Wailua/Horners Surf Forecast and Surf Report

G’day, Rusty here. Look, I’ve got to be straight with you. The next 16 days at Wailua/Horners on Kauai are looking pretty grim. The forecast is solidly filled with “poor surf conditions” right the way through. There isn’t a single standout session on offer, and that’s a tough pill to swallow for a spot that can be magic.

We start off right now, on Tuesday the 4th of August, with a messy, cross/onshore ENE breeze at 9 mph and a stormy feel. The swell is coming in at 5 ft from the ENE with a decent 12-second period, but don’t get excited. The combined energy is moderate at 636, but that wind is just wrecking any chance of a clean face. It looks more like a kite-surfing setup than a paddle session. That same story rolls through the week. Wednesday the 5th, we’re still seeing onshore ENE winds, dropping to 4 ft at 10 seconds, energy down to 342. Thursday the 6th is a bit smaller at 4 ft, and it’s all just sloppy.

There’s a real gap of quality here. From now right through to at least Sunday the 10th of August, every single report is “poor surf conditions.” The wind is relentlessly onshore from the ENE or E, mostly 9 to 16 mph. The swell height bounces around between 3 ft and 6 ft with short periods mostly under 8 seconds. That’s windswell, not groundswell. It’s weak and choppy.

Now, looking deeper into the second week, it actually gets bigger, but the quality doesn’t improve. On Friday the 14th of August, we see an increase to 6 ft from the E, and then on Saturday the 15th it hits 8 ft from the ENE. The combined energy jumps into the strong range, hitting 1032 that Saturday morning. But mate, that ENE wind is still howling at 16 mph onshore. That kind of power with that wind? It’s going to be a washing machine. For the experienced crew, it’s heavy and challenging, but it won’t be a pretty wave. That pushes right through to Monday the 17th of August, where we see the biggest reading of the whole window: 8 ft from the ENE at 9 seconds, with a very strong combined energy of 1331. That’s expert-only territory, and with the onshore wind, it’s a beast.

Even a brief change on Thursday the 13th of August afternoon, where a small 2 ft WNW swell with a very long 17-second period shows up, is still labelled “poor surf conditions” because the wind is still onshore. That long period groundswell would be a dream at a point break, but here at a reef exposed to the northeast? The wind kills it.

So here’s the bottom line: there are no days I can honestly tell you to paddle out with a smile. It’s a blank run for a spot that is ‘inconsistent’ at the best of times. At least the water temp is running about average for the time of year. Don’t get too down, though – these forecasts can shift, and this stretch of poor conditions tends not to stay locked in forever.

Stay tuned, I’ll be watching it.

Rusty.

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