
Surf Forecasts:
Hakalau surf forecast from 25 Jul 2026:
- Best quality surf: Monday 27 Jul, 5AM (local time) - 5ft (1.5m), 14s period, E swell with glassy winds.
- Most powerful swell: Tuesday 28 Jul, 2PM (local time) - 10ft (3.0m), 12s period, ENE swell with 2,854 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Sunday 26 Jul, 5AM (local time) - 3.5ft (1.0m), 14s period with E 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 Sunday (Jul 26) at 5AM. The primary swell is predicted to be 1.0m and 14s period with a secondary swell of 1.4m and 8s. Another secondary swell of 1.0m and 7s is also forecast. The wind is predicted to be glassy as the swell arrives.
The most powerful waves expected at Hakalau in the next 16 days are 3.0m 12s and forecast to arrive on Tuesday (Jul 28) at 2PM. Winds are predicted to be cross-shore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 0.5m 14s period and expected on Tuesday (Jul 28) at 2PM.
| Wave Type | Time (HST) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 5AM (Sun 26th Jul) | 3.5ft (1.0m) 14s |
| Best Surf | 5AM (Mon 27th Jul) | 5ft (1.5m) 14s |
| Most Powerful | 2PM (Tue 28th Jul) | 10ft (3.0m) 12s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Hakalau over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
Alright folks, Rusty here. Let’s get straight into it for the local stretch.
Right off the bat, we’ve got a bit of a mixed bag. The surf is gonna be around, but it’s not going to be a straight-up classic for a while. The water temperature is sitting at 80°F, which is pretty much normal for this time of year, so no need to hunt for a thicker suit.
The first real chance to get wet will be Saturday morning, July 25th, at Hakalau. It’s a river-mouth setup, fairly consistent, and it’s exposed to that ENE swell. The swell is 6ft from the ENE with a short period of 8 seconds. The wind is a light cross-onshore, so it’s not going to be glassy. The wave energy is moderate (909). Honestly, it’s looking a bit messy – the data says poor conditions, so don’t expect anything special. The afternoon is even more marginal.
Sunday morning, July 26th, offers a cleaner look. The swell drops to 4ft, but the period stretches out to 14 seconds – that’s proper groundswell energy. The wind is light and onshore, but it’s a small, long-period swell. The combined energy is moderate (869). This kind of swell can be a bit straight at a beach break, but it has a bit of push. The afternoon is similar with a 15-second period, still waiting on that clean wind.
Monday, July 27th, is where it starts to get a little more interesting. The morning sees a 6ft swell from the E at 13 seconds, with a light cross-onshore. The wave energy is getting stronger (1281). The afternoon bumps up to 7ft from the E, still 13 seconds, and the energy is solid (1546). The wind is still cross-onshore, but it’s manageable. The best window is likely the Monday morning session before the wind picks up.
Tuesday, July 28th, is a standout for size, but with a big caveat. The early morning swell jumps to 10ft from the ENE at 13 seconds, and the energy is strong (3393). The wind is a moderate cross-shore. This is expert territory – over 8ft, so it’s too big for beginners. The afternoon is even bigger at 12ft (3147). This is a serious, powerful swell. The cross-shore wind will make it a bit walled-up and challenging. If you’re not an expert, give this one a miss.
Then the pattern falls apart. From Wednesday, July 29th, through to the end of the forecast, the wind goes onshore and the quality drops. The swell sticks around at 5ft to 7ft, but with short periods (8-9 seconds) and a persistent cross-onshore breeze. The wave energy is low to moderate (211 to 1066). This stretch is a write-off for clean surfing. It’s just choppy, weak, and onshore.
There’s a small window around August 2nd with a long-period swell (16 seconds) at 4ft, but again, the wind is onshore. The energy is moderate (1139). It’s a tease.
The Best on Offer: The clear standout is Monday morning, July 27th at Hakalau. The 6ft swell at 13 seconds from the E with a light cross-onshore is the most balanced combo of size, shape, and clean-ish conditions in the whole 16-day window. The Tuesday session (July 28th) is for the big-wave crew only.
For the rest of it, it’s a waiting game. The conditions are stubbornly onshore. It’s a bit of a bummer, but it’s how it’s looking right now.
Catch you on the next one.
