Swell Peaks Today, More on The Way
Megan Abubo Surfing Ho’okipa / Image: Jimmie Hepp
By Meteorologist Malika Dudley / Email: [email protected]
Alerts
A High Surf Advisory is posted through 6:00 p.m. Saturday for the north and west facing shores of Moloka’i and the north shore of Maui. Surf from 12 to 16 feet is expected for the north exposures, while wave heights of 8 to 12 feet are expected for the west side of Moloka’i. Expect strong breaking waves, shore break and strong longshore and rip currents making swimming difficult and dangerous.
A Small Craft Advisory is posted for all Maui County waters (excluding Ma’alaea Bay and the Pailolo Channel) through 6:00 p.m. Saturday for rough seas of 6 to 13 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, forecasted swell direction, height & period, tides, a surface map and expected wave heights.**
Maui County Surf Forecast, Friday, January 16, 2015
North: Surf heights are expected overhead to double overhead. The best breaks, especially spots east of Ho’okipa, will be even bigger, possibly to 16 foot faces. Nice conditions early with our light wind speeds.
West: Some spots will catch wrap from the west-northwest swell. Otherwise, breaks that don’t catch the swells, and / or are shadowed from them, are forecasted to get smaller surf at ankle high or flat.
South: Ankle high surf is expected. Most spots are flat.
Our current west-northwest swell is expected to peak today, Friday and fade through the afternoon. Spots east of Ho’okipa will catch the swell best.
A west-northwest reinforcement is expected on Saturday, peaking late in the day and fading through Sunday.
Pending development, models are predicting a much larger west-northwest swell arriving around the middle of next week, producing surf well above warning levels. Will keep an eye on it.
Nothing of note out of the SPAC to get excited about.
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
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