Surf Forecasts:
Hakalau surf forecast from 30 Aug 2026:
- Best quality surf: Sunday 30 Aug, 5AM (local time) - 4.5ft (1.4m), 7s period, ENE swell with glassy winds.
- Most powerful swell: Saturday 5 Sep, 5AM (local time) - 13ft (4.0m), 12s period, ESE swell with 4,892 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Sunday 30 Aug, 5AM (local time) - 4.5ft (1.4m), 7s period with ENE 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 (Aug 30) at 5AM. The primary swell is predicted to be 1.4m and 7s period with a secondary swell of 0.6m and 11s. The wind is predicted to be glassy as the swell arrives.
The most powerful waves expected at Hakalau in the next 16 days are 4.0m 12s and forecast to arrive on Saturday (Sep 05) at 5AM. Winds are predicted to be onshore at the time the swell arrives.
| Wave Type | Time (HST) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 5AM (Sun 30th Aug) | 4.5ft (1.4m) 7s |
| Best Surf | 5AM (Sun 30th Aug) | 4.5ft (1.4m) 7s |
| Most Powerful | 5AM (Sat 5th Sep) | 13ft (4.0m) 12s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Hakalau over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
Right then, let’s get into it. The outlook for Hakalau is a bit of a mixed bag over the next couple of weeks. We’ve got some solid swell windows, but the wind and conditions are going to be the main talking points. It’s not all doom and gloom, but you’ll need to pick your moments.
The first few days are a write-off, I’m afraid. From Saturday the 29th right through to Wednesday the 2nd of September, it’s pretty much a no-go. The wind is onshore or cross-onshore, the swell is short-period and messy, and the wave energy is low, sitting around 238 to 399 (weak). The water temp is a warm 81°, about 2° warmer than usual for this time of year, so that’s nice, but the surf is just poor. You’d be wasting your time.
Things start to get a little more interesting on Wednesday the 2nd of September, but it’s still marginal. We see a jump in period to 12 seconds, which is a proper groundswell, and the combined energy hits 872 (moderate). The swell is coming from the ESE at 4ft, but it’s still onshore wind. Not great, but it’s a sign of life.
Thursday the 3rd of September is where we see our first real option. The swell picks up to 6ft from the ESE with a 12-second period, and the combined energy is a solid 1392 (moderate). The downside is a cross-onshore wind from the NNE at 9 mph, which will make it a bit bumpy. It’s a marginal call, but it’s the best we’ve had so far. The break is a river mouth, so it might handle the chop better than a beach. The optimum swell direction is ENE, so this ESE swell is a bit off, but it’s close enough to get some waves.
The real energy arrives on Friday the 4th of September and into the weekend. We’re looking at 10ft+ swell from the ESE, with a 12-second period. The combined energy rockets up to 2929 (strong) on Friday and then 4484 (very strong) on Saturday the 5th of September. This is serious swell. The problem is the wind. It’s cross-onshore from the NE and E, and on Saturday afternoon it’s a fresh 19 mph breeze. This is going to be a lumpy, choppy mess. For a river mouth like Hakalau, a long-period swell (12 seconds) will tend to wrap in, but the wind is going to kill it. This is definitely expert-only territory with the size and the wind. Honestly, with that wind and the size, it might be more of a kite-surfing show than a paddle-surfing one.
After that big pulse, we drop back down. From Sunday the 6th of September through to the 13th, it’s back to poor conditions. The swell is smaller, the period drops, and the wind is either onshore or cross-onshore. The combined energy is mostly below 500 (weak), and the wave comment is consistently “poor surf conditions.” There’s a small window on Wednesday the 9th of September where the swell picks up to 6ft from the ENE with a 9-second period, and combined energy of 804 (moderate), but it’s still onshore wind. Not worth getting excited about.
Friday the 11th of September is the closest thing to a standout in the second week. The swell is 5ft from the E with an 8-second period, and the combined energy is 571 (moderate). The wind is light from the NE at 6 mph, which is a light cross-onshore. It’s not glassy, but it’s the cleanest we’ll see in that period. It’s a marginal call, but it’s the best of a bad bunch. It’s a long way out, so keep an eye on it.
Overall, the only window that’s really worth considering is around Thursday the 3rd and Friday the 4th of September, but it’s for experienced surfers only. The crowds are listed as “sometimes” at Hakalau, so you might get a little company, but with these conditions, I doubt it’ll be packed.
Rusty.
