Waimanalo Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, Rusty here. Let’s take a look at what Waimanalo has in store over the next couple of weeks. Straight up, I gotta be honest with you – this is a rough period for paddle surfing. The wind is a major issue for most of the run, and the quality is just not there.

We’ve got a solid, consistent supply of swell coming in, but it’s all from the ENE. That’s straight onshore for Waimanalo, and it’s going to be blowing hard, 19 to 25 mph, chopping everything up. The wave energy ramps up significantly, hitting some big numbers like 1948 (strong to very strong wave energy) by September 5th with a very long period groundswell of 14 seconds. That kind of energy and period would be incredible for a point break or reef, but here in a beach break setup, it’s going to be a messy, blown-out wall. Honestly, this looks more interesting for kite surfing than paddle surfing.

Things don't start looking any better until we hit Monday, September 14th, and even then it’s just marginal. The water temperature is 81° which is bang on average for this time of year.

The only real window where a surfer might find something half-decent and clean is Monday, September 14th. We finally get the wind to drop. On Monday morning, the wind goes light and cross-shore from the SE at 6 mph. The swell is a solid 7 ft from the ENE with a nice long period of 11 seconds, and the energy is still strong at 1145. That’s a decent amount of water moving. The afternoon cleans up even more with the wind dropping to a slight air from the ESE at 3 mph, with the swell at 8 ft and a period of 11 seconds, energy at 1391. This is your standout. It's the only time the wind is light and the swell is still pumping. For a Monday, crowds should be manageable, but Waimanalo is popular, so expect some company.

The rest of the run is a write-off. Strong onshore winds ruin the surf every other day. September 7th offers a slight glimmer with a smaller 7 ft ENE swell and light cross-shore wind in the afternoon, but it’s still not clean, just less messy.

Bottom line: Don't bother for the next week and a half. Save your energy for Monday, September 14th. That’s the day to be out there if you want the best of a not-so-great outlook. After that, we drop right back into knee-high dribble with no quality on the 16th. It’s a long wait, but that one Monday session could be alright.

Stay patient.

Rusty.

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