Surf Forecasts:
Disappearing Sands surf forecast from 21 Aug 2026:
- Best quality surf: Thursday 20 Aug, 11PM (local time) - 2ft (0.6m), 16s period, SSW swell with glassy winds.
- Most powerful swell: Thursday 27 Aug, 8PM (local time) - 3ft (0.9m), 15s period, SSW swell with 360 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Thursday 20 Aug, 11PM (local time) - 2ft (0.6m), 16s period with SSW swell.
Best Forecast Surf Conditions for Disappearing Sands this week:
The surf forecast for Disappearing Sands over the next 16 days: The first swell (rated 1 star or higher) is forecast to arrive on Thursday (Aug 20) at 11PM. The primary swell is predicted to be 0.6m and 16s period with a secondary swell of 0.5m and 11s. The wind is predicted to be glassy as the swell arrives.
The most powerful waves expected at Disappearing Sands in the next 16 days are 0.9m 15s and forecast to arrive on Thursday (Aug 27) at 8PM. Winds are predicted to be cross-onshore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 1.0m 16s period and expected on Thursday (Aug 27) at 5AM.
| Wave Type | Time (HST) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 11PM (Thu 20th Aug) | 2ft (0.6m) 16s |
| Best Surf | 11PM (Thu 20th Aug) | 2ft (0.6m) 16s |
| Most Powerful | 8PM (Thu 27th Aug) | 3ft (0.9m) 15s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Disappearing Sands over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
G'day, Rusty here. Let me level with you – the next sixteen days at Disappearing Sands are pretty bleak. We're looking at a long stretch of small, weak swell and mostly messy conditions. The best of a bad bunch is the coming weekend, and even that’s nothing to write home about.
The water temp is sitting at a warm 82°, which is about a degree and a half above normal for the time of year – that's a touch warmer than you'd expect.
It's going to be a long, quiet stretch. The surf is barely a pulse for the next few days. Thursday arvo (20th August) kicks things off with a tiny 2 ft SW groundswell, long period around 17 seconds, but the cross-on wind just puts ripples over it. Combined energy is a weak 212 – nothing happening. Friday and Saturday stay in the same boat: tiny 2 ft to 2 ft SW/SSW swell (242–225 energy), still cross-on or onshore. Nothing to get out of bed for.
Sunday the 23rd is the one bright moment, and it's still a minor one. The morning shows a jump to 3 ft WNW swell, with a period of 12 seconds and energy hitting 388. It's onshore wind though, so it won’t be clean. But check the Sunday afternoon – a shift to a light 3 mph cross-off breeze from the ESE with the same 3 ft WNW swell. That’ll clean things up nicely, giving you some fun little walls. That’s your best wave window: Sunday the 23rd afternoon.
Monday the 24th is also worth mentioning. The morning goes glassy – zero wind – with a 3 ft SSW groundswell (13 seconds, 294 energy). That’s a really good small-wave window, clean and smooth. The afternoon holds with the same glassy conditions, though the swell drops a touch to 2 ft. For a beginner spot that’s inconsistent, this is clean and rideable.
After that, it’s back to tiny fluff and poor conditions. From the 25th onward, most sessions are marked 'poor' or 'marginal' with energy often below 150. A few glassy moments pop up, like Tuesday the 25th afternoon and Wednesday the 26th morning, but the swell is only 2 ft to 2 ft with low energy – not worth the paddle.
From the end of August into early September, it's a dead run. Swell mixes from the N and NNE with periods dropping under 10 seconds and wind always onshore. The combined energy mostly sits below 100 – that’s barely a ripple. The 4th of September shows a pulse of 2 ft W swell with 14 seconds and 150 energy, but it's onshore with cross-on wind again.
Honestly, this is a pretty poor outlook for Disappearing Sands. Keep your eye on Sunday afternoon the 23rd, and maybe Monday morning the 24th. The rest? Save your energy. Forecasts can change, but right now, it’s looking like a quiet stretch.
Rusty.
