Today Swell Fades, Weekend Warning Level Surf

Pe’ahi “Jaws” December 10 / Image: Aaron Lynton

By Meteorologist Malika Dudley / Email: [email protected]

Alerts

The National Weather Service has cancelled the High Surf Warning for the north facing shores of Maui and the north and west facing shores of Molokai. It has been replaced with a High Surf Advisory posted through 4 p.m. Friday.

The Small Craft Advisory issued by the National Weather Service has been extended through 6 a.m. Friday for Maui County windward waters and channels.  Rough seas of 8 to 13 feet are forecasted.

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

Maui County Surf Forecast, Friday December 12, 2014

North: Northwest swell continues to fade. Early in the day, best breaks may still be 2x overhead or more. In general overhead to double overhead wave heights are expected.

West: Spots open to the swell wrap are expected to get waves in the head high to overhead range, but inconsistent. Otherwise, breaks that don’t catch the swell are forecasted to get smaller surf at ankle high or flat.

South: Many areas will remain flat today.

Our current northwest swell (305°-345°) continues to drop. Much of the west sides are shut out from this swell.

A series of swells are expected over the weekend and into next week as well. Next on tap a warning level swell out of the northwest for Saturday / Sunday. This swell is expected to begin building later today and peak overnight Saturday into Sunday. Again, most spots will be closing out but the outer reefs that can handle the swell may get up to 25+ foot faces. On Monday the swell will begin to slowly ease and shift out of the north.

Another set of northwest swells are expected for the second half of next week with yet another large northwest swell due for next weekend. All dependent on how the storms actually end up developing. Will keep an eye on it.

An out of season south swell is expected late in the weekend into early next week. We could see a fun little boost up to head high at the best breaks.

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