Hakalau Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, Rusty here. Let's get stuck into the next 16 days for this little corner of the world.

Right off the bat, it's not looking like a classic stretch. The surf is on the table, but it's going to be a grind. The wind is a major pain for most of the opening week, and we're dealing with a lot of "marginal" days. The water temp is sitting at 81°F, which is pretty much bang on average for this time of year, so no surprises there.

Hakalau is the only spot on the cards. The swell direction is mostly out of the ENE, which is what the spot wants to see, but the wind is a constant issue. The first few days from Thursday the 3rd right through to the start of the following week are a write-off – mostly cross-onshore wind making a mess of things. The combined swell energy is moderate (743) on Thursday morning, but it doesn't matter when the wind is junk.

Friday morning the 4th sees a bit more size, with 7ft of ENE swell, but the 14-second period gives it some push. The energy jumps up (1784), but it's still cross-on. The weekend is a similar story – Saturday the 5th has 7ft to 8ft swell with a 13-14 second period and light wind, but it's still a cross-on. The real issue is the quality. These are all marked as marginal, which means the tide or the texture is just off.

The best chance to actually get a clean one looks like it comes in the second week. Monday the 14th and Tuesday the 15th are a wash – the wind swings onshore and the period drops to 8 seconds, making it short-period, choppy junk. Not worth it.

The standout window is Wednesday the 16th and into Thursday the 17th. On Wednesday, we've got 7ft of swell from the ESE with a 12-second period and a light onshore wind that's actually just "on" – light and straight. The energy is strong (1442). The afternoon gets even better: 6ft of swell, still 12 seconds, and the wind drops to near glassy (5 km/h). That's the cleanest the window gets. It's a marginal call, but with that glassy wind, it's the one to aim for. The swell is a bit much for beginners, but for intermediate and above, that's a session.

The 12-second period is a solid groundswell, which means the waves will have some shape, but at a river break like this, it can sometimes be a bit straight. Still, with the wind that light, it's the best we've got.

Honestly, for the first week and a half, it's a battle. The setup is more interesting for kite surfing than paddle surfing on those cross-wind days. The wind is just too messy. Hold out for that Wednesday the 16th. That's the one.

Rusty.

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