Waimanalo Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, folks, Rusty here. Let’s be straight with you—this is a tough one to write. We’ve got a full 16-day window, and honestly, it’s a bit of a dry spell for Waimanalo. The whole outlook is a bust, I’m calling it now. The waves are there, but the conditions just aren’t cooperating.

The first few days, starting Tuesday the 21st through the weekend, it’s all onshore and cross-onshore wind. Tuesday morning brings a weak 4ft ENE swell with a short period of 7 seconds – the wave energy is low, sitting at 200. It’s blown out by a 16 mph wind, so it’s just messy. Wednesday and Thursday get a bit bigger, up to 7ft, but the wind picks up to 22 mph, turning it into a lumpy, cross-onshore mess. That kind of wind and size makes it a kite surfer’s playground, not a paddle surfer’s. The water temp is 80°, which is about normal for this time of year.

We do get a spike in energy around the 26th and 27th – a long-period groundswell rolls in from the E, with periods hitting 15 and 16 seconds and energy readings of 977 and 1171. That’s a decent amount of juice, but it’s a long-period swell like that, which tends to break too straight and fat on a beach break like Waimanalo. And still, the wind is onshore from the NE, 16-19 mph, so it’s never clean. No standouts here.

The last week of July and into early August is more of the same. The swell sticks around, but the wind is relentless. By the 28th, there’s a brief glimmer with a lighter 9 mph NNW wind, and the guidance says the break is fairly consistent and exposed to swell, but it’s still a “marginal” call. It’s not good enough to get excited about.

For the first week of August, the swell gets bigger, hitting 8ft on the 1st, but it’s back to strong cross-onshore winds. That’s expert-only territory in these conditions, and even then, it’s not fun. The whole setup is more interesting for the kite crowd.

So, bottom line: there are no good surf options in this 16-day window. For Waimanalo, a blank run like this isn’t unheard of when the trade winds lock in. It’s a bummer, but forecasts can change. Hang tight.

Rusty.

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