Surf Forecasts:
Hakalau surf forecast from 11 Sep 2026:
- Best quality surf: Saturday 12 Sep, 5AM (local time) - 3ft (0.9m), 10s period, ENE swell with glassy winds.
- Most powerful swell: Thursday 17 Sep, 2AM (local time) - 6ft (1.9m), 9s period, ENE swell with 579 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Saturday 12 Sep, 5AM (local time) - 3ft (0.9m), 10s period with ENE 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 Saturday (Sep 12) at 5AM. The primary swell is predicted to be 0.9m and 10s period with a secondary swell of 0.7m 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 1.9m 9s and forecast to arrive on Thursday (Sep 17) at 2AM. Winds are predicted to be onshore at the time the swell arrives.
| Wave Type | Time (HST) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 5AM (Sat 12th Sep) | 3ft (0.9m) 10s |
| Best Surf | 5AM (Sat 12th Sep) | 3ft (0.9m) 10s |
| Most Powerful | 2AM (Thu 17th Sep) | 6ft (1.9m) 9s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Hakalau over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
Alright folks, Rusty here. Let’s have a look at what’s on the cards where we are.
Straight up, I’ve got to be honest with you – it’s a pretty grim outlook for the next couple of weeks. We’re looking at a long stretch of poor conditions before anything even gets close to decent. For the first week and a half, from now until the 22nd of September, it’s basically a write-off. There’s small, short-period swell and the wind is messy, cross-onshore most of the time, churning it all up. The wave energy is moderate at best, rarely cracking a few hundred. Don’t bother paddling out until we see a real change.
Right, the first real flicker of life shows up on the morning of Wednesday the 23rd of September at Hakalau. We finally get a bit of a push – a clean 7ft to 7ft swell from the ENE. The period is stretching out to 12 seconds on the morning, which is a proper groundswell, giving it some real grunt. The swell energy climbs right up, hitting over 1100 (strong). More importantly, the wind is light and variable on that morning, with some patches of clean, glassy conditions. The water temp is sitting at a balmy 81°, which is bang on for this time of year, so no surprises there.
Now, a word of caution, because I’m on the clock here. That 7ft swell is getting up there in size, so it’s not one for the beginners. For the experienced crew, this is your best shot in the entire 16-day window. The wind stays light and onshore through the afternoon on the 23rd, keeping it reasonably clean. It’s a river break that’s pretty consistent and exposed to the ENE, which is exactly where this swell is coming from. The only bummer? Crowds are possible here, so get in early.
After that brief highlight, it's back to the gloom. From the 24th onwards, the wind swings back to a cross-onshore direction and picks up again, and the swell drops off. The period shortens and the energy fades pretty quickly. There’s nothing else worth getting wet for in this window. A long dry spell, but it won't stay poor forever.
Rusty.
Short Range ForecastSome drizzle, heaviest during Thu afternoon. Warm (max 25°C on Thu afternoon, min 24°C on Thu night). Wind will be generally light. | Days 5-7 Weather SummaryModerate rain (total 13mm), heaviest on Wed morning. Warm (max 27°C on Tue morning, min 24°C on Sun night). Wind will be generally light. | |||||||||||||||||||
Thu 10 | Friday 11 | Saturday 12 | Sunday 13 | Monday 14 | Tuesday 15 | Wednesday 16 | ||||||||||||||
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 | ENE 11 | ENE 11 | ENE 11 | ENE 10 | ENE 10 | ENE 9 | NNE 9 | NNE 9 | NNE 9 | NE 8 | NE 8 | NE 8 | NE 8 | E 8 | E 8 | ENE 8 | E 8 | ENE 8 | ENE 9 |
Wave Graph  | ||||||||||||||||||||
 kJ | 149 | 401 | 297 | 240 | 169 | 123 | 108 | 119 | 121 | 121 | 180 | 132 | 125 | 94 | 115 | 115 | 263 | 314 | 438 | 579 |
Wind (km/h) | ||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | on | on | on | on | cross-on | on | on | on | on | cross-on | glassy | cross-on | on | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | on | on |
High Tide | 2:41PM0.97m | 2:59AM0.80m | 3:08PM0.91m | 3:37AM0.85m | 3:32PM0.84m | 4:14AM0.87m | 3:53PM0.76m | 4:51AM0.86m | 4:11PM0.69m | 5:32AM0.83m | 4:23PM0.62m | 6:19AM0.78m | 4:21PM0.56m | |||||||
Low Tide | 9:03PM0.15m | 8:55AM0.16m | 9:26PM0.12m | 9:35AM0.22m | 9:48PM0.11m | 10:14AM0.28m | 10:11PM0.11m | 10:54AM0.36m | 10:33PM0.13m | 11:37AM0.43m | 10:56PM0.16m | 12:34PM0.50m | 11:23PM0.20m | |||||||
 |  |  | | | | | | |  |  | | |  | | | |  | |  | |
 | — | — | 6:07 | — | — | 6:07 | — | — | 6:07 | — | — | 6:07 | — | — | 6:07 | — | — | 6:07 | — | — |
 | 6:27 | — | — | 6:25 | — | — | 6:25 | — | — | 6:24 | — | — | 6:23 | — | — | 6:22 | — | — | 6:22 | — |
mm | 1 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 1 | — | 1 | 5 | 6 | 4 | 18 |
Temp °C | 25 | 25 | 25 | 25 | 25 | 25 | 25 | 25 | 25 | 25 | 25 | 26 | 26 | 26 | 27 | 27 | 26 | 27 | 27 | 26 |
Feels °C | 26 | 27 | 27 | 27 | 28 | 28 | 27 | 27 | 27 | 27 | 28 | 29 | 29 | 30 | 30 | 30 | 29 | 30 | 30 | 29 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | ENE 7 | ENE 11 | ENE 11 | ENE 11 | ENE 10 | ENE 10 | ENE 9 | NNE 9 | NNE 9 | NNE 9 | NE 8 | NE 8 | NE 8 | NE 8 | E 8 | E 8 | E 10 | E 8 | ENE 8 | ENE 9 |
| kJ | 149 | 401 | 297 | 240 | 169 | 123 | 108 | 119 | 121 | 121 | 180 | 132 | 125 | 94 | 115 | 115 | 190 | 314 | 438 | 579 |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | ENE 11 | SE 9 | NNE 8 | NNE 8 | NNE 8 | NNE 8 | NNE 9 | ENE 9 | ENE 8 | ENE 8 | SE 8 | SE 8 | SE 8 | ESE 8 | NNE 7 | NE 7 | NE 7 | NNE 7 | SSE 11 | SSE 11 |
| kJ | 102 | 27 | 37 | 51 | 47 | 78 | 94 | 82 | 55 | 61 | 23 | 23 | 21 | 56 | 70 | 56 | 107 | 75 | 12 | 11 |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SE 9 | NNW 9 | SE 8 | SE 8 | SE 8 | SE 8 | SE 8 | SE 9 | SE 8 | SE 8 | ESE 7 | ESE 7 | ESE 7 | E 12 | E 11 | E 11 | ESE 8 | SSE 11 | NE 9 | S 13 |
| kJ | 20 | 8 | 24 | 24 | 23 | 10 | 9 | 29 | 24 | 21 | 9 | 9 | 9 | 47 | 61 | 84 | 88 | 13 | 3 | 3 |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | ENE 8 | — | — | — |
| kJ | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 263 | — | — | — |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | ||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 96 | 20 | 20 | 20 | 2 | 20 | 20 | 72 | 96 | 98 | 0 | 112 | 122 | 14 | 20 | 74 | 14 | 20 | 20 | 74 |
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.
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