’t even come until the very start of the period. After that, it’s a long, dry stretch. From Tuesday afternoon, July 29th, all the way through to the end of the forecast on Wednesday, August 12th, there’s nothing worth paddling out for. That’s a solid two-week gap with no surf recommendations. It’s a rare blank run for this area, but it can happen when the trade winds just won’t let up.

Let’s start with the only glimmer of hope, which is right at the beginning.

Tuesday, July 28 – Waihee (reef and point)
Early morning, we’ve got a clean, clear sky with a moderate breeze from the NE at 12 mph, blowing *on*shore. The swell is a solid 8 ft from the east, with a good period of 13 seconds. This is proper groundswell energy, and the combined energy reading is a hefty 2136, so there’s serious power in the water. This is a big, strong swell. At 8 ft, it’s getting into expert territory, especially when you consider those long-period lines are going to be dumping hard on the reef. The wind direction is not ideal, but Waihee is a point break, so it can handle a bit of onshore push better than a beach break. The crowd factor is listed as "sometimes," so you might have a few other diehards out, but it won’t be a circus.

By Tuesday afternoon, the wind swings to the NNE at 12 mph, still onshore, and the swell bumps up slightly to 8 ft from the ENE with a period of 12 seconds. The energy is still massive at 1970. The waves will be powerful, but the onshore wind is going to start putting a bit of a lump on the surface. It’s not going to be perfect, but for the experienced surfer who needs a fix, this is the only game in town.

Wednesday, July 29
The morning brings a drop in size down to 5 ft from the ENE, with a period of 9 seconds. The wind is light out of the east at 3 mph, which is a *cross* wind. The energy drops way off to 488. The wave comment says "marginal surf forecast," and honestly, it’s a big step down from the day before. The afternoon sees the swell shift to 5 ft from the NE with an 8-second period and the wind picking up to 9 mph from the east, still cross. The energy is even lower at 340. It’s small, weak, and the wind is starting to mess it up.

Thursday, July 30 onwards
From Thursday morning through to the end of the forecast, every single session is labeled "poor surf conditions." The wind is relentless – a constant cross-onshore breeze from the ENE at 12-19 mph. The swell hangs around, mostly between 5 ft and 7 ft, but with short periods of 6-11 seconds. The combined energy stays in the moderate range (150-843), but it’s all wind chop. The wind direction is just ruining any chance of a clean wave. For a reef and point setup like Waihee, this much cross-onshore wind is a dealbreaker. The waves will be choppy, lumpy, and generally unappealing. Honestly, with this much wind and a beach-and-reef setup, the conditions look more interesting for kite surfing than paddle surfing.

Water temperature is about average for the time of year, so no surprises there.

The Verdict: If you’re an expert looking for a big, powerful session, the early hours of Tuesday, July 28 are your only shot. The swell is huge and the energy is pumping, but the wind is a compromise. For everyone else, this is a two-week stretch to clean the wax off your board, fix that ding, or pick up a new hobby. The forecasts do change, but right now, it’s looking pretty grim.

Rusty.

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