Surf Forecasts:
Hakalau surf forecast from 15 Jul 2026:
- Best quality surf: Monday 20 Jul, 5AM (local time) - 4.5ft (1.4m), 8s period, E swell with glassy winds.
- Most powerful swell: Saturday 18 Jul, 11PM (local time) - 6ft (1.9m), 8s period, E swell with 499 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Monday 20 Jul, 5AM (local time) - 4.5ft (1.4m), 8s period with E swell.
Best Forecast Surf Conditions for Hakalau this week:
The surf forecast for Hakalau over the next 16 days: The first swell (rated 1 star or higher) is forecast to arrive on Monday (Jul 20) at 5AM. The primary swell is predicted to be 1.4m and 8s period with a secondary swell of 0.5m and 8s. The wind is predicted to be glassy as the swell arrives.
The most powerful waves expected at Hakalau in the next 16 days are 1.9m 8s and forecast to arrive on Saturday (Jul 18) at 11PM. Winds are predicted to be cross-onshore at the time the swell arrives.
| Wave Type | Time (HST) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 5AM (Mon 20th Jul) | 4.5ft (1.4m) 8s |
| Best Surf | 5AM (Mon 20th Jul) | 4.5ft (1.4m) 8s |
| Most Powerful | 11PM (Sat 18th Jul) | 6ft (1.9m) 8s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Hakalau over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
Alright, this is a bit of a tough one for the region. The only break on the radar is Hakalau, a river-mouth setup that's fairly consistent, but man, the conditions are just not playing ball for most of this 16-day window. The water temp is sitting about average for this time of year, so no surprises there.
Kicking things off, we've got a pretty grim run from Wednesday the 15th right through the end of the first week. The swell is there, ranging from around 3ft to 6ft, coming mostly from the ENE and E, but the wind is a relentless problem. It's a steady cross-on or onshore breeze, with moderate energy levels that just keep things choppy and messy. Honestly, for a beach-and-river setup like this, with that kind of wind and poor surf quality, it's looking more like a kite session than a paddle session. Thursday the 26th and beyond sees a bit of a shift in the swell period, with some longer groundswell showing up, but the energy jumps up and the wind stays cross-onshore. That long-period swell at a river mouth can be a bit of a tricky beast, often breaking too straight, and with the wind still messy, it's not a winner.
The only flicker of something resembling a recommendation comes on Monday the 20th morning, with a marginal call, and again on Saturday the 25th. On Saturday morning the 25th, we see a 4ft swell from the ENE with a light cross-on breeze. It's a "marginal" call, but the light breeze means the surface might be a little cleaner than the rest of this period. It's not a standout, just the least ugly option in a pretty ugly lineup. The winds are expected to be light and variable, so if you're desperate, that's your window. Otherwise, this area is in for a long, blank stretch of poor conditions.
Rusty
Short Range ForecastModerate rain (total 13mm), heaviest on Fri afternoon. Warm (max 26°C on Wed morning, min 24°C on Tue night). Wind will be generally light. | Days 5-7 Weather SummaryLight rain (total 6mm), mostly falling on Fri night. Warm (max 25°C on Fri night, min 24°C on Sat night). Wind will be generally light. | ||||||||||||||||||||
Wednesday 15 | Thursday 16 | Friday 17 | Saturday 18 | Sunday 19 | Monday 20 | Tue 21 | |||||||||||||||
Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | |
Swell Height Map |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | |||||||||||||
