Waimanalo Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, Rusty here. Let’s talk about what we’ve got at Waimanalo. I gotta be straight with you – this outlook is a tough one. For the next two weeks, the wind is mostly howling onshore or cross-onshore from the ENE, and the wave quality just isn't there. There’s a long stretch with nothing rideable, so don't bother getting your hopes up until the very end of the run.

Right now, through September 14th right into the first week, the swell shows up but it’s messy. The wind is blowing hard from the NE and ENE at 12 to 25 mph, and the wave comment consistently says "poor surf conditions." Swell heights bounce around from a tiny 2 ft to a solid 8 ft, but the wind is trashing it. The combined energy is moderate to strong (values between 94 and 781), but it doesn’t matter when the sea is a lumpy, cross-onshore mess. You’re looking at a solid two weeks of this junk.

Then we hit September 28th. Monday morning still has that onshore breeze and the energy is still moderate (556), but by Monday afternoon the wind drops to a light breeze at 6 mph, and the swell is 7 ft from the ENE. It’s still listed as "marginal," but that’s the first sign of hope.

Now, here’s the standout. You want to circle Tuesday, September 29th. Early morning at Waimanalo, the wind switches to a light 6 mph from the SE – that’s cross-offshore, which cleans things right up. The swell is 7 ft from the NE with a period of 8 seconds. The combined energy is strong at 694. The wave comment says "expect very good surf conditions." That’s our window. A 7 ft NE swell with light offshore wind? That’s the best we’ve seen in this whole forecast. It’s going to be clean and have some push. Just be aware this spot is exposed to the swell, and crowds are possible here sometimes. The water temp is about 81°F, which is perfectly normal for the time of year, so no wetsuit needed.

That Tuesday afternoon the wind goes cross-on again, so the morning session is the target. After that, it’s back to mostly poor conditions for the rest of the outlook.

So, to sum it up: save your energy for the morning of September 29th. Everything else is a write-off.

Rusty

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