Hakalau Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, Rusty here. I’ve been staring at the charts for our little stretch of coast, and I gotta be straight with you – it’s a tough start. We’re kicking off with a few days of real slop. The wind is pinned onshore right from the get-go, and the combination of swell direction and wind is just making a mess of things. It’s a waiting game.

Let’s look at the only break on the menu: Hakalau. This is a river mouth setup, so it’s a funny beast. It’s fairly consistent, which is a good sign, but we’re not seeing any real quality for a while. The first real glimmer of hope comes on Sunday, July 26th. We get a jump in the combined swell energy (1290) as a long-period groundswell from the East pushes in. The swell is around 5 ft, and the period is a very long 15 seconds. That’s proper energy, but it’s a tricky one. That long period at a river mouth can make it break a bit too straight and fat. Plus, the wind is still onshore, so it’s only a marginal call. Not great, not terrible.

The next few days are a slow burn. Monday the 27th through Wednesday the 29th see the swell holding around 7 ft, with the energy staying strong (1561 at its peak on Tuesday). The wind is still cross-onshore, but it’s light, so the surface won’t be total junk. It’s still just ‘marginal’ though – the quality isn’t quite there for a standout call.

The real standout window, if you’re patient, is looking like the first week of August. We’ve got a pulse on Monday, August 3rd and Tuesday, August 4th. The swell size drops to a more manageable 4 ft to 4 ft, but the period is still very long (14-16 seconds). The combined energy is still high (1275 on Monday), meaning there’s a lot of water moving. The wind is light onshore, and on Tuesday it’s a light cross-onshore. The water temps are about average for the time of year, so no drama there. It’s not perfect, but it’s the best we’ve got. The optimum swell direction for Hakalau is ENE, and that’s exactly what we’re seeing. This is the moment to look for a clean-ish wave, even if it’s a bit fat from the long period. It’s a promising but less certain long-range bet.

To be honest, this whole 16-day window is a grind. There’s no single, screaming session. The wind is our enemy for most of it. The best advice I can give is to keep your eye on those first few days of August. That’s our window for a decent, if tricky, river mouth wave.

Rusty, signing off.

Read more