Halawa Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, Rusty here. Let’s have a look at what Halawa (reef/river) has on offer for the next 16 days. Gotta be straight with you – it’s a rough start. The first real chance to paddle out doesn’t show up until late in the window, so there’s a long gap of quiet water ahead.

Overall Pattern & Gaps

For the first ten days, from today through to the 25th of August, it’s pretty grim. The swell is tiny or non-existent, with cross-shore winds messing up whatever is there. The combined swell energy is mostly in the weak range (anywhere from 7 to 333), so there’s just no push. You’ll be bobbing around on a lot of flat, lumpy water. Don’t bother getting the board wet until we hit the end of the month.

The Slight Glimmer (August 26th – 27th)

We start to see some life on the 26th. Wednesday morning shows a 7 ft ENE swell, but the period is a short 7 seconds, and the cross-shore wind is a moderate breeze. The energy finally climbs into the moderate range (448), but the conditions are still described as poor. By Wednesday afternoon, the swell holds at 7 ft from the ENE, the period stretches to 8 seconds, and the energy hits 520. That’s a step in the right direction, but the wind is still messy, giving us a “marginal” feel. Thursday the 27th keeps that ENE swell around 7 ft with a longer 9-second period and solid energy of 638, but again, the wind isn’t fully on our side.

The Main Event (August 28th – 29th)

This is where it gets interesting, but it’s a promise, not a guarantee. Friday the 28th morning sees a solid 12 ft swell from the ENE, with a period of 10 seconds. That’s a proper groundswell. The combined energy is a huge 2140 – that’s strong to very strong energy. But hold up. At 12 ft, this is only for the experienced crew; beginners should stay well clear. The wind is a fresh breeze from the East, cross-shore, which will keep it bumpy. It’s “marginal” by the numbers. Friday afternoon is the standout of the whole run. The swell drops to a still-juicy 8 ft from the ENE, but the period jumps to 12 seconds. That’s a lovely, long groundswell. Combined energy is 1627. The wind eases to a moderate breeze from the ENE, still cross-shore. Even with that cross-shore wind, the power and the long period should really make this reef setup of Halawa shine. This is our best bet.

Saturday the 29th morning keeps a solid 10 ft ENE swell with an 11-second period and energy at 1858. It’s another big, powerful day for experts. The afternoon drops to 8 ft from the same direction with an 11-second period and energy of 1521. Both days are still “marginal” due to the cross-shore breeze.

The Tail End (August 30th – 31st)

The swell fades out as we head into the end of the month. Sunday the 30th sees a 5 ft NE swell, but the energy drops to 472 and the momentum is gone. Monday the 31st tries to hold a 6 ft ENE swell, but a fresh cross-onshore wind will chop it up. Not worth it.

Bottom Line

Look, if you’re an experienced surfer and you can wait, the 28th and 29th of August are the clear highlight. That 8 ft, 12-second ENE groundswell on the 28th afternoon is the best quality on offer. But with that solid ENE wind showing up as a cross-shore breeze every day, it’s never going to be glassy. It’ll be lumpy, powerful, and best suited for the reef. For everyone else, it’s a long wait for a session that might not be that clean.

Stay tuned, forecasts can change.

Rusty.

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