Rusty
Short Range ForecastModerate rain (total 12mm), heaviest on Sat morning. Warm (max 27°C on Mon afternoon, min 24°C on Sat night). Wind will be generally light. | Days 4-6 Weather SummaryLight rain (total 2mm), mostly falling on Thu night. Warm (max 27°C on Tue morning, min 25°C on Tue night). Mainly fresh winds. | ||||||||||||||||||||
Saturday 25 | Sunday 26 | Monday 27 | Tuesday 28 | Wednesday 29 | Thursday 30 | Friday 31 | |||||||||||||||
AM | 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) | E 8 | E 8 | E 14 | E 14 | E 15 | E 14 | E 13 | E 13 | E 13 | ENE 12 | ENE 12 | ENE 10 | ENE 9 | ENE 8 | E 8 | E 8 | E 8 | E 8 | E 8 | E 8 | E 8 |
Wave Graph | |||||||||||||||||||||
223 | 217 | 329 | 594 | 716 | 877 | 976 | 1200 | 1810 | 2735 | 2502 | 586 | 490 | 414 | 355 | 337 | 371 | 391 | 470 | 481 | 617 | |
Wind (km/h) | |||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | cross-on | on | cross-on | on | on | on | cross | cross | cross | cross | cross | glassy | cross-on | cross-on | cross | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | cross |
High Tide | 1:39PM0.90m | 00:29AM0.47m | 2:11PM0.94m | 1:15AM0.49m | 2:41PM0.97m | 1:54AM0.53m | 3:10PM1.00m | 2:30AM0.56m | 3:36PM1.00m | 3:06AM0.59m | 4:01PM0.99m | 3:44AM0.62m | 4:25PM0.97m | 4:25AM0.64m | |||||||
Low Tide | 8:48PM0.39m | 6:36AM0.13m | 9:06PM0.36m | 7:17AM0.10m | 9:27PM0.34m | 7:54AM0.07m | 9:49PM0.31m | 8:28AM0.06m | 10:11PM0.29m | 9:01AM0.08m | 10:34PM0.27m | 9:34AM0.12m | 10:58PM0.24m | ||||||||
5:52 | — | — | 5:52 | — | — | 5:54 | — | — | 5:54 | — | — | 5:54 | — | — | 5:54 | — | — | 5:54 | — | — | |
— | 7:00 | — | — | 7:00 | — | — | 6:59 | — | — | 6:59 | — | — | 6:58 | — | — | 6:58 | — | — | 6:57 | — | |
mm | 4 | 2 | 3 | 2 | — | — | — | — | 1 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 2 | — | — | 2 |
Temp °C | 25 | 25 | 24 | 25 | 25 | 25 | 26 | 27 | 26 | 27 | 26 | 26 | 27 | 27 | 25 | 27 | 27 | 25 | 26 | 26 | 25 |
Feels °C | 27 | 26 | 26 | 28 | 27 | 27 | 27 | 29 | 29 | 28 | 28 | 29 | 27 | 26 | 26 | 27 | 27 | 26 | 27 | 27 | 27 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | E 8 | E 8 | NE 8 | NNE 8 | NE 8 | NE 7 | E 13 | E 13 | E 13 | ENE 12 | ENE 12 | ENE 10 | ENE 9 | ENE 8 | E 8 | E 8 | E 16 | E 15 | E 8 | E 8 | E 8 |
223 | 217 | 248 | 198 | 269 | 262 | 976 | 1200 | 1810 | 2735 | 2502 | 586 | 490 | 414 | 355 | 337 | 82 | 157 | 470 | 481 | 617 | |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | NNE 8 | NNE 8 | E 7 | E 14 | E 15 | E 14 | NNE 8 | NNE 8 | NNE 8 | NNE 10 | NNE 10 | NNE 9 | S 14 | ESE 9 | S 16 | E 17 | N 10 | N 9 | E 15 | E 14 | E 14 |
183 | 202 | 127 | 594 | 716 | 877 | 154 | 173 | 192 | 289 | 54 | 270 | 4 | 8 | 5 | 24 | 8 | 15 | 208 | 260 | 246 | |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | E 13 | E 12 | E 14 | E 7 | SE 9 | SSE 11 | SE 10 | S 15 | S 14 | S 14 | SE 10 | SE 9 | S 16 | S 13 | S 13 | N 10 | S 14 | SE 13 | N 9 | N 9 | N 8 |
84 | 109 | 329 | 83 | 13 | 11 | 17 | 4 | 103 | 94 | 4 | 13 | 5 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 4 | 7 | 14 | 14 | 12 | |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | SE 9 | — | — | — | E 8 | E 8 | — | — | — |
— | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 21 | — | — | — | 371 | 391 | — | — | — | |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 20 | 166 | 20 | 20 | 96 | 14 | 99 | 72 | 14 | 156 | 55 | 0 | 20 | 20 | 16 | 20 | 18 | 95 | 158 | 160 | 14 |
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.










