Hakalau Surf Forecast and Surf Report

G’day, I’m Rusty. Let’s have a look at what’s on offer for Hakalau over the next 16 days.

Straight up, the first week or so is pretty grim. We’ve got a long stretch of poor surf, with only a few days that might be worth a look if you’re desperate. The first real chance of anything decent doesn’t pop up until Thursday the 27th of August, and even then it’s marginal. The water temp is sitting at 81°F, which is about normal for this time of year around Hakalau.

The early part of the forecast, from Friday the 21st through to Wednesday the 26th, is all cross-onshore wind and messy, choppy conditions. Swell is small and weak, with combined energy values ranging from 159 to 457, so that’s weak to moderate wave energy at best. Saturday the 22nd sees a bit more size – 5ft to 6ft – but the wind is still cross-on, making it sloppy. Not worth paddling out for.

Then on Thursday the 27th, we get a bit of a shift. The wind goes onshore but lighter, and the swell period jumps to 15–16 seconds, which is a proper long-period groundswell. Swell size is only 3ft to 3ft, but the combined energy climbs to 618. That’s moderate. The wave comment says “marginal surf forecast or questionable tide conditions,” which means it’s touch and go. This is the first window where you might get a few clean-ish waves if the tide lines up, but don’t expect much.

Friday the 28th and Saturday the 29th are similar: 4ft to 4ft, long period (14 seconds), and light winds. The energy is still moderate (627 to 783). Again, marginal. The best of this stretch might be Saturday morning the 29th with light onshore winds and a 4ft swell from the east. It’s not great, but it’s the best of a bad lot this week.

Now, Sunday the 30th of August is where things get a bit more interesting. Swell size bumps to 6ft, period still long at 13 seconds, and the combined energy hits 1019, which is strong. Wind is light onshore in the morning, so it could be clean. Still marginal according to the forecast, but this is the standout of the first 10 days. If you’re going to pick a session, Sunday morning the 30th is your best bet for Hakalau.

Then we jump to Monday the 31st of August. This is the big one. Swell jumps to 13ft from the ENE with an 11-second period. The combined energy is a massive 5310 – that’s very strong wave energy. But the wind is cross-shore at 12 mph in the morning, then 19 mph in the afternoon. That’s a fresh breeze, which will make it lumpy and choppy. This size is only for experts – 13ft is too big for beginners and most intermediates. The wave comment says marginal, likely due to the wind and tide. Still, if you’re an experienced surfer and can handle big, messy conditions, Monday morning might have some power.

After that, Tuesday the 1st of September drops to 8ft, still from the ENE, but the wind is a fresh cross-shore. Combined energy is 1243 – strong. But the wave state is poor, so it’s not a recommendation.

From Wednesday the 2nd through to the end of the forecast on Saturday the 5th of September, it’s back to poor surf with cross-onshore winds and dropping swell. Nothing worth chasing.

So, the standout window is Sunday the 30th of August morning for a cleaner, smaller groundswell, and Monday the 31st of August morning for the biggest swell if you’re an expert and don’t mind the wind. The rest of the 16 days is mostly a write-off for Hakalau, with a gap of poor surf from the 21st to the 26th, then a few marginal days, then a drop-off again after the 1st of September.

Stay safe out there.

Rusty.

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