New Swell Builds Overnight For Friday
Lāhainā sunset / File image: Jimmie Hepp
By Meteorologist Malika Dudley / Email: [email protected]
Alerts
A High Surf Warning is posted from 6 p.m. Wednesday through 6 p.m. Friday. Surf heights of 22 to 26 feet are expected for the north shores of Maui and Moloka’i. The west side of Moloka’i could see wave heights from 16 to 20 feet. 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 all island waters (except Māʻalaea Bay) from 6 p.m. Wednesday through 6 p.m. Friday. North winds up to 25 knots are expected along with rough seas of 9 to 16 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
North: Chest to head high waves are expected today, bigger at the best breaks on the sets.
West: Pretty flat conditions are expected today. Exposures catching the swell could see knee to thigh high waves, maybe bigger on the sets.
South: Ankle to knee high waves are expected today. The best breaks could see waist high waves on the sets. Otherwise, shores that don’t catch the swells will be flat.
Our current north swell is expected to continue to slowly fade.
A strong storm over the Aleutians is expected to bring a solid north-northwest swell building overnight Thursday and peaking Friday. Double to triple overhead waves are expected with this swell maybe even breaking at our big wave deep water spots.
A northwest pulse is expected late this weekend. A storm near Japan is expected to bring us a west-northwest swell early next week. Will keep an eye on these.
Mix of energy out of the south will linger through Thursday. A slightly bigger swell is expected to build late Thursday and peak late Friday. This swell was generated by a storm in the Tasman Sea.
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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