Waimanalo Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, Rusty here. Let’s have a look at what’s on the cards for the next couple of weeks. Honestly, I’ve taken a good look at the charts and the guidance, and I gotta be straight with you—this is a tough stretch for waves. There’s a big old gap of nothing to start.

We’re looking at Waimanalo on the east side, and right now, there’s nothing worth paddling out for. The first surf that gets a mention at all doesn’t roll in until Tuesday morning, September 8th, so there’s a blank run right from the start. From Monday through to midday Tuesday, it’s all "poor surf conditions." That cross-onshore wind from the east is just messing everything up, lumpy and choppy. It’s a no-go.

Tuesday morning (September 8th) is the first time we see something that’s not a total write-off, but it’s still only marginal. We’ve got a clean 6ft swell coming from the east-northeast with a period of 11 seconds. That’s a groundswell, and it’ll have some energy—the combined energy is sitting at 915 (moderate). The wind is from the south at 35 km/h, which is cross-offshore and the reports say it’s clean, so the waves should have some shape. It’s still a bit lumpy for a beginner though. The water temp is about average for this time of year, so no wetsuit surprises.

Tuesday afternoon actually looks a touch better. The swell drops a little to 6ft, still from the east-northeast at 11 seconds, energy is 851 (moderate). Wind swings to the south-southwest at 25 km/h, still cross-off and clean. This is probably the best window we get in the whole outlook. It’s not firing, but it’s rideable for a competent surfer. The break itself is exposed so it’ll pick up that east energy, but remember, optimum swell direction for Waimanalo is from the northeast, so we’re close but not perfect.

After that, from Wednesday morning (September 9th) onwards, it’s back to poor surf. The swell hangs around at knee to waist-high, but the period drops to 7 or 8 seconds—short period windswell with very weak energy (mostly 100 to 300 range). The wind stays onshore or cross-onshore from the east or northeast, making it choppy and ugly. Through the weekend of September 12th and 13th, and all through the next week, the story doesn’t change. We see swell sizes popping up above 5ft around September 16th to 19th, but with a period of only 7 seconds and onshore wind, it’s just messy, white-capped junk.

There’s no standout session in this whole 16-day run. If you’re desperate, that Tuesday afternoon slot on September 8th is your best bet—clean 6ft easterly groundswell with a decent period. But don’t expect perfection. The crowds at Waimanalo can be a factor sometimes, so it might not be empty. Honestly, with the constant cross-onshore wind and short-period slop, on the bigger days this setup looks more interesting for kite surfing than paddle surfing. A blank stretch like this is a bit of a bummer, but forecasts can turn around.

Rusty.

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