
Surf Forecasts:
Hakalau surf forecast from 11 Aug 2026:
- Best quality surf: Sunday 16 Aug, 11AM (local time) - 8ft (2.5m), 11s period, ENE swell with cross-offshore winds.
- Most powerful swell: Saturday 15 Aug, 8PM (local time) - 10ft (3.0m), 12s period, ENE swell with 2,526 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Tuesday 11 Aug, 11PM (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 Tuesday (Aug 11) at 11PM. The primary swell is predicted to be 1.4m and 8s period with a secondary swell of 0.2m 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 3.0m 12s and forecast to arrive on Saturday (Aug 15) at 8PM. Winds are predicted to be cross-shore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 1.1m 5s period and expected on Monday (Aug 17) at 11PM.
| Wave Type | Time (HST) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 11PM (Tue 11th Aug) | 4.5ft (1.4m) 8s |
| Best Surf | 11AM (Sun 16th Aug) | 8ft (2.5m) 11s |
| Most Powerful | 8PM (Sat 15th Aug) | 10ft (3.0m) 12s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Hakalau over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
Alright, Rusty here. Let’s be straight with you. The next couple of weeks are looking pretty average for Hakalau. There’s a stretch of junky, onshore wind and chop for the first few days that will have you thinking about doing something else. We’re not seeing any real standouts, but there’s a small window around Saturday the 16th that might just be worth a look if you're keen.
We start off on Tuesday the 11th with a small 5ft ENE swell, but the east cross-onshore wind is making a mess of it. It’s choppy and poor. That trend holds through Wednesday and Thursday. The swell is there, but the wind is just killing it. It’s not worth paddling out for this.
Friday the 15th kicks up a bit. The swell builds to 8ft ENE on the morning, but it’s still lumpy and cross-on. By the afternoon, it jumps to 10ft with the period stretching out to 10 seconds. The wind swings more cross-shore, so it’s not completely terrible, but it’s still pretty rough. This is the start of the more interesting stuff. The combined energy is getting strong, reading 1673.
Now, here’s the one to circle. Saturday morning the 16th. We’ve got a 10ft ENE groundswell with an 11-second period, and the wind swings to a cross-offshore from the WNW. That’s the cleanest it’s going to get. Combined energy is up at 1837, which is strong. This is a powerful, decent-sized swell. It’s going to be big for a river mouth, so this is for experienced surfers only. The water temp is about average for the time of year, so nothing crazy there. The crowd factor is a possibility, so be ready for some company.
The afternoon on the 16th backs off a touch to 8ft and the wind goes light and cross, but the morning is the pick. After that, it’s a slide back into the ordinary. Sunday the 17th gets ruined by a fresh cross-onshore wind, and it’s lumpy. The swell drops through the week, and we’re back to small, onshore, poor conditions from the 18th through to the 25th. There’s a tiny blip on the 19th and 20th where the wind goes light, but the swell is small and the period is short, so it’s not going to be anything special.
We do see a bit of a pulse picking up again around the 26th, with a 8ft E swell and the period stretching to 9 seconds. But the cross-onshore wind is back, so it’s likely to be messy. That’s a long way out though, so don’t book your flights.
Bottom line: If you’re an expert, Saturday morning the 16th is your window. It’s big, clean, and powerful. For everyone else, this stretch looks more like a good time to clean your board and wait.
Rusty.
