Surf Forecasts:
Halawa surf forecast from 18 Aug 2026:
- Best quality surf: Friday 21 Aug, 2AM (local time) - 2.5ft (0.7m), 7s period, NNE swell with glassy winds.
- Most powerful swell: Monday 24 Aug, 8PM (local time) - 7.5ft (2.3m), 7s period, ENE swell with 558 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Friday 21 Aug, 2AM (local time) - 2.5ft (0.7m), 7s period with NNE swell.
Best Forecast Surf Conditions for Halawa this week:
The surf forecast for Halawa over the next 16 days: The first swell (rated 1 star or higher) is forecast to arrive on Friday (Aug 21) at 2AM. The primary swell is predicted to be 0.7m and 7s period with a secondary swell of 0.6m and 7s. The wind is predicted to be glassy as the swell arrives.
The most powerful waves expected at Halawa in the next 16 days are 2.3m 7s and forecast to arrive on Monday (Aug 24) at 8PM. Winds are predicted to be cross-shore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 2.2m 7s period and expected on Monday (Aug 24) at 2PM.
| Wave Type | Time (HST) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 2AM (Fri 21st Aug) | 2.5ft (0.7m) 7s |
| Best Surf | 2AM (Fri 21st Aug) | 2.5ft (0.7m) 7s |
| Most Powerful | 8PM (Mon 24th Aug) | 7.5ft (2.3m) 7s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Halawa over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
G’day, Rusty here.
Look, I’ll be straight with you – this outlook for Halawa is a tough one. Over the next 16 days, we’ve got a whole lot of nothing good on offer. The first real chance of a wave doesn’t even show up until Monday the 17th, but even then, it’s a real struggle.
Let’s start from the beginning. Monday morning the 17th, there’s hardly a bump – just 0.7 ft of weak, short-period WSW swell. The wind is howling cross-shore at 19 mph, making it lumpy and messy. The combined energy is a paltry 4, so you’d be wasting your time. That afternoon picks up a bit to 5 ft from the ENE, but it’s still cross-shore and the energy jumps to 265 – moderate, sure – but the wind is ruining it. No score, no recommendation.
Tuesday the 18th is more of the same: tiny 0.3 ft swell in the morning, then a 4 ft ENE swell in the afternoon with cross-shore winds. The energy gets to 195, but again, poor conditions. Wednesday the 19th? 4 ft ENE in the morning, then it drops to 2 ft in the afternoon with a cross-onshore breeze. Just nothing to get excited about.
Honestly, the whole first week is a write-off. We’ve got a solid gap here with zero recommended surf. The wind never lets up – it’s either a fresh breeze or stronger, always cross or cross-onshore. The swell direction is mostly ENE, which isn’t even close to Halawa’s optimum from the NNW. The water temp is sitting at 80°F, which is bang on average for this time of year, so no surprises there.
Moving into the second week, it doesn’t get much better. Saturday the 22nd afternoon sees a 7 ft ENE swell with 402 energy – that’s moderate to strong – but again, fresh cross-shore winds and lumpy conditions. For a reef/river break like Halawa, that ENE swell is coming from the wrong direction, and the wind is trashing any chance of clean waves. Sunday the 23rd is similar: 6 ft ENE, 580 energy, but the same story with the wind. Monday the 24th bumps up to 7 ft ENE, 473 energy, but it’s still cross-shore and lumpy. At 7 ft, that’s getting into expert-only territory, but with the quality this poor, it’s more of a kite-surfing setup than anything else.
From Tuesday the 25th onward, the swell drops off a cliff. We’re looking at 2 ft or less for days, with the odd pulse of long-period NW swell (10–14 seconds) but hardly any energy – down to 3 or 18. The wind stays strong, with gusts up to 25 mph by Wednesday the 26th. There’s even a risk of thunderstorms that morning. By Thursday the 27th, the swell disappears entirely in the morning – a flat zero.
The only flicker of hope comes right at the tail end. Saturday the 29th afternoon shows a 5 ft WSW swell with 556 energy – that’s strong. The period is 11 seconds, so it’s a proper groundswell. WSW is a bit off Halawa’s optimum NNW, but it’s closer than the ENE we’ve been seeing. Problem is, the wind is still fresh cross-shore at 19 mph. That’s promising but uncertain – it’s over a week away, so don’t book your trip yet. Sunday the 30th drops back to 3 ft, and then it’s tiny again through to September 1st.
So here’s the deal: there are no standouts. Not one session worth paddling out for. The only thing that even catches my eye is that Saturday the 29th afternoon pulse, but with the wind and the distance out, it’s a long shot. This is one of those stretches where the forecast can change, but right now, it’s bleak. Halawa is a reef/river break that’s fairly consistent and exposed, but when the wind and swell directions don’t line up, you get nothing. And that’s exactly what we’ve got.
Rusty.
