Hakalau Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, Rusty here. Let's talk about what's on the cards for the next couple of weeks at Hakalau.

Honestly, the outlook is a bit of a mixed bag. We've got a long dry spell before anything really gets interesting. The first solid recommendation doesn't pop up until the 14th of August, so you're looking at a few days of pretty average conditions before that. From the 9th right through to the 13th, it's all poor surf with onshore winds and short-period, weak energy swell. Nothing to get excited about.

The first real glimmer of hope comes on Friday, August 14th. The morning sees a long-period groundswell start to show, with combined wave energy climbing to a moderate 777. Swell is from the ESE at 4.6 ft, but the period is a solid 11 seconds. It's a bit cross-on from the NE, but the setup looks like it could offer some clean, lined-up waves despite the tide. The afternoon is where it gets proper interesting though. The swell jumps to 7.2 ft from the east, still with that 11-second period, and the combined energy rockets to a strong 1152. The wind is a gentle cross-onshore breeze, so it's not perfect, but there's some serious grunt in the water. This is the best window we've got in the first week, but it's still a "marginal" call.

Saturday, August 15th, is a different story. The swell is massive, hitting 11.5 ft from the ENE with a period of 13 seconds and energy of 4368. That's serious power. But the wind is howling cross-shore at 15.5 mph, making it choppy and messy. This is big, strong, and ugly. Unless you're a real expert looking for a thrashing, this is more of a kite-surfing setup than a paddle-surfing one.

The best of the whole forecast, and the only true standout, is Sunday, August 16th. The swell holds at 11.5 ft from the NE, but the wind shifts to a clean, cross-offshore breeze from the NW at 12.5-15.5 mph. The period is a very long 12 seconds, and the combined energy is a massive 3378. This is groundswell at its finest. This is a big-wave day for experienced surfers only. The river mouth at Hakalau can handle a long-period swell like this, offering a proper, deep-water take-off. The water temp is about 80.4°F, which is bang on average for this time of year, so a thin suit is fine. Keep in mind, with a spot that's "fairly consistent" and crowds being "sometimes" an issue, a Sunday with this kind of quality is going to draw a crowd. Get there early.

After that, the following week from Monday, August 17th, through to the 24th, drops right off. The swell fades, the wind goes onshore again, and the energy drops to weak levels. There's a tiny pulse on the 20th with a 3.6 ft SE swell and a 11-second period, but it's still a "poor" call. By the 23rd, we see some bumpy, short-period swell from the SE, but it's messy with storm risk. It's a long wait for the next decent window, and with the general inconsistency, it's not unusual for this spot to have a blank run like this.

Stay safe out there.

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