Waihee Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, Rusty here. Let’s talk about what’s cooking at Waihee.

Right off the bat, I gotta be straight with you – the next week and a half is looking pretty ordinary. We’ve got a persistent cross-onshore breeze from the east and east-northeast that’s going to keep things lumpy, choppy, and generally messy. The swell is hanging around the 4ft to 6ft mark, but it’s mostly short-period windswell (6 to 9 seconds), so it won’t have much push or shape. The combined wave energy is moderate, reading between 156 and 449, but it’s just not translating into anything good. The water temp is a pleasant 80°F, right on the average for this time of year, so at least you won’t need a thick wetsuit.

Now, through the end of August and into early September, it’s a real grind. Every day from Saturday 22 August right through to Tuesday 1 September is a write-off – poor surf conditions with that onshore wind chopping everything up. That’s over a week of nothing worth paddling out for.

The first glimmer of hope shows up on Wednesday morning, 2 September. For a brief moment, the wind drops to a light breeze (6 mph from the NE), and while it’s still cross-on, the lumpiness settles to just “light cross-onshore with small wind ripples.” The swell is 5ft from the ENE with an 8-second period – not great, but at least it’s rideable. This is only a 1 out of 10 scenario, so keep your expectations in check. The afternoon deteriorates again with thunderstorms and stronger wind.

After that, we slide back into poor conditions through the first week of September. The swell builds a bit – by Saturday 5 September we see 6ft from the ENE with a very long 13-second period, and the combined energy jumps to a strong 1042. That’s got some power behind it, but the wind is still cross-on at 16 mph, so it’s going to be a lumpy, bumpy mess. This setup is really more for the kite crowd than for paddle surfing.

The standout window? Honestly, there’s no real standout in this 16-day run. The only session I’d even consider is that Wednesday 2 September morning – light wind, 5ft swell, and it’s the closest thing to clean we’re going to get. But it’s marginal at best. For a spot like Waihee that’s a reef and point break that needs a clean window, we’re just not getting it. This break is fairly consistent, but with this wind pattern, it’s going to stay poor. Forecasts can change though, so don’t give up hope.

Stay tuned, and I’ll be back when the charts look friendlier.

Rusty

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