Waimanalo Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, Rusty here. Let's take a look at what's on the menu for the next couple of weeks.

Straight up, I'm looking at Waimanalo and it's a tough stretch. The wind is the main problem – it's locked in from the east-northeast, blowing onshore or cross-onshore for most of the forecast, and it's usually a fresh breeze. That's going to trash the surface. The water is sitting at 81°, which is pretty much what you'd expect for this time of year, so we can't blame the cold for the lack of action.

For the first week, it's a write-off. We've got a solid pulse of swell arriving on the 5th of September, with waves around 7 ft pushing in from the east-northeast. The combined energy is strong (1539), but that onshore wind is just going to make it a messy, blown-out mess. The swell period drops from 14 seconds early on to 8 seconds by the 9th, so the quality is going downhill fast. You'd be better off with a kite than a paddle board for most of this.

We get a slight reprieve around Tuesday the 8th and Wednesday the 9th. Swell drops to 6 ft from the east-northeast (energy 761), and the wind swings to a light cross-offshore from the south-southeast. That will clean it up a bit, but it's still only marginal. The swell period is down to 10-8 seconds, so it'll be a bit short and fat. Not a standout, just a chance to get wet if you're desperate.

Then we're back into the wind. From the 9th right through to the 18th of September, it's a long stretch of poor conditions. The wind is relentless, the swell is mixed up but mostly short-period, and the energy is weak to moderate (between 249 and 577). This is a solid blank run.

The best chance in the whole window, and I mean the *only* real standout, is looking like Saturday the 19th of September. It's a long way off, so keep that in mind, but the models are showing a bit of hope. The wind drops to a light breeze from the east at 6 mph, making it a light cross-onshore. The swell is 7 ft from the east-northeast with a period of 9 seconds, and the combined energy is moderate (749). It's still a bit of a gamble that far out, but if the wind stays light, Waimanalo could have some clean, punchy waves. For a beginner, that 7 ft might be a bit much, but for the rest of us, it's the only window worth watching.

Rusty.

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