Hakalau Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, Rusty here. Honestly, looking ahead for Hakalau, it's a tough run. The entire 16-day window is a real mixed bag, but if we're being straight, the best we can say is maybe keep an eye on the end of the forecast period. The early days are pretty much a write-off for anything decent.

The water temp is sitting at about 81°, which is average for this time of year, so no surprises there.

Let's talk about the standout, because there really is only one window that has a pulse. Tuesday, September 22nd. The morning shows a solid 7ft swell from the East with a period of 10 seconds, pushing a strong to very strong wave energy (855). It's still a marginal call, but by the afternoon things look a touch better. The swell bumps up to 8ft from the East, the period holds at 10 seconds, and the energy jumps even higher (1050). The wind goes light from the East, which at an exposed river mouth like Hakalau is about as good as we can hope for. That afternoon session on the 22nd is our best shot. That said, it's still a "questionable tide" and a "marginal" score. We're not talking epic barrels here.

Now, a word of caution. On Thursday, September 17th, the swell pushes up to 8ft from the ENE, but it's messy. The wind is a moderate cross-onshore at 12 mph, and the energy is high (855) but the conditions are just poor. That kind of size with that wind makes it a messy, choppy mess. If you're a beginner, that's a hard pass. For the rest of the window, the wind is mostly cross-onshore or onshore, and the wave quality is consistently listed as "poor" or "marginal." The swell direction is often from the ENE or E, which isn't the ideal direction (ENE) for this spot, so it's never really setting up cleanly.

For the first week, from September 13th through the 21st, the surf is either tiny, poor, or both. You'll see some small 3ft to 4ft swells, but the wind and quality just aren't there. The biggest pulse of the period after the 22nd peaks around 8ft on September 23rd, but again, it's cross-onshore and choppy. It's more of a kiteboarding setup than a day for paddling.

So here's the bottom line: If you're itching for a surf, your only realistic window is the afternoon of September 22nd and maybe the morning of the 23rd at Hakalau. It's not going to be pristine, but on paper, it's the best the 16 days have to offer. Everything else is a gamble you're likely to lose.

Rusty.

Read more