Hakalau Surf Break

Lat Long: 19.90° N 155.13° W

Hakalau Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Issued: 1 pm 17 Aug 2026 (local time)

Forecast update in  hr  min

Today's Hakalau sea temperature is
27.1° C
0.7° 

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


Hakalau surf forecast from 18 Aug 2026:

  • Best quality surf: Wednesday 19 Aug, 2AM (local time) - 3.5ft (1.1m), 8s period, E swell with glassy winds.
  • Most powerful swell: Sunday 23 Aug, 5PM (local time) - 7.5ft (2.3m), 11s period, ESE swell with 1,121 kJ wave energy.
  • Next surfable swell (1★+): Wednesday 19 Aug, 2AM (local time) - 3.5ft (1.1m), 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 Wednesday (Aug 19) at 2AM. The primary swell is predicted to be 1.1m and 8s period with a secondary swell of 0.6m and 7s. 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 11s and forecast to arrive on Sunday (Aug 23) at 5PM. Winds are predicted to be onshore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 0.2m 12s period and expected on Saturday (Aug 22) at 8PM.

Wave TypeTime (HST) & Date Wave Height & Period
Next good surf (1 star+) 2AM (Wed 19th Aug)3.5ft (1.1m) 8s
Best Surf 2AM (Wed 19th Aug)3.5ft (1.1m) 8s
Most Powerful 5PM (Sun 23rd Aug)7.5ft (2.3m) 11s

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


The Lowdown

Alright folks, Rusty here. Let’s get straight into it for Hakalau.

Well, I gotta be honest with you, the outlook for the next couple of weeks is a bit of a tough pill to swallow. We’re looking at a long stretch of pretty poor conditions, especially for the first week or so. The surfing is gonna be a real grind with a lot of onshore and cross-onshore winds messing things up. The only real standout window is a couple of days deep into the second week, but it comes with its own set of caveats.

The first real chance to get wet here at Hakalau (Hakalau) is Monday afternoon, the 17th of August. We’ve got a 1.5m swell coming from the ENE, but it’s wrapping up with a short 8-second period and the combined energy is only moderate at 263. The water is sitting at 27°, which is about average for this time of year. But the problem is the wind is blowing onshore from the E at 10 km/h, and the report is calling it "poor surf conditions." Not a great start.

Tuesday the 18th through Thursday the 21st is a write-off. The swell drops off, the wind stays onshore or cross-onshore, and the wave comment is consistently "poor surf conditions." It’s a real bummer. We finally get a little bump in size on Saturday the 22nd, with a 1.8m swell from the E and a 9-second period, pushing the combined energy to 508. But it's cross-onshore from the E at 15 km/h, making it "fairly choppy" and marginal. Still not worth paddling out for.

Now, Sunday the 23rd and Monday the 24th see a bigger swell filling in, hitting 2.3m from the ESE with a longer 11-second period. The combined energy is strong, hitting 1121 on Sunday afternoon. But the wind is still onshore from the ENE at 20 km/h, and there’s a risk of thunderstorms. The surf quality is still just "marginal." The size is getting up there, over 2.5m by Wednesday the 26th (2.5m), and by Thursday the 27th we’re looking at a solid 3.0m from the E. This is big, expert-only territory, and the combined energy is through the roof at 2574 on Thursday afternoon. But the wind is still a problem, mostly cross-onshore, making it "fairly choppy" and lumpy. It’s a shame, because there’s serious energy in the water, but it’s just not clean.

The best bet, and the only real standout I see, is Friday the 28th of August. We’ve got a big 3.5m swell early in the morning from the E with a 10-second period, and the combined energy is a massive 2401. The wind is a light cross-onshore from the E at 15 km/h, and the report says "gentle cross-onshore and fairly choppy." But the real highlight is the afternoon session. The swell drops to a still-very-chunky 3.0m, but the wind swings around to straight onshore from the E at 15 km/h. This is the most promising call of the whole forecast. The wave comment is "marginal" but it scores a 2 out of 10, which is the highest we see. For a river mouth, that long period from the E can actually line up nicely, but it’s still a beast of a wave. This is for serious, experienced surfers only. The crowd is listed as "sometimes," so you might have a few others out there, but it won’t be a circus.

After that, the swell drops off again through the weekend and into the start of September, with the wind staying messy. It’s a real shame because the energy is there, but the conditions just aren’t cooperating.

Rusty out.

Short Range Forecast

Light rain (total 4mm), mostly falling on Wed night. Warm (max 26°C on Mon afternoon, min 25°C on Mon night). Wind will be generally light.

Days 5-7 Weather Summary

Moderate rain (total 13mm), heaviest on Sat night. Warm (max 27°C on Fri morning, min 25°C on Thu night). Wind will be generally light.

Mon
17
Tuesday
18
Wednesday
19
Thursday
20
Friday
21
Saturday
22
Sunday
23
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
Rating
(10 max)
0
1
1
0
2
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
1
0
1
1
1
1
3
Swell
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Wave
Height (m)
Direction
Period (s)
1.5
ENE
8
1.2
ENE
8
1.1
E
8
1.2
E
8
1.1
E
8
1.1
E
8
1.1
E
8
1.2
ENE
7
1.1
NE
7
0.8
NNE
7
0.6
SE
9
1
ENE
6
0.8
NE
7
1.3
E
8
1.6
E
8
1.8
E
9
2.1
E
10
2.2
E
10
2.3
ESE
11
2.3
ESE
10
Wave Graph
Metric surfscale
Energy kJ
234
178
144
200
160
156
149
157
116
57
46
80
54
217
351
487
896
1000
1121
1038
Wind (km/h)
10
E
10
E
10
ENE
10
ENE
5
ESE
10
ENE
10
NE
5
NNE
10
ENE
5
ENE
10
SSE
25
ESE
20
ESE
15
SE
20
E
15
E
10
E
15
ENE
20
ENE
10
E
Wind State
on
cross-on
on
on
glassy
on
on
cross-on
on
on
cross
cross-on
cross-on
cross
cross-on
cross-on
cross-on
on
on
on
High Tide
5:17PM0.70m
7:10AM0.72m
5:22PM0.62m
8:33AM0.70m
4:21PM0.56m
10:31AM0.72m
11:55AM0.77m
12:41PM0.82m
11:36PM0.43m
1:15PM0.88m
00:32AM0.48m
Low Tide
00:03AM0.19m
12:47PM0.51m
00:34AM0.22m
3:12PM0.56m
1:17AM0.24m
2:34AM0.27m
4:18AM0.26m
8:21PM0.39m
5:31AM0.21m
8:20PM0.36m
part cloud
part cloud
part cloud
part cloud
part cloud
clear
part cloud
rain showers
part cloud
part cloud
clear
clear
clear
clear
clear
clear
thunderstorm
thunderstorm
thunderstorm
rain showers
<span class="translation_missing" title="translation missing: en.weather_tables.sunrise">Sunrise</span>
6:01
6:01
6:01
6:01
6:01
6:01
<span class="translation_missing" title="translation missing: en.weather_tables.sunset">Sunset</span>
6:46
6:46
6:45
6:45
6:44
6:44
6:43
 mm
4
9
4
5
10
Temp °C
26
25
26
26
25
26
26
25
26
26
26
27
27
26
27
27
26
26
26
25
Feels °C
28
27
28
27
27
28
29
28
30
30
31
28
28
28
29
28
28
29
28
27
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  • 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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