Waimanalo Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, Rusty here again, giving you the same outlook but in feet and miles per hour for the metric-averse.

So, Waimanalo is in for a tough stretch. The surf is there, but the wind is going to be a constant headache.

Starting Friday, August 21st, we’ve got a small 4ft swell from the NE, but it’s a short-period, 7-second wind swell. The wind is blowing across from the east at 10 mph, making things choppy. The water is about 80°F, which is average for the time of year. The wave energy is weak, at 109. Not worth getting wet.

This pattern sticks around for days. From Saturday, August 22nd, through the end of the month, the swell picks up to 5ft–6ft, but the wind is a fresh to strong breeze from the ENE, 22 to 25 mph. It’s onshore, the period stays short at 6–7 seconds, and the wave energy climbs to 342 on Sunday. It’s messy, lumpy, and sloppy. If you’re a kite surfer, this might be fun, but for paddle surfing, it’s a washout.

Then we hit the end of August and the first few days of September, and things get weird. The swell drops to 3ft, but the period jumps way up to 13–14 seconds. That’s a long-period groundswell with good energy (over 500), but it’s still coming from the east, and the wind is still on it. A long-period swell like this works better at a point break or reef, not a beach break like Waimanalo.

The only real standout is the last day, Saturday, September 5th. The swell is 5ft from the ENE, with a solid 11–12 second period. The wind finally eases to a light breeze, 9 mph. It’s still cross-onshore, but it’s glassy enough to be rideable. The wave energy is moderate at 485–559. This is the best on offer, but it’s a long way out, so keep an eye on it.

For the experts, there’s a massive swell spike on August 31st and September 1st, with 10ft to 12ft from the ENE, but the wind is a strong onshore breeze (22–31 mph), and the period is short (9–10 seconds). That’s going to be a messy, dangerous washout, only for the very skilled.

So, bottom line: we’ve got a long stretch of poor surf from the 21st through to the 4th of September. The only flicker of hope is that Saturday morning, the 5th of September. It’s not a guarantee, but it’s the closest thing to a green light we’ve got.

Rusty.

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