Hakalau Surf Break

Lat Long: 19.90° N 155.13° W

Hakalau Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Issued: 1 am 14 Sep 2026 (local time)

Forecast update in  hr  min

Today's Hakalau sea temperature is
27.2°C
0.5° 

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


Hakalau surf forecast from 14 Sep 2026:

  • Best quality surf: Wednesday 16 Sep, 2AM (local time) - 3.5ft (1.1m), 10s period, E swell with glassy winds.
  • Most powerful swell: Thursday 17 Sep, 2PM (local time) - 7.5ft (2.3m), 9s period, ENE swell with 754 kJ wave energy.
  • Next surfable swell (1★+): Monday 14 Sep, 8PM (local time) - 3ft (0.9m), 8s period with NE 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 Monday (Sep 14) at 8PM. The primary swell is predicted to be 0.9m and 8s period with a secondary swell of 0.4m 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 2.3m 9s and forecast to arrive on Thursday (Sep 17) at 2PM. Winds are predicted to be cross-onshore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 0.1m 14s period and expected on Friday (Sep 18) at 5AM.

Wave TypeTime (HST) & Date Wave Height & Period
Next good surf (1 star+) 8PM (Mon 14th Sep)3ft (0.9m) 8s
Best Surf 2AM (Wed 16th Sep)3.5ft (1.1m) 10s
Most Powerful 2PM (Thu 17th Sep)7.5ft (2.3m) 9s

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


The Lowdown

Alright, this is Rusty. Let me look at what’s cooking at Hakalau. I gotta be straight with you – the outlook for the next couple of weeks is pretty grim. The data shows nothing but poor surf conditions right through until the middle of next week, so there’s a solid week to ten days with absolutely nothing worth paddling out for. The swell energy is weak, wind is almost always cross-onshore, and the wave comment just says poor surf. It’s a tough stretch.

For Monday the 14th, there’s a tiny 3-foot NE swell, but with onshore wind, it’s junk. Tuesday the 15th is even smaller at 2 feet, with a cross-onshore breeze. We get a slight bump on Wednesday the 16th – 4 feet from the east – but again, wind is on or cross-on. The water temp is 81°, which is about average for the time of year, so nothing weird there. Still, no real surf.

Thursday the 17th and Friday the 18th see the swell push up to 6 to 7 feet from the ENE, but the energy is moderate and it’s all cross-onshore with risk of thunderstorms. That’s messy, choppy, and not fun for paddling. It’s not until Tuesday the 22nd that we finally see something change. The afternoon shows a 8-foot east swell with a 10-second period, and the combined energy jumps to strong. The wind is onshore, but the conditions shift to “marginal.” This is the first hint of something, but it’s still not good.

Wednesday the 23rd is the biggest swell of the period – 8 feet from the east, period up to 11 seconds, and strong energy. That’s powerful, but it’s big enough to be expert-only, and the wind is on or cross-onshore with rain showers. The waves will have power, but the shape will be messy. This is the best on offer, but it’s a rough one. It’s only for experienced surfers, and even then, it won’t be clean. After that, the swell drops off through the 24th and 25th, and by the weekend of the 27th and 28th, we’re back to small, weak, and marginal.

The last couple of days of the month, on the 28th and 29th, we see a 2-foot NNW swell with a very long 16-second period, but the energy is only moderate. That’s a groundswell, but it’s tiny, and it’s breaking at a river break – that might not hold it well. The wind is light, so it could be clean, but it’s so small it’s barely worth mentioning. Overall, there’s nothing here to get excited about. It’s a blank run, and for this area, that’s not unusual. Forecasts can change, but right now, I’d say leave the board in the car.

Rusty

Short Range Forecast

Moderate rain (total 10mm), heaviest on Mon afternoon. Warm (max 27°C on Tue morning, min 25°C on Mon morning). Wind will be generally light.

Days 4-6 Weather Summary

Moderate rain (total 15mm), heaviest on Thu morning. Warm (max 27°C on Thu morning, min 25°C on Sat night). Wind will be generally light.

Monday
14
Tuesday
15
Wednesday
16
Thursday
17
Friday
18
Saturday
19
Sunday
20
AM
PM
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
0
0
2
0
0
2
0
0
0
0
0
1
0
0
0
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)
0.9
NE
8
0.9
NE
8
0.9
NE
8
0.6
E
11
0.6
E
11
1.1
E
10
1.1
E
10
1.1
E
10
1.6
ENE
10
1.8
ENE
9
2.2
ENE
8
1.9
E
8
1.9
E
8
1.9
E
8
1.8
E
8
1.9
E
8
1.8
E
8
1.7
E
8
1.7
ENE
8
1.6
ENE
8
1.8
ENE
8
Wave Graph
Metric surfscale
Energy kJ
100
109
86
89
84
247
242
233
471
525
660
481
477
489
450
505
461
403
392
350
414
Wind (km/h)
5
NE
10
ENE
10
SE
15
ESE
10
E
5
NE
15
ENE
10
NNE
10
NNW
25
ESE
20
ESE
15
SE
25
SE
20
ESE
15
SE
20
ESE
15
ESE
15
ESE
20
E
15
E
15
ESE
Wind State
on
on
cross
cross-on
on
glassy
on
cross-on
cross
cross-on
cross-on
cross-on
cross-on
cross-on
cross
cross-on
cross-on
cross-on
cross-on
on
cross-on
High Tide
4:11PM0.69m
5:32AM0.83m
4:23PM0.62m
6:19AM0.78m
4:21PM0.56m
7:27AM0.73m
9:21AM0.71m
11:04AM0.75m
9:50PM0.38m
11:56AM0.80m
11:44PM0.44m
Low Tide
10:54AM0.36m
10:33PM0.13m
11:37AM0.43m
10:56PM0.16m
12:34PM0.50m
11:23PM0.20m
11:57PM0.25m
1:07AM0.29m
8:43PM0.38m
7:30PM0.36m
clear
rain showers
rain showers
clear
clear
clear
rain showers
thunderstorm
thunderstorm
thunderstorm
thunderstorm
thunderstorm
thunderstorm
part cloud
part cloud
rain showers
cloud
rain showers
part cloud
part cloud
rain showers
<span class="translation_missing" title="translation missing: en.weather_tables.sunrise">Sunrise</span>
6:07
6:07
6:07
6:07
6:07
6:07
6:07
<span class="translation_missing" title="translation missing: en.weather_tables.sunset">Sunset</span>
6:23
6:22
6:22
6:21
6:20
6:19
6:17
 mm
1
1
2
2
4
3
4
3
2
2
1
4
Temp °C
26
26
26
27
27
27
27
27
26
27
26
26
27
27
26
26
26
26
26
26
26
Feels °C
30
29
30
29
29
30
30
31
29
28
27
28
27
27
27
27
27
28
27
27
29
  • Map Icons:
  • Break
  • Live Wave Height (m)
  • Live Wind Speed (km/h)
  • Surf Rating (10 Max)
  • Ocean Swells (m)
  • Wind Speed (km/h)
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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.

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