Short Range ForecastLight rain (total 2mm), mostly falling on Wed night. Warm (max 27°C on Wed morning, min 25°C on Tue morning). Wind will be generally light. | Days 4-6 Weather SummaryHeavy rain (total 111mm), heaviest during Sat night. Warm (max 27°C on Sat afternoon, min 25°C on Fri morning). Mainly fresh winds. | ||||||||||||||||||||
Tuesday 11 | Wednesday 12 | Thursday 13 | Friday 14 | Saturday 15 | Sunday 16 | Monday 17 | |||||||||||||||
AM | 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) | ENE 7 | E 8 | E 8 | E 8 | E 8 | E 8 | E 8 | E 8 | ESE 10 | ESE 9 | ENE 9 | ENE 11 | ENE 11 | ENE 11 | ENE 11 | ENE 11 | NE 11 | NE 10 | NNE 10 | N 9 | NNW 8 |
Wave Graph | |||||||||||||||||||||
214 | 263 | 235 | 229 | 270 | 346 | 331 | 396 | 363 | 355 | 542 | 1046 | 1245 | 2086 | 2017 | 1641 | 1938 | 1701 | 1086 | 465 | 94 | |
Wind (km/h) | |||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | on | on | glassy | on | on | on | on | cross-on | cross-on | on | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | cross | cross | cross-off | cross | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | cross |
High Tide | 2:44PM1.09m | 2:25AM0.62m | 3:18PM1.08m | 3:10AM0.67m | 3:49PM1.03m | 3:54AM0.71m | 4:17PM0.96m | 4:38AM0.74m | 4:41PM0.88m | 5:23AM0.75m | 5:02PM0.78m | 6:12AM0.74m | 5:17PM0.70m | ||||||||
Low Tide | 9:23PM0.25m | 8:19AM0.02m | 9:51PM0.21m | 9:03AM0.06m | 10:18PM0.19m | 9:44AM0.13m | 10:44PM0.17m | 10:25AM0.22m | 11:10PM0.17m | 11:06AM0.32m | 11:36PM0.17m | 11:50AM0.42m | 00:03AM0.19m | ||||||||
5:58 | — | — | 5:58 | — | — | 5:58 | — | — | 6:00 | — | — | 6:00 | — | — | 6:00 | — | — | 6:01 | — | — | |
— | 6:51 | — | — | 6:51 | — | — | 6:50 | — | — | 6:49 | — | — | 6:49 | — | — | 6:47 | — | — | 6:46 | — | |
mm | — | — | — | — | — | 2 | — | — | — | — | — | 13 | 9 | 4 | 38 | 14 | 10 | 23 | 9 | 7 | 6 |
Temp °C | 26 | 26 | 25 | 27 | 27 | 26 | 26 | 26 | 26 | 26 | 26 | 26 | 26 | 27 | 26 | 26 | 26 | 26 | 27 | 27 | 27 |
Feels °C | 27 | 27 | 27 | 29 | 29 | 28 | 28 | 27 | 28 | 27 | 27 | 28 | 27 | 27 | 25 | 25 | 25 | 26 | 29 | 29 | 30 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | ENE 7 | E 8 | E 8 | E 8 | E 8 | S 16 | E 8 | E 8 | ESE 10 | ESE 9 | ENE 9 | ENE 11 | ENE 11 | ENE 11 | ENE 11 | ENE 11 | NE 11 | NE 10 | NNE 10 | N 9 | NNW 8 |
214 | 263 | 235 | 229 | 270 | 46 | 331 | 396 | 363 | 355 | 542 | 1046 | 1245 | 2086 | 2017 | 1641 | 1938 | 1701 | 1086 | 465 | 94 | |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | ESE 9 | NNW 8 | NNW 8 | S 18 | S 18 | N 7 | S 16 | S 15 | NE 7 | NE 7 | SE 11 | SE 12 | SE 12 | SE 12 | SE 12 | SE 12 | SE 11 | SE 11 | SE 11 | E 8 | NE 8 |
68 | 6 | 6 | 57 | 54 | 1 | 43 | 40 | 130 | 174 | 20 | 35 | 38 | 49 | 50 | 48 | 41 | 40 | 40 | 68 | 88 | |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | NNW 8 | S 16 | S 20 | NNW 7 | NNW 7 | W 12 | NW 7 | N 7 | S 16 | SE 13 | S 14 | S 14 | NNW 8 | S 17 | S 18 | S 16 | S 16 | S 15 | S 14 | S 13 | ESE 8 |
13 | 5 | 30 | 5 | 5 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 43 | 27 | 16 | 14 | 7 | 23 | 24 | 46 | 20 | 17 | 16 | 14 | 11 | |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | — | — | — | — | E 8 | — | — | — | — | — | NE 8 | — | NNE 7 | — | — | — | — | SSE 4 | SE 5 | SSE 5 |
— | — | — | — | — | 346 | — | — | — | — | — | 196 | — | 211 | — | — | — | — | 7 | 115 | 44 | |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 20 | 95 | 0 | 122 | 158 | 96 | 98 | 95 | 14 | 98 | 72 | 72 | 72 | 72 | 72 | 0 | 71 | 72 | 20 | 20 | 16 |
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.











