Halawa Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, Rusty here. Let’s be straight with you – the outlook for Halawa over the next sixteen days is a tough one. This is a reef and river setup, and it’s exposed to the swell, which means it can pick up a wave, but the conditions we’re seeing are almost constantly fighting against it. The pattern is dominated by persistent onshore and cross-shore winds from the ENE and E, and they just won’t let up for the first week and a half. There’s a big gap of nothing recommended right through from the start, all the way to mid-month.

From the get-go, Saturday the 8th through to the morning of Sunday the 16th, it’s a write-off. The wind is a constant problem – cross, cross-on, and even a couple of gale-force offshore shots on the 16th that are so strong you won’t be able to paddle into anything. The swell is mostly short-period windswell, around 6-8 seconds, and the combined energy never gets into a comfortable zone for paddle surfing. On the afternoon of the 16th, we get a strong offshore wind from the S, which cleans the surface up, but the swell is a tiny 1 ft and the period is short, so there’s next to nothing to ride. It's a frustrating stretch.

We finally see a change on Monday the 17th of August. There’s a jump in swell, with a 8 ft wave on the morning from the ENE, with a period of 8 seconds. The combined energy hits 701 (moderate to strong), which is the best we see all period. The catch? The wind is cross-shore from the E at 9 mph – it’s a gentle breeze, so the surface will have a slight cross-chop. It’s still a bit lumpy for perfect conditions, but it’s the only window that’s even marginally worth looking at. The water temp is average at 80°F.

The rest of the run from the 18th through to the 23rd slips back into the same old story: moderate to fresh cross-shore winds, short-period swell, and high weed energy that just doesn't shape up well for this break. The only day that might have made for a bigger bump, the 22nd, is ruined by a 19 mph cross-shore wind and lumpy conditions.

Honestly, if you’re desperate for a paddle, the morning of the 17th is your one chance. It’s the only real standout, but it’s not clean. Given the constant cross-shore chop here on a reef, this setup would actually look more interesting for kite surfing than paddle surfing for most of the run.

Rusty.

Read more