Wailua/Horners Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, Rusty here, let’s talk about what’s cookin’ for Wailua/Horners.

Look, I’ve gotta be straight with you – this is a tough stretch. The finder is telling me there’s just one spot on the menu, and it’s a reef break that’s inconsistent, so it’s not exactly firing on all cylinders. We’ve got a full 16-day window, but the whole thing is a bit of a flat spell. The water is at 81°, which is about normal for this time of year, so no nasty surprises there.

The first real chance to even think about paddling out is Wednesday morning, August 26th, but don’t get your hopes up. We’re looking at a small, weak 4 ft swell from the east with a short period of 8 seconds. The wind is onshore from the ENE at 15 mph, so it’s bumpy. The combined energy is only 187 (moderate), and the wave comment says it’s poor. Not a good look.

This same story basically repeats itself day after day through the end of August. The swell stays small, between 4 ft and 6 ft, mostly from the east, with short periods of 6 to 8 seconds. The wind is onshore, 12-15 mph, and the energy climbs a bit, reaching 399 (moderate) on Saturday the 29th. But it’s still poor.

As we roll into September, things get a little more interesting in terms of size, but not quality. On Tuesday, September 1st, we see the swell bump up to 6 ft from the ENE with a period of 9 seconds, and the energy jumps to 524 (strong). That’s a bit of grunt, but the wind is still onshore (E, 12 mph), and the wave comment is still “poor surf conditions.” For a reef break like this, a 6 ft swell with onshore wind is just messy.

The first week of September is a wash. The swell stays between 5 ft and 5 ft, with periods up to 11 seconds on the 5th. That longer period (11 seconds) is a groundswell, which could give better shape, but the wind is still onshore or cross-onshore, and the energy is strong (hitting 622 on the 3rd). Despite the energy, the poor surf quality tag sticks with us.

Things get worse on the 6th of September. The wind shifts to cross-onshore from the ESE at 9-12 mph, making it “gentle cross-onshore and fairly choppy.” The swell is 5-5 ft, and it’s just not worth it.

The last few days of the outlook, from the 8th to the 10th, the swell drops back down to 3 ft to 4 ft. The wind is still onshore, and the energy is weak to moderate. There’s a 4 ft swell from the NNE with a 10-second period on the 10th, but with onshore wind, it’s a non-starter.

So, what’s the best of a bad lot? Honestly, there isn’t a standout. The closest thing to a “maybe” is Wednesday, September 3rd, with a 5 ft swell from the east, an 8-second period, and a strong energy reading of 622, but the wind is still onshore (ENE, 9 mph). It’s not clean, it’s not good. For a crowd that’s often there, this is a hard pass. This is a reef break, and with the onshore winds, it’s going to be a washing machine, not a wave.

The gap of poor surf is basically the entire 16 days. There’s no real window to get excited about. With the wind being onshore or cross-onshore for the entire run, and the swell quality being consistently poor, I’d say this is a time to take a break, check the forecasts again in a few days, and hope for a change. It’s a blank run, and for this area, that’s a bit of a bummer, but it happens.

Stay salty,
Rusty

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