Wave Height (m) Direction Period (s) | NNE 8 | NE 7 | NE 7 | NNE 8 | NNE 7 | E 6 | NE 7 | ESE 7 | ESE 7 | ESE 8 | E 8 | E 8 | E 8 | E 8 | E 8 | E 8 | E 7 | E 8 | ESE 8 | E 12 | ENE 7 |
Wave Graph  | |||||||||||||||||||||
 kJ | 107 | 128 | 79 | 65 | 74 | 74 | 54 | 121 | 125 | 226 | 386 | 450 | 448 | 338 | 252 | 196 | 181 | 115 | 75 | 72 | 139 |
Wind (km/h) | |||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | cross | cross-on | cross-on | cross | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | on | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | on | on | cross-on | on | on | cross | on | on |
High Tide | 3:13AM0.57m | 4:23PM1.10m | 4:04AM0.59m | 4:58PM1.04m | 4:56AM0.61m | 5:30PM0.96m | 5:52AM0.62m | 5:58PM0.87m | 6:55AM0.63m | 6:23PM0.77m | 8:11AM0.65m | 6:42PM0.68m | 9:44AM0.68m | 6:51PM0.60m | |||||||
Low Tide | 10:30PM0.27m | 9:10AM-0.00m | 11:06PM0.25m | 9:54AM0.06m | 11:40PM0.24m | 10:38AM0.16m | 00:14AM0.23m | 11:23AM0.27m | 00:47AM0.22m | 12:12PM0.39m | 1:22AM0.22m | 1:16PM0.49m | 2:01AM0.22m | 3:17PM0.56m | |||||||
 |  | | |  | |  | | | | | | | |  | | | | | | | |
 | — | 5:48 | — | — | 5:50 | — | — | 5:50 | — | — | 5:50 | — | — | 5:50 | — | — | 5:50 | — | — | 5:52 | — |
 | 7:02 | — | 7:02 | — | — | 7:01 | — | — | 7:01 | — | — | 7:01 | — | — | 7:01 | — | — | 7:00 | — | — | 7:00 |
mm | — | — | — | — | 1 | — | 6 | 2 | 4 | 5 | — | — | 1 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Temp °C | 24 | 26 | 26 | 25 | 26 | 26 | 25 | 26 | 25 | 25 | 25 | 25 | 25 | 25 | 25 | 25 | 25 | 25 | 25 | 25 | 25 |
Feels °C | 27 | 26 | 26 | 26 | 27 | 26 | 26 | 27 | 26 | 27 | 26 | 25 | 27 | 27 | 26 | 26 | 28 | 26 | 28 | 27 | 26 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | NNE 8 | NE 7 | NE 7 | E 7 | E 6 | E 6 | NE 7 | ESE 7 | ESE 7 | ESE 8 | E 8 | E 8 | E 8 | E 8 | E 8 | E 8 | E 7 | E 8 | ESE 8 | ESE 7 | ENE 7 |
| kJ | 107 | 128 | 79 | 44 | 57 | 74 | 54 | 121 | 125 | 226 | 386 | 450 | 448 | 338 | 252 | 196 | 181 | 115 | 75 | 63 | 139 |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | E 7 | ESE 8 | SSE 9 | NNE 8 | NNE 7 | NNE 7 | NNE 7 | NE 7 | NE 7 | NE 6 | N 7 | NNE 7 | N 8 | N 7 | NNE 6 | NNE 8 | NNE 8 | NNE 7 | NNE 7 | NE 7 | E 12 |
| kJ | 52 | 7 | 16 | 65 | 74 | 41 | 31 | 54 | 54 | 38 | 28 | 31 | 33 | 25 | 31 | 50 | 34 | 48 | 46 | 67 | 69 |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | ESE 8 | SSE 10 | ESE 8 | SE 8 | SE 8 | SE 8 | ESE 8 | N 8 | N 8 | N 7 | W 13 | W 13 | S 15 | S 19 | S 18 | S 16 | S 16 | S 15 | SSE 15 | E 12 | S 14 |
| kJ | 7 | 9 | 14 | 18 | 24 | 32 | 34 | 41 | 29 | 28 | 4 | 3 | 18 | 27 | 55 | 48 | 80 | 72 | 71 | 72 | 61 |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | — | SE 6 | — | — | — | ESE 6 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| kJ | — | — | 10 | — | — | — | 50 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 14 | 20 | 20 | 16 | 20 | 20 | 18 | 20 | 20 | 18 | 74 | 74 | 74 | 74 | 158 | 14 | 158 | 95 | 14 | 20 | 20 |
Best forecast wave conditions in Big Island | |||||||||||||||||||||
Best forecast wave conditions in United States | |||||||||||||||||||||
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Information about the Hakalau Surf forecast
The above surf forecast table for Hakalau provides essential information for determining whether the surfing conditions will be good over the next 16 days. A general guide to surfing at Hakalau can be found by selecting the local surf guide option on the grey menu. Our Hakalau 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 (Hakalau) 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 Hakalau 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.
Hakalau is 21 km (13 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.
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