Waikiki Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, switching to imperial for you guys.

So, for the next 16 days, we’re looking at a long stretch of mostly small to tiny surf at Waikiki. The first standout is a big one, but you’ve got to wade through a lot of average days to get to it. The pattern starts off pretty weak and stays that way for a solid week. There’s a real gap in quality from the get-go.

The first bit of action we see is on Thursday afternoon, July 30th. It’s small, real small, with a 2ft swell coming from the SSW. The water’s sitting at 80°, which is about normal for this time of year. The wind is a cross-offshore breeze, so the wave faces are clean, but the energy is only moderate (378). It’s a pretty marginal call.

Friday morning, July 31st, kicks up a bit with a 6ft E swell, but it’s short-period stuff at 8 seconds and the wind is howling at 25 mph. That’s just messy. The combined energy bumps up (847), but it’s not for paddling into easily. Friday afternoon drops back down to 3ft, with a much longer 16-second period, but that same strong breeze makes it a battle to get into the waves.

Now, Saturday morning, August 1st, is the big one. We’ve got a 10ft E swell rolling in, but look, that’s a serious size. The energy is huge (1578), but that’s expert territory. It’s too big for beginners and most intermediates. The wind is offshore and strong, so the waves will be clean, but getting in and out is going to be a mission. After that, it drops off a cliff. The rest of Saturday and all of Sunday, August 2nd, and Monday, August 3rd, are back to tiny, knee-high sort of waves with clean but strong offshore winds.

There’s a massive gap of poor surf from Monday afternoon, August 4th, right through to the end of the first week. We’re talking 1ft to 2ft swells with moderate energy (58 to 204). The wind is mostly offshore, keeping it clean, but it’s just not enough swell to bother with.

The best bet of the whole run, and really the only true standout, is the Sunday–Monday window at the end of the second week. On Sunday afternoon, August 9th, we see a 2ft SSW swell with a 18-second period. The energy is solid (563) and the wind is a moderate offshore. That’s a nice, clean, long-period groundswell. It’s not huge, but the quality will be there. Then Monday morning, August 10th, brings a 3ft SSW swell, and the energy jumps up to 1294 (strong wave energy). The wind is cross-off, so it’ll be clean, though the period is a bit shorter at 16 seconds. That’s your best window for a proper session. After that, it fades back into the 3ft to 2ft range for the rest of the week.

So, to sum it up: Saturday morning, August 1st, is one for the experts only if you want a big, clean challenge. But for the rest of us, the best bet is Sunday, August 9th, through Monday, August 10th. That’s your window for clean, long-period, rideable waves at Waikiki. The long period means the sets will be more spaced out, which is nice for getting back out, but those long-period swells can be a bit straight at a beach break. Still, it’s the best of what’s on offer.

Rusty.

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