Waikiki Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, Rusty here. Let's have a look at what's on the table for Waikiki over the next couple of weeks. I gotta be straight with you—this isn't the kind of forecast that gets the blood pumping. We're looking at a long stretch of small, marginal surf, and the wind is a persistent problem.

For the first week or so, from Saturday the 29th of August right through until the start of September, the trade winds are pumping hard out of the ENE at 18 to 25 mph. The waves are tiny, barely pushing 2 ft. Even though that wind is offshore and clean looking, it's so strong it's making it a real battle just to paddle out and get into these little runners. The water temp is sitting at a nice 81°, right about average for this time of year, so no surprises there. The combined swell energy is weak, struggling to hit even 300 (274). It's just tough going.

We do see a slight bump in energy come Tuesday the 1st and Wednesday the 2nd of September, with the combined energy climbing into the moderate range (485). The swell straightens up from the S and SSW, with a long period of 16 to 18 seconds, which is decent groundswell. But it's still only 2 to 3 ft. The wind stays a fresh offshore breeze, so while the surface will be silky, it's just not got the size to get excited about. This pattern of "marginal" and "poor" labels carries on and on.

The first real standout, and it's really the only one worth marking on the calendar, comes on Wednesday the 9th of September. For the morning we've got moderate offshore wind from the ENE at 15 mph, with a clean 2 to 3 ft SSW swell (13 second period). The combined energy is moderate at 411. It's the afternoon session that really snags my attention though. The wind drops a notch to 15 mph, still offshore, and the forecast is calling for "good surf conditions." It's not big, but it could be the most fun wave of the whole outlook.

Then, on Friday the 11th and Saturday the 12th of September, we get a couple of solid windows. Friday afternoon sees a clean 2 to 3 ft SSW groundswell with a moderate 15-second period, light offshore NE wind at 15 mph, and combined energy of 355. The next morning, Saturday the 12th, is the pick of the weekend: clear skies, a moderate offshore breeze from the ENE at just 12 mph, a similar 2 to 3 ft SSW swell (15 seconds), and combined energy of 311. That's the formula for clean, fun, learner-friendly waves at Waikiki. You'll be sharing the peak for sure—this spot is *often* crowded—but with conditions that clean, the trade-off is worth it.

So, the bottom line? This is a long, drawn-out period of small conditions. There's no big swell on the horizon. The standout sessions are limited to September 9th afternoon, September 11th afternoon, and especially September 12th morning. If you have a longboard and some patience, there's a little window of goodness.

Rusty.

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