Hakalau Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, Rusty here with a look at what’s coming up for Hakalau. It’s a bit of a mixed bag, and we’ve got a long stretch of iffy conditions before anything really gets going.

Right off the bat, we’ve got a slow start. The first solid recommendation isn't until later, but let’s look at what we’re dealing with. Hakalau is a river mouth setup, exposed to the ENE. The water temperature is sitting at 82°, which is about 2° warmer than average for this time of year – a nice little bonus for the skin.

Sunday the 23rd starts with a modest 7ft E swell, with a combined energy of (939), so there’s some push there. But the wind is a cross-on from the SE at 6 mph, and with a rain shower, it’s just not coming together. The period is a short 10 seconds, and the surf just looks marginal at best. That’s pretty much the theme for the next week.

From Monday the 24th right through to the end of August, the swell slowly drops off, the period gets short, and the wind stays onshore or cross-onshore. Lots of rain showers and choppy, poor quality surf. There’s a fair few days in a row where I wouldn’t even bother waxing up.

Then we hit the first week of September. Around the 4th of September, we start to see a pulse of longer period energy. Friday afternoon the 4th sees the swell jump to 7ft from the ENE with a 12-second period, and combined energy hits a strong (1136). The wind is a cross-on from the NE at 9 mph, so it's not glassy, but there’s some juice. Saturday the 5th holds similar 7ft ENE swell with a 11-second period and light cross-on breezes at 6 mph – energy stays up around (923). This is our first real window of opportunity.

The standout actually looks to be Sunday, September 7th. The morning has a nice 5ft NE swell, but it’s the afternoon that gets me excited. A clean 6ft ENE swell with a light cross-on breeze of only 3 mph makes for almost glassy conditions. The combined energy is a solid (591), and the setup will be clean. The swell direction matches the optimum ENE direction perfectly, and with light winds, the waves should have some shape. Keep in mind, this swell is from a 9-second period, so it’s a bit more windswell in character. Still, for this forecast period, it’s the best on offer.

Remember, as we get that far out, it’s promising but less certain. If you can time that Sunday afternoon session, you might just score. The river mouth will be your best bet to handle that direction and period.

Stay tuned, and keep your eyes on the horizon.

Rusty

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