Short Range ForecastLight rain (total 2mm), mostly falling on Fri afternoon. Warm (max 28°C on Thu afternoon, min 26°C on Thu night). Wind will be generally light. | Days 5-7 Weather SummaryHeavy rain (total 24mm), heaviest during Sun night. Warm (max 28°C on Wed morning, min 26°C on Sun afternoon). Wind will be generally light. | |||||||||||||||||||
Thu 20 | Friday 21 | Saturday 22 | Sunday 23 | Monday 24 | Tuesday 25 | Wednesday 26 | ||||||||||||||
PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | |
Swell Height Map | ||||||||||||||||||||
Wave Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SW 17 | SW 17 | SW 16 | SSW 16 | SW 16 | SSW 16 | SW 15 | WNW 12 | WNW 12 | WNW 12 | SSW 14 | SSW 13 | SSW 13 | SSW 16 | SSW 16 | SSW 15 | SSW 14 | SSW 14 | SSW 17 | SSW 13 |
Wave Graph | ||||||||||||||||||||
142 | 288 | 127 | 164 | 261 | 164 | 112 | 196 | 222 | 174 | 186 | 204 | 137 | 147 | 201 | 179 | 165 | 115 | 300 | 178 | |
Wind (km/h) | ||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | cross-on | glassy | on | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | on | glassy | on | cross-off | glassy | glassy | glassy | glassy | on | glassy | glassy | glassy | cross-on | on |
High Tide | 12:03PM0.64m | 11:25PM0.26m | 12:57PM0.68m | 00:50AM0.28m | 1:39PM0.72m | 1:36AM0.32m | 2:13PM0.76m | 2:13AM0.36m | 2:44PM0.78m | 2:47AM0.41m | 3:13PM0.79m | 3:22AM0.46m | ||||||||
Low Tide | 3:13AM0.18m | 8:42PM0.25m | 8:46PM0.22m | 5:56AM0.15m | 9:01PM0.19m | 6:51AM0.12m | 9:19PM0.16m | 7:36AM0.10m | 9:37PM0.14m | 8:17AM0.08m | 9:57PM0.12m | |||||||||
— | — | 6:05 | — | — | 6:05 | — | — | 6:05 | — | — | 6:05 | — | — | 6:05 | — | — | 6:07 | — | — | |
6:47 | — | — | 6:46 | — | — | 6:46 | — | — | 6:45 | — | — | 6:45 | — | — | 6:44 | — | — | 6:44 | — | |
mm | — | — | — | 1 | 1 | — | — | — | — | 4 | 7 | — | 3 | 2 | 1 | 5 | 2 | — | — | 4 |
Temp °C | 28 | 27 | 28 | 28 | 26 | 28 | 28 | 27 | 28 | 27 | 27 | 27 | 27 | 27 | 27 | 27 | 27 | 28 | 28 | 26 |
Feels °C | 31 | 32 | 31 | 31 | 30 | 32 | 31 | 32 | 32 | 31 | 31 | 32 | 31 | 32 | 31 | 30 | 30 | 31 | 31 | 30 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SW 17 | SW 17 | SW 16 | W 11 | SW 16 | SSW 16 | WNW 10 | WNW 12 | WNW 12 | WNW 12 | SSW 14 | SSW 13 | SSW 13 | SSW 12 | SSW 16 | SSW 15 | SSW 14 | S 18 | SSW 17 | S 18 |
142 | 288 | 127 | 83 | 261 | 164 | 86 | 196 | 222 | 174 | 186 | 204 | 137 | 121 | 201 | 179 | 165 | 307 | 300 | 301 | |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | W 11 | W 10 | W 10 | SSW 16 | S 13 | W 10 | N 6 | N 6 | N 5 | N 6 | WNW 11 | SSE 12 | SSE 12 | SSW 16 | N 5 | N 5 | S 18 | SSW 14 | S 19 | SSW 13 |
61 | 53 | 51 | 164 | 130 | 51 | 27 | 22 | 20 | 28 | 84 | 111 | 109 | 147 | 20 | 20 | 165 | 115 | 273 | 178 | |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | NNE 7 | SSE 15 | SSW 18 | S 13 | W 10 | S 12 | SW 15 | SSW 15 | SSW 16 | SSW 15 | N 6 | WNW 12 | WNW 12 | SSE 5 | SSE 10 | SSW 12 | SSW 12 | NNE 5 | S 12 | N 5 |
9 | 71 | 64 | 85 | 51 | 73 | 112 | 148 | 144 | 125 | 15 | 90 | 93 | 14 | 62 | 81 | 79 | 10 | 69 | 12 | |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | — | — | — | — | NW 3 | SSE 8 | — | NNW 5 | — | — | N 6 | — | N 6 | — | — | — | — | — | — |
— | — | — | — | — | 1 | 24 | — | 2 | — | — | 16 | — | 15 | — | — | — | — | — | — | |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | ||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 15 | 0 | 50 | 15 | 4 | 50 | 15 | 0 | 30 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 123 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 99 | 123 |
Best forecast wave conditions in Big Island | ||||||||||||||||||||
Best forecast wave conditions in United States | ||||||||||||||||||||
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Information about the Disappearing Sands Surf forecast
The above surf forecast table for Disappearing Sands provides essential information for determining whether the surfing conditions will be good over the next 16 days. A general guide to surfing at Disappearing Sands can be found by selecting the local surf guide option on the grey menu. Our Disappearing Sands surf forecast is unique since it includes wave energy (power) that defines the real feel of the surf rather than just the height or the period. If you surf the same spot (Disappearing Sands) regularly then make a mental note of the wave energy from the surf forecast table each time you go. Very soon you may start to choose your surf days based on the wave energy alone combined with our forecast of favourable offshore wind conditions. Our star ratings will help here and of course you will also find the usual wave height and period predictions on our surf forecasts as well as a full break down of the swell components under our advanced users option (to reveal that, click the little Einstein character under the tide times).
Further information to help with frequently asked questions about our surf forecast for Disappearing Sands may be found under the help tab on the top menu and also by moving your mouse over the question marks on the surf forecast table itself. Please always bear in mind that the forecast is for near-shore open water and local factors at each surf break influence the actual breaking wave height, such as the beach / reef profile, water depths offshore and shelter.
Disappearing Sands is 94 km (58 miles) from Hilo. If you plan a vacation in Big Island, look for hotels and other accommodation in Hilo. Hilo has rooms for a wide range of budgets as well as car hire and transport links.











