Hakalau Surf Break

Lat Long: 19.90° N 155.13° W

Hakalau Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Issued: 7 pm 18 Jul 2026 (local time)

Forecast update in  hr  min

Today's Hakalau sea temperature is
26.6° C
0.6° 

Hakalau surf forecast is for near shore open water. Breaking waves will often be smaller at less exposed spots.


Hakalau surf forecast from 19 Jul 2026:

  • Best quality surf: Sunday 26 Jul, 2AM (local time) - 3.5ft (1.0m), 16s period, E swell with cross-offshore winds.
  • Most powerful swell: Thursday 23 Jul, 5AM (local time) - 5ft (1.6m), 11s period, E swell with 640 kJ wave energy.
  • Next surfable swell (1★+): Sunday 19 Jul, 11PM (local time) - 4.5ft (1.3m), 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 Sunday (Jul 19) at 11PM. The primary swell is predicted to be 1.3m and 8s period with a secondary swell of 0.6m 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 1.6m 11s and forecast to arrive on Thursday (Jul 23) at 5AM. Winds are predicted to be cross-onshore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 0.4m 15s period and expected on Monday (Jul 20) at 8PM.

Wave TypeTime (HST) & Date Wave Height & Period
Next good surf (1 star+)11PM (Sun 19th Jul)4.5ft (1.3m) 8s
Best Surf 2AM (Sun 26th Jul)3.5ft (1.0m) 16s
Most Powerful 5AM (Thu 23rd Jul)5ft (1.6m) 11s

Table - best surf conditions forecast for Hakalau over the next 16 days.


The Lowdown

Alright folks, Rusty here. Let’s take a look at what’s coming up for Hakalau. Straight up, the next week and a half is a bit of a struggle. There’s a real flat spell on the way, so don’t get your hopes up for the first several days. The first real chance of anything surfable doesn’t show up until Wednesday the 22nd, and even then it’s marginal.

We start off from Sunday the 19th right through Tuesday the 22nd with small, weak, poor-quality surf. The waves are around 3ft to 5ft from the E and ENE, but the wind is onshore and the period is short, mostly 7 seconds. The energy is weak, with values around 175 to 340 (weak energy). It’s just not worth paddling out. This is a classic blank run for this area.

The first hint of something better arrives on Wednesday the 22nd in the morning. The swell bumps up to 5ft from the E, but the big news is the period jumps to 12 seconds. That’s a groundswell, and it brings some proper energy with it (1093 - moderate wave energy). The catch is the wind is still onshore from the E at 9 mph, so it’s not going to be glassy. The forecast calls it “marginal,” and honestly, with that onshore wind, it’s going to be a bit lumpy. It might be a session for the keen, but not a standout.

The real standout, and the one you want to circle on your calendar, is Sunday the 26th and Monday the 27th. The swell builds to 6ft from the E, and the period stretches out to a very long 16 seconds on Sunday, easing to 15 and 14 seconds on Monday. The energy is strong, hitting 1795 and 1441 (strong wave energy). The wind is light and onshore in the morning, but the real kicker is the wind goes light and variable, sometimes even glassy. For Hakalau, a river mouth, a long-period groundswell like this from the E can set up some really nice, clean lines, especially if the wind lays down. The water temperature is about average for this time of year, nothing unusual. Keep in mind, with a long period like 16 seconds, the sets will be spaced out, but the waves will have much more push and shape. It’s an intermediate-friendly size at 6ft, but it's not for beginners. Crowds are sometimes an issue here, so keep an eye out.

After that peak, the wave heights drop off through the end of the month and into early August. The energy fades, and we’re back to small, marginal conditions with light onshore winds. The 31st of July and 1st of August see some inconsistent long-period swell, but it’s small (2ft to 3ft) and the wind gets a bit stronger, so it’s not going to be great.

