High Surf Warning Continues as New Swells Build

Image: Asa Ellison

By Meteorologist Malika Dudley / Email: [email protected]

Alerts

A High Surf Warning is posted for windward Maui through 6 p.m. Thursday with wave heights rising to 12 to 18 foot faces in some spots. Windward and leeward Molokai are expected to get wave heights of 10 to 15 foot faces. Expect ocean water occasionally sweeping across portions of beaches, very strong breaking waves and strong longshore and rip currents. Breaking waves may occasionally impact harbors making navigating the harbor channel difficult. Large breaking surf, significant shore break and dangerous currents will make entering the water very hazardous. Boaters should be aware of an increased number of surfers in the water.

A Small Craft Advisory is posted for Maui County windward waters as well as all channels through 6 p.m. Thursday for rough seas of up to 12 feet. Inexperienced mariners should avoid navigating in these conditions.

**Click directly on the images below to make them larger. Charts include: Maui County projected winds, tides, swell direction & period and expected wave heights.**

Maui Surf Forecast

North: Spots that are pulling in the Ignacio swell could get up to overhead or maybe larger on the sets at the best exposures.  This swell will show best at east-northeast breaks.

West:  Wave heights waist/chest high are expected with the largest waves in the afternoon. Spots shadowed by other islands will be smaller.

South: Some spots will catch the east-northeast wrap. Otherwise, a new south-southwest will build into waist/shoulder high by the afternoon.

We expect a secondary swell from Ignacio with northeast, shifting north-northwest swell to get pumped out of this system from Wednesday through the work week.

Hurricane Kilo crossed into the west pacific and is therefore now a typhoon. Kilo is expected to generate fun westerly swell to the islands starting Wednesday and peaking Thursday into Friday, then holding through the weekend.

Hurricane Jimena should deliver a solid shot of east-southeast shifting east swell to the islands from Wednesday through the weekend.

Long-period south-southwest swell is expected to build through Wednesday and Thursday, peak Friday and hold through the weekend.

Keep in mind, surf heights are measured on the face of the wave from trough to crest. Heights vary from beach to beach, and at the same beach, from break to break.  

**Click here for your detailed Maui County weather report.**

Image: NOAA / NWS

Image: NOAA / NWS

Image: NOAA / NWS

Image: NOAA / NWS

Image: NOAA / NWS

Image: NOAA / NWS

Image: NOAA / NWS

Image: NOAA / NWS