Waimanalo Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, Rusty here. Let’s take a look at what’s on offer for the stretch ahead. I won’t sugar coat it – this is a tough run for Waimanalo. The whole forecast window is littered with onshore and cross-onshore winds, mainly from the ENE, with very little let-up. The swell energy gets large, but it’s coming straight from the east-northeast and the wind is out of the same direction, which isn’t ideal.

We start off the run on Tuesday, 18th August, up through the weekend and into the following week. There’s nothing surfable for the first week. The guidance rates Waimanalo as suitable for beginners and it’s fairly consistent, but the finder data keeps throwing up “poor surf conditions” and scores of zero. The water temp is sitting at 80°F, right around average for this time of year – no real anomaly to mention there.

The wind stays moderate to fresh from the ENE, sometimes hitting 28 mph around the 24th and 25th. Even though the combined swell energy gets up to 816 towards the 24th afternoon, it’s an onshore mess with short period wind swell of just 6 to 8 seconds. That’s not the kind of energy that makes for good waves here.

The real low point comes around the 30th of August and 31st, with swell heights pushing up over 10 ft and combined energy reaching strong levels up to 1552. But again, the wind is lunging straight on or cross-onshore. Those waves will be big, but they’ll be a blown-out, lumpy battle. Not a session for the average punter.

There’s a flicker of hope slipping into the first two days of September. On Tuesday morning the 1st, the conditions shift slightly with lighter cross-onshore E winds at 9 mph, and the wave comment changes to “marginal surf forecast or questionable tide conditions” with a score of 1. Then on Wednesday morning the 2nd, it looks a touch better – wind from the E at 6 mph, a light cross-onshore, and the tide might line up just enough to give you a 2/10 session. At that point, wave heights are still around 8 ft, with energy at 680. The swell direction is east and the period ticks up to 8 seconds. It’s not going to be amazing, but it will be the cleanest you’ll find across the entire 16-day window. Keep your expectations low and you might snag a couple of lumpy ones out the back.

Otherwise, this is a long stretch where kite gear might get a better workout than a surfboard. The swell is there, but the wind is the boss, and it’s not playing nice. If you’re desperate, watch the 2nd of September, but don’t plan a trip around it.

Rusty

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