Short Range ForecastModerate rain (total 15mm), heaviest on Mon morning. Warm (max 26°C on Sat afternoon, min 25°C on Sat morning). Wind will be generally light. | Days 4-6 Weather SummaryHeavy rain (total 29mm), heaviest during Wed night. Warm (max 26°C on Tue morning, min 24°C on Thu night). Wind will be generally light. | ||||||||||||||||||||
Saturday 29 | Sunday 30 | Monday 31 | Tuesday 1 | Wednesday 2 | Thursday 3 | Friday 4 | |||||||||||||||
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) | ENE 7 | ENE 7 | ENE 7 | E 7 | E 7 | NNE 7 | ENE 8 | ENE 8 | ENE 8 | ENE 8 | NE 8 | NE 8 | NE 8 | ESE 12 | ESE 12 | ESE 12 | E 12 | E 12 | ESE 12 | ESE 12 | E 12 |
Wave Graph | |||||||||||||||||||||
192 | 192 | 223 | 96 | 93 | 88 | 365 | 322 | 425 | 384 | 381 | 329 | 255 | 467 | 802 | 1045 | 2012 | 1805 | 2089 | 2277 | 3871 | |
Wind (km/h) | |||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | on | on | on | on | on | glassy | on | on | cross-on | cross-on | on | cross-on | on | on | on | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | on |
High Tide | 3:43PM0.91m | 4:10AM0.79m | 4:05PM0.84m | 4:52AM0.81m | 4:27PM0.77m | 5:40AM0.81m | 4:48PM0.69m | 6:40AM0.80m | 5:04PM0.62m | 8:05AM0.79m | 4:48PM0.54m | 9:58AM0.81m | |||||||||
Low Tide | 9:24AM0.17m | 10:04PM0.15m | 10:02AM0.24m | 10:29PM0.13m | 10:43AM0.31m | 10:56PM0.12m | 11:32AM0.40m | 11:27PM0.12m | 12:38PM0.49m | 00:07AM0.15m | 3:14PM0.54m | 1:05AM0.18m | 2:41AM0.20m | ||||||||
6:03 | — | — | 6:03 | — | — | 6:03 | — | — | 6:03 | — | — | 6:05 | — | — | 6:05 | — | — | 6:05 | — | — | |
— | 6:37 | — | — | 6:37 | — | — | 6:36 | — | — | 6:35 | — | — | 6:35 | — | — | 6:34 | — | — | 6:32 | — | |
mm | 2 | 2 | 2 | — | — | 1 | 3 | 1 | 4 | 2 | 2 | 5 | 4 | 4 | 8 | — | — | 4 | 2 | 1 | 15 |
Temp °C | 25 | 26 | 25 | 26 | 26 | 25 | 25 | 26 | 26 | 26 | 26 | 26 | 26 | 26 | 26 | 25 | 25 | 25 | 25 | 25 | 26 |
Feels °C | 28 | 28 | 26 | 27 | 27 | 27 | 27 | 28 | 28 | 28 | 28 | 29 | 29 | 28 | 29 | 26 | 26 | 25 | 26 | 26 | 27 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | ENE 7 | ENE 7 | ENE 7 | NNE 7 | E 7 | NNE 7 | ENE 8 | ENE 8 | ENE 8 | ENE 8 | NE 8 | NE 8 | NE 8 | NE 8 | ESE 12 | ESE 12 | E 12 | E 12 | ESE 12 | ESE 12 | E 12 |
192 | 192 | 223 | 81 | 93 | 88 | 365 | 322 | 425 | 384 | 381 | 329 | 255 | 235 | 802 | 1045 | 2012 | 1805 | 2089 | 2277 | 3170 | |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | E 12 | E 12 | E 11 | E 7 | NNE 7 | E 7 | ENE 9 | E 9 | SSE 9 | SSE 9 | ESE 10 | ESE 10 | ESE 9 | ESE 12 | NE 7 | E 12 | E 12 | E 13 | E 13 | E 12 | E 14 |
146 | 144 | 94 | 96 | 81 | 59 | 16 | 43 | 8 | 8 | 9 | 39 | 94 | 467 | 217 | 105 | 103 | 121 | 121 | 113 | 187 | |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | S 13 | S 13 | S 12 | E 11 | E 10 | E 10 | SSE 10 | SSE 9 | SE 12 | E 15 | SSE 10 | E 13 | E 14 | E 13 | E 13 | S 15 | E 15 | S 14 | N 8 | N 8 | S 13 |
31 | 13 | 11 | 61 | 54 | 49 | 10 | 8 | 6 | 4 | 9 | 32 | 65 | 170 | 215 | 17 | 41 | 15 | 11 | 18 | 3 | |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | NE 7 | — | — | — | ENE 8 | E 12 |
— | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 242 | — | — | — | 521 | 3871 | |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 20 | 95 | 95 | 20 | 96 | 0 | 20 | 95 | 14 | 122 | 95 | 14 | 20 | 158 | 95 | 122 | 95 | 95 | 120 | 95 | 95 |
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.











