Hakalau Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, Rusty here. Looking at the next couple of weeks, and it’s a bit of a mixed bag. We’ve got some fun, clean windows early on, but the ocean is really going to fire up later in the period with some serious size, though we’ll have to deal with some lumpy, cross-onshore conditions then. Let’s break it down day by day.

We start this week at Hakalau. On Monday the 7th, it’s a write-off. The ocean is getting hammered by a fresh 30 km/h cross-onshore wind, which is making everything lumpy and messy. It’s pushing 7ft of ENE swell, but with that wind, it’s not even worth paddling out. The wave energy is strong (1318), but it’s all for nothing.

Tuesday the 8th is a bit better. The wind drops off a little, and we’re looking at a lighter cross-onshore breeze (15 km/h), with the swell easing to 5ft from the NE. It’s still got that moderate-to-strong energy (969), but the quality is only marginal at best. Same story for Wednesday the 9th, the swell drops to under 3ft and the wind is on it, making it a poor surf day.

Thursday the 10th sees the wind flip onshore, but it’s light. Swell is around 5ft from the ENE, but the period is a short, weak 7 seconds. It’s going to be a bit jumbled and lacking any punch. Not great.

Now, Friday the 11th through Sunday the 13th is where we find our first real standout. The winds go light, with that ESE breeze on Friday, turning NE-ish for the weekend. The swell stays small, in the 3 to 4ft range, with a period of 8 to 11 seconds. The energy is weak (360 or lower), but it’s clean. This is the pick of the early week. We're talking small, playful waves with clean surfaces. It’s not going to be big, but it’ll be ridable and user-friendly.

The start of the second week (Monday 14th, Tuesday 15th) is pretty lackluster. Small, weak swell and onshore breezes. Not really worth a paddle.

But hold on, because things start to change from Wednesday the 16th. A new, longer-period ENE swell starts to build, pushing 6ft on Wednesday morning. The period is still a short 8 seconds, but the energy is climbing into the moderate range (453). The problem is the wind is mostly onshore or cross-onshore with a risk of thunderstorms. It’s going to get bigger, but it’s going to get messier.

This builds through the end of the week. By Saturday the 19th, we're looking at some serious size. The swell jumps to 8ft from the E, and the energy rockets up to a very strong 1498. The wind is a cross-onshore 15 km/h, but the period is still only 9 seconds. This is a lot of water moving, but with that short period and onshore wind, Hakalau is going to be a washing machine. This is definitely expert-only territory, and even then, it might be more of a challenge than a treat. Sunday the 20th and Monday the 21st hold similar conditions, with the swell staying above 7ft, but the onshore winds and short-period energy will keep the quality poor.

The final days of the forecast, Tuesday the 22nd, show the swell easing to 6ft but still with the same onshore/cross-onshore wind issues.

So, the big takeaway? The first week is all about the small, clean windows from Friday the 11th to Sunday the 13th. That’s the best bet for a fun, relaxed surf. The second week sees a significant swell event, but it’s compromised by poor winds, making it one for the experts and tow-in crew only. If you see it as a kite-surfing opportunity, that might be the better call, because the paddle surfing is going to be rough.

Stay safe out there.

Rusty

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