High Surf Warning Posted for Large WNW Swell

Image: NOAA / NWS

By Meteorologist Malika Dudley / Email: [email protected]

Alerts

A High Surf Warning is in effect for the north facing shores of Maui and Moloka’i (and also the west shores of Moloka’i) through 6:00 a.m. Tuesday for a large west-northwest swell. Warning level surf is expected for Maui County through the day Monday with 20 to 30 foot faces expected. The west side of Moloka’i is forecasted to get 15 to 20 foot faces Monday as well.

A Small Craft Advisory is in effect for all Maui County waters from 4:00 a.m. Sunday through 6:00 a.m. Tuesday as well.

**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,  Monday December 22

North: Surf heights are expected double to triple overhead today with outer reefs reaching 20 feet or more on the sets.

West: Spots open to the swells that are wrapping are expected to get waves waist to maybe chest high early on as surf heights are on the way down. Otherwise, breaks that don’t catch the swells, and / or are shadowed from it, are forecasted to get smaller surf at ankle high or flat.

South: Slowly fading south-southwest brings ankle to waist high wave heights at the best breaks.

The warning level west-northwest swell is expected to bring 15 to 25 foot faces to outer reefs early in the day. Surf fades through Wednesday and becomes messy as a front moves through. Another solid shot of energy out of the northwest is forecasted to combine with northeast wind swell on Christmas Day.

An out of season boost out of the south will pick up Sunday with waist to chest high An out of season boost will continue to fade with waist high waves or less at the best exposures. Otherwise, nothing significant is expected out of the SPAC.

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