Hakalau Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, Rusty here. Let’s break down what’s coming for the next couple of weeks.

Right off the bat, the first week is a total washout. From Saturday the 22nd right through the end of the month, we’ve got a long stretch of poor surf – the onshore winds are relentless, mostly from the east and southeast, with a moderate breeze just tearing everything up. The swell is there, but it’s short-period stuff, between 7 and 9 seconds, and the combined energy (between 162 and 939) is a moderate to strong amount of churn, but it’s all wind-slop, not proper surf. The wind is cross-on or on, and conditions are choppy. For a beginner, anything over 4.9 ft is a bit much, and we’ve got waves up to 7.5 ft on Sunday the 23rd, but it’s all junk. There’s a solid 9-day gap of no real recommendations here.

Then we get a flicker of hope at the end of the month. Friday the 28th of August, the swell period jumps way up to 17 seconds, so we’re talking a proper groundswell. The wave height drops to 2.6 ft, but the combined energy is still decent (511). The wind is cross-on, though, so it’s still a bit choppy. The real magic might be on Saturday the 29th and Sunday the 30th. On Saturday morning, we get clean easterly swell from the ENE at 3.9 ft with a long 14-second period, and the wind is light and onshore, maybe glassy early. The combined energy is 753 – that’s solid for a clean day. The swell direction (E) is a bit off Hakalau’s optimum (ENE), but with that long period, it’s worth a look. Don’t get too excited about the beach – that long period will make it break straight at a beach break, so it’s better suited for a point or reef. But if you’re an intermediate, this could be the standout. The water temp anomaly is average for the time of year, so no wetsuit worries.

That Friday the 28th through Sunday the 30th is the best on offer, but it’s marginal, not a classic. Monday the 31st starts to get a bit bigger (4.9 ft) with a consistent 11-second period, but the wind is cross-on again, so it’s a gamble. For the first week of September, it’s back to poor conditions – onshore winds, short period, and choppy. The combined energy drops off, and the swell gets messy. The 3rd and 4th of September have 5.6 ft to 6.2 ft easterly swell, but it’s all short-period, cross-on slop. Not worth paddling out for.

Bottom line: the first week is a total blown-out mess. The one honest window is the last weekend of August, with a long-period swell that could clean up in the morning. After that, it’s back to being poor. For a river mouth like Hakalau, the long period might actually help shape it up, but with the wind being a bit off, it’s a gamble. Crowds are possible here, so keep that in mind.

Stay stoked, but don’t expect much.

Read more