Short Range ForecastMostly dry. Warm (max 25°C on Mon afternoon, min 24°C on Mon night). Wind will be generally light. | Days 5-7 Weather SummaryMostly dry. Warm (max 26°C on Fri afternoon, min 24°C on Thu night). Winds increasing (calm on Thu night, fresh winds from the ENE by Sat afternoon). | |||||||||||||||||||
Mon 17 | Tuesday 18 | Wednesday 19 | Thursday 20 | Friday 21 | Saturday 22 | Sunday 23 | ||||||||||||||
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 | WSW 6 | ENE 8 | ENE 8 | NE 6 | NE 6 | NE 6 | NNE 6 | ENE 7 | NNE 7 | NNE 6 | ENE 7 | W 10 | E 6 | E 6 | ENE 7 | WNW 12 | NW 11 | NW 11 |
Wave Graph | ||||||||||||||||||||
276 | 222 | 4 | 169 | 240 | 42 | 39 | 42 | 37 | 138 | 40 | 37 | 163 | 17 | 175 | 200 | 410 | 123 | 126 | 97 | |
Wind (km/h) | ||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | cross | cross | cross | cross | cross | cross | cross-on | cross | cross | cross-on | glassy | cross | cross | cross | cross | cross | cross | cross | cross-on | cross |
High Tide | 4:33PM0.66m | 6:50AM0.63m | 4:24PM0.60m | 8:36AM0.63m | 11:03AM0.66m | 12:04PM0.72m | 12:38PM0.76m | 10:08PM0.40m | 1:06PM0.81m | 11:41PM0.43m | ||||||||||
Low Tide | 11:33PM0.19m | 11:50AM0.51m | 00:04AM0.21m | 00:47AM0.22m | 2:06AM0.24m | 3:51AM0.23m | 9:08PM0.40m | 5:04AM0.19m | 8:19PM0.38m | |||||||||||
— | — | 6:05 | — | — | 6:05 | — | — | 6:07 | — | — | 6:07 | — | — | 6:07 | — | — | 6:07 | — | — | |
6:54 | — | — | 6:53 | — | — | 6:53 | — | — | 6:52 | — | — | 6:52 | — | — | 6:51 | — | — | 6:50 | — | |
mm | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 2 |
Temp °C | 25 | 25 | 25 | 25 | 25 | 24 | 25 | 25 | 25 | 25 | 25 | 25 | 26 | 26 | 26 | 26 | 25 | 25 | 25 | 25 |
Feels °C | 24 | 25 | 24 | 24 | 25 | 24 | 26 | 26 | 27 | 27 | 28 | 28 | 28 | 27 | 25 | 25 | 24 | 24 | 24 | 23 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SSW 14 | SSW 14 | SW 17 | SW 18 | NNE 7 | E 8 | E 8 | NE 6 | E 7 | ENE 7 | NNE 7 | NNE 6 | SW 16 | SW 16 | SW 16 | SW 16 | WNW 13 | WNW 12 | NW 11 | NW 11 |
41 | 37 | 44 | 49 | 10 | 108 | 108 | 42 | 88 | 138 | 40 | 37 | 91 | 124 | 89 | 87 | 156 | 123 | 126 | 97 | |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | W 11 | WSW 6 | S 13 | SSW 13 | W 12 | NE 6 | SW 16 | SW 16 | NNE 6 | SW 17 | ENE 7 | SW 17 | W 10 | W 10 | W 10 | W 10 | SW 16 | SW 15 | SW 15 | SW 14 |
9 | 4 | 13 | 17 | 12 | 42 | 42 | 41 | 37 | 107 | 37 | 100 | 19 | 17 | 17 | 7 | 61 | 59 | 56 | 54 | |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | WSW 6 | WNW 11 | WSW 6 | W 13 | WSW 6 | SW 16 | W 12 | W 11 | SW 18 | W 7 | E 9 | W 10 | SW 8 | SW 9 | SW 10 | WNW 16 | WSW 9 | WSW 9 | SW 9 | SW 8 |
4 | 12 | 4 | 14 | 4 | 40 | 11 | 9 | 79 | 4 | 39 | 8 | 3 | 3 | 4 | 24 | 9 | 8 | 3 | 3 | |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | ENE 7 | ENE 7 | ENE 7 | ENE 8 | ENE 8 | — | NE 6 | E 8 | — | NE 7 | — | E 7 | ENE 7 | E 7 | E 6 | E 6 | ENE 7 | E 9 | E 10 | E 6 |
276 | 222 | 214 | 169 | 240 | — | 39 | 102 | — | 67 | — | 77 | 163 | 148 | 175 | 200 | 410 | 509 | 614 | 318 | |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | ||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 29 | 31 | 29 | 29 | 29 | 24 | 25 | 19 | 19 | 5 | 0 | 19 | 24 | 24 | 29 | 29 | 29 | 29 | 29 | 29 |
Best forecast wave conditions in Molokai | ||||||||||||||||||||
Best forecast wave conditions in United States | ||||||||||||||||||||
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Information about the Halawa Surf forecast
The above surf forecast table for Halawa provides essential information for determining whether the surfing conditions will be good over the next 16 days. A general guide to surfing at Halawa can be found by selecting the local surf guide option on the grey menu. Our Halawa 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 (Halawa) 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 Halawa 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.
Are you planning a vacation in Molokai? If you are looking for accommodation near Halawa, camping, hotels and condos and appartments in Molokai, consider staying in Kaunakakai - Molokai which is 38 km (24 miles) away. Other places in and around Molokai where you can find information about places to rent, and car hire include Wailuku which is 39 km (24 miles) away, Kahului, Lanai - Lanai and Kihei.











