Waimanalo Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, this is Rusty. Let’s be straight with you – we’re looking at Waimanalo right now, and the next couple of weeks are a real mixed bag. For the most part, it’s going to feel like a waiting game with a whole lot of wind and not much quality.

Right from Wednesday the 19th and for the next several days, it’s just tough. We’ve got onshore trade winds that just won’t quit, blowing from the ENE at 15-25 mph. That’s clobbering the surf, keeping things messy and lumpy. Sure, there’s some small wave energy ticking over, around the 3 to 5 ft mark, but with short, choppy periods of 6-8 seconds and that relentless wind, it’s just not worth paddling out. It’s a lot of blown-out, poor surf conditions. Don’t even think about it.

That rough run carries on right through that first week and into the next. From the 22nd through to the 31st of August, the swell bumps up a notch, hitting 6 to 8 ft, with the combined energy getting strong in the hundreds (e.g. 427, 573, 798). But here’s the heartbreak – even with more size, the wind is still hammering it onshore. It’s a wall of lumpy, choppy mess, and those conditions are just a kite surfer’s dream, not a soul surfer’s.

Now, hold on for the real story. The only flash of light is on September 1st. We get a big jump in quality, but it’s still no good. The swell hits 8 ft with a long period of 12 seconds from the east, piling up a massive combined energy reading of 1818. That is serious energy. But the report still calls it poor, likely because that massive east swell collides with the wind and shape of the break. Then, on the 2nd of September, it changes. For Wednesday morning, we get very light wind from the NE at 3 mph, with that same 8 ft of swell from the ENE with a period of 9 seconds, and energy still high at 888. It’s “marginal”, but by Wednesday afternoon, the wind shifts to a light offshore from the south at 6 mph. For the first time, the data tells us to *expect very good surf conditions*. That’s our standout – Wednesday the 2nd of September afternoon at Waimanalo. The water is about average for the season, with the temp sitting at 80°F.

The 8 ft swell is solid and beefy for Waimanalo; it’s going to be a powerful wave. Since it's mostly an exposed beach setup, you need to be comfortable on a bigger, more critical wave. That south wind will be offshore, cleaning up the faces, promising a nice, smooth wall. Get out there if you can, but mind the locals – crowds are possible at this spot.

After that, the 3rd of September sees the wind shift cross-onshore again, turning it back to a more marginal day. That’s the window. That Wednesday afternoon is your real best bet; everything else gets a hard pass from me.

Rusty.

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