Hakalau Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, Rusty here, and I'm looking at Hakalau, and honestly, the next couple of weeks have a tough look about them. The region is starting with very poor surf conditions and it’s going to take a while for things to come together.

Right now, Saturday the 15th, there’s a big, messy 15 ft swell from the ESE but it's being ripped up by a strong 30 mph cross-shore wind. That’s just ugly. You can forget about it for a paddle, maybe more of a kite setup if you have the gear. The water is a warm 81°, which is pretty normal for this time of year, so the only thing that’s hot is the surface temp.

Sunday the 16th keeps the theme going – 8 ft dropping to 7 ft, but it's still cross-on and lumpy. No good.

We get a break from the strong wind Monday the 17th morning with 5 ft and clean onshore wind from the east. The swell period is short, 8 seconds, so it’s going to be weak and poorly shaped. There's enough energy on Tuesday the 18th to get a marginal call – 3 ft to 4 ft – but the combined swell energy is low (216 to 285), so not much there. It's light wind stuff, but the surf quality comment says “questionable tide conditions.”

That pretty much sums up the entire run through to Friday the 28th of August. Day after day of small surf, light winds, and a lot of "poor surf conditions" or "marginal" ratings. The swell heights bounce between 2 ft and 6 ft, but the energy is weak, usually under 418, and wind is always on or cross-on. Nothing to get excited about.

Now, there is a flicker of a standout happening on the edge of the forecast. Saturday the 29th of August rolls in and we see a serious spike: 6 ft swell from the east, but the period jumps to 15 seconds and the energy hits a meaty 1731. That is proper groundswell energy. The wind is a light cross-on, which is a major positive for getting it clean, especially since Hakalau is a river break. Long period swells like that (over 15 seconds) love river mouths and point breaks – they should wrap and not break too straight. The Sunday the 30th then holds at 7 ft with a 13-second period, still clean with light onshore wind. That’s the best looking window in the whole forecast, but it’s a long way out and certainty is lower. For a surfer, this late run is the only real target, but you'll be waiting almost two weeks for it. It’s a quiet period for the area, so don’t be surprised if it remains flat; forecasts can change, but as it stands, you’ve got a drought before a possible little pulse of life.

Rusty.

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