Hakalau Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, Rusty here, let’s talk about what’s happening at Hakalau. Gotta be straight with you—this stretch is a tough one. The whole 16-day window is a grind, and there’s no real standout session that’ll have you calling in sick. The best of what’s on offer is still only marginal, so keep your expectations in check.

The first few days are a write-off. From Monday the 20th to Thursday the 23rd, it’s mostly poor surf conditions with cross-onshore winds and choppy, weak waves. Swell is small, around 3 ft to 4 ft from the east, with short periods. The combined energy is weak to moderate (181 to 459). Honestly, not worth paddling out.

Friday the 24th shows a slight uptick. Swell builds to 5 ft to 6 ft from the ENE, with a period of 7-8 seconds. The wind turns onshore and light, but the wave comment still calls it “marginal.” The energy jumps to a moderate 502-750. It’s the first time you might get a few rideable ones, but it’s not going to be pretty.

Then Saturday the 25th is where things get interesting. The morning drops to 2 ft with a very long 14-second period, but the wind is light onshore. The afternoon brings a 4 ft swell from the east with a 17-second period—that’s a proper groundswell. Combined energy is strong (1047). This is a long-period swell, so at a river mouth like Hakalau, it could be a bit straight and walled up, but the light onshore wind might keep it clean enough for a few waves. This is the best of the first week, but it’s still only a 2 out of 10 in the guidance.

Sunday the 26th through Tuesday the 28th see bigger swell, with heights between 6 ft and 8 ft, and periods from 13 to 16 seconds. The energy is very strong (1870 to 2329). But the wind is cross-shore, and the wave comment stays “marginal.” Wednesday the 29th has 8 ft swell from the NE with a 11-second period, and light onshore wind. That’s getting big—only for experienced surfers. The energy is still strong (1996), but the quality is lacking.

After that, from Thursday the 30th of July through the end of the forecast on Tuesday the 4th of August, it’s back to poor conditions. Swell drops, wind turns cross-onshore or onshore, and the energy fades. The last few days have small, weak swells with periods around 8-15 seconds, but nothing to get excited about.

Water temperature is 80°F, which is about normal for this time of year.

So, the only real standout—if you can call it that—is Saturday the 25th of July, during the afternoon. The swell is 4 ft from the east, with a very long 17-second period, and the energy is strong (1047). It’s not perfect, but it’s the cleanest and most promising window in the whole outlook. Crowds are possible at Hakalau, so you might have some company.

The rest of the two weeks is a long wait for anything decent. A blank run like this is not unusual for the area, but forecasts can change, so keep an eye on it.

Rusty

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