Waimanalo Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, Rusty here. Let’s get into it.

Well, I gotta be straight with you – this stretch looks like a tough one for a paddle. The whole sixteen-day window is a bit of a grind for decent surf at Waimanalo. The swell is mostly short-period windswell, and the wind is almost always up, messing with the surface. The water temp is about average for the time of year.

We kick off on Saturday, the 22nd of August, but don't get your hopes up. We’re looking at a messy 5.2ft to 6.2ft windswell from the ENE, with a short period of just 7 seconds. The wind is a solid 22 mph onshore or cross-onshore, making it lumpy and poor. The combined energy is moderate (239), but the quality is zero. That setup is more interesting for kite surfing than a proper paddle session. This ugly pattern of fresh onshore wind and poor, lumpy surf carries right through the end of August.

Things stay rough, with swell bumping up to 7.2ft by the 30th of August, but the wind is still howling from the NE at 19 mph. The combined energy is strong (720), but the conditions are just too blown out to be fun. Most of this stuff is only for experts–if anyone is crazy enough to try–and even then, the quality is gone. It stays this way through the 31st, with periods only around 7-8 seconds.

We finally get a little flicker of hope as we move into September. On Wednesday the 2nd of September, the wind drops right off. In the afternoon, it goes glassy – a dead calm with zero wind. The swell is a 4.9ft from the ENE with a 8-second period. The combined energy is moderate (297). The guidance flags this as "good surf conditions." This is the one true standout of the whole forecast. That glassy surface on a 4.9ft wave is as clean as it gets. It’s a beginner-friendly size, and with that stillness, it'll be smooth as silk. The crowds are listed as "sometimes," so you might have a few friends out, but nothing crazy. This is your window. The break is exposed to the ENE swell, which matches the direction we've got. It’s fairly consistent, so there should be enough waves to go around.

After that brief moment of glory, Thursday the 3rd of September sees the wind come back up, the swell gets a bit bigger at 5.9ft to 6.2ft, and the period drops back to 7 seconds. The cross-onshore wind returns, and with it, the poor conditions. That’s it for the good times. The rest of the first week of September sees the wind staying up from the ENE, with swell around 6.6ft and short periods, keeping everything messy and lumpy. The combined energy stays strong (up to 587), but it's not worth paddling out for a beating.

So, bottom line: a mostly frustrating sixteen days. The only bright spot is the glassy window on the afternoon of Wednesday the 2nd of September. Mark it on your calendar. For everything else, save your energy or bring a kite.

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