Hakalau Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, Rusty here, switching to imperial. Let’s get into it for the next couple of weeks. We’ve only got one spot on the radar: Hakalau.

To be honest, it’s a tough run. The river mouth setup here is exposed to the ENE, and the swell direction we’re seeing is mostly straight on or cross-on, which is never ideal for a river mouth. The water temp is sitting at 80°, which is about average for this time of year, no real surprises there.

We kick off on Thursday, July 30, but it’s pretty grim. Cross-on winds from the ESE at 16 mph are chopping up a 4 ft, weak 8-second swell. The combined energy is only 261 (weak), and it’s just poor conditions. That carries through Friday, July 31, with a bit more size – 6 ft to 6 ft – but still onshore winds and that same short-period, wind-affected energy (793 to 823, moderate). Don’t bother.

Saturday, August 1, sees the swell hitting 8 ft with rain showers. The energy is strong at 956 to 1005, but it’s all onshore and cross-on. That’s heavy, messy power – more for the experts, and even they’d be fighting wind chop. Not a paddle-friendly setup.

Sunday, August 2, drops back to 6 ft, winds ease a touch to 9 mph from the ENE, but it’s still onshore. The energy is moderate (732, 656). The comments say “marginal surf forecast or questionable tide conditions,” which means it’s touch-and-go. Monday, August 3, is the best of a bad bunch. Morning has 5 ft, 8-second swell from the ENE with light 6 mph onshore wind, but it’s still onshore. The energy is 541 (moderate). The afternoon goes cross-on from the NE with a 5 ft, 9-second swell. Better period, but still light cross-onshore ripples. I’d rate it as a “maybe” if you’re desperate, but it’s not a standout.

After that, from Tuesday, August 4, right through to Friday, August 14, it’s a long, bleak stretch. The swell drops to 3 ft to 5 ft, all with short periods (7-11 seconds) and persistent cross-on winds from the ESE or SE. The combined energy stays moderate but messy (151 to 523). The comments are all “poor surf conditions” except for a couple of “marginal” calls on Saturday, August 8, and the very last afternoon on Friday, August 14, which has a cross-shore wind and a slight cross-chop. That’s a small glimmer, but nothing to get excited about.

The bottom line: there’s no proper standout in this 16-day window. The constant onshore and cross-on winds kill the quality, and the swell is mostly short-period wind chop. If you’re a kite surfer, the 8 ft days with strong wind on August 1 might look interesting, but for a paddle surfer, this is a blank run. It’s not unusual for the area, but it’s disappointing.

Rusty.

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