So, to wrap it up: don’t bother with the first week. The only real window is Sunday the 26th and Monday the 27th. That’s your best bet for some clean, energetic groundswell at Hakalau. It’s a long-range call, but it looks promising. For everything else, you’re better off waiting for the next forecast.

Rusty.

Short Range Forecast

Light rain (total 6mm), mostly falling on Mon morning. Warm (max 26°C on Sun afternoon, min 24°C on Sat night). Wind will be generally light.

Days 5-7 Weather Summary

Moderate rain (total 12mm), heaviest on Tue night. Warm (max 25°C on Tue night, min 24°C on Tue night). Wind will be generally light.

Sunday
19
Monday
20
Tuesday
21
Wednesday
22
Thursday
23
Friday
24
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
Rating
(10 max)
0
0
0
2
0
0
0
0
0
0
2
0
2
0
0
1
0
0
0
Swell
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Wave
Height (m)
Direction
Period (s)
1.6
E
8
1.3
E
8
1.3
E
8
1.2
E
8
1.1
E
7
1
E
7
1.4
ENE
7
1.1
E
7
1.4
ENE
7
0.7
E
12
1.4
E
12
1.4
E
12
1.4
E
11
1.5
E
7
1.5
E
7
1.6
ENE
7
1.7
ENE
7
1.6
ENE
7
1.7
ENE
8
Wave Graph
Metric surfscale
Energy kJ
346
223
212
167
131
108
173
114
197
134
603
575
502
200
218
225
278
245
322
Wind (km/h)
10
E
15
ENE
15
E
5
SSE
15
E
10
E
15
ESE
15
E
15
E
10
SE
15
E
15
E
10
SE
15
ENE
20
E
10
SSE
15
ENE
20
ENE
15
E
Wind State
on
on
on
glassy
cross-on
on
cross-on
on
on
cross-on
on
on
cross
on
on
cross
on
on
cross-on
High Tide
6:55AM0.63m
6:23PM0.77m
8:11AM0.65m
6:42PM0.68m
9:44AM0.68m
6:51PM0.60m
11:15AM0.74m
12:18PM0.79m
1:02PM0.85m
11:21PM0.45m
Low Tide
00:47AM0.22m
12:12PM0.39m
1:22AM0.22m
1:16PM0.49m
2:01AM0.22m
3:17PM0.56m
2:48AM0.23m
3:47AM0.22m
4:51AM0.21m
8:36PM0.42m
part cloud
part cloud
clear
clear
rain showers
clear
rain showers
part cloud
rain showers
rain showers
rain showers
rain showers
rain showers
rain showers
part cloud
clear
clear
rain showers
rain showers
<span class="translation_missing" title="translation missing: en.weather_tables.sunrise">Sunrise</span>
5:50
5:50
5:52
5:52
5:52
5:52
<span class="translation_missing" title="translation missing: en.weather_tables.sunset">Sunset</span>
7:01
7:01
7:00
7:00
7:00
7:00
7:00
 mm
1
4
1
4
2
2
1
1
2
1
Temp °C
25
25
26
25
26
26
25
26
25
25
25
25
25
25
25
25
25
25
25
Feels °C
26
26
27
28
28
27
27
27
26
27
26
26
26
26
25
26
27
26
26
  • Map Icons:
  • Break
  • Live Wave Height (m)
  • Live Wind Speed (km/h)
  • Surf Rating (10 Max)
  • Ocean Swells (m)
  • Wind Speed (km/h)
Map placeholder
How to use the Wavefinder 
submit an eyeball surf report

Quick surf report for Hakalau:

join our community of surf reporters

FREE! Surf-Forecast.com widget for your website

The surf report / weather widget below is available to embed on third party websites free of charge and provides a summary of our Hakalau surf forecast. Simply grab the html code snippet that we provide and paste it into your own site. You can choose your preferred language and metric/imperial units for the surf forecast feed to suit users of your site. Click here to get the code.


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.

Nearest locationNearest