Halawa Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, Rusty here. Let’s have a look at what Mother Nature’s got cookin’ for us.

Right off the bat, I gotta be straight with you – it’s a grim start. For the next week and a half, we’re lookin’ at a whole lotta nothin’. The surf is basically flat or blown-out junk for days on end. From Saturday the 12th right through to Monday the 21st, it’s all “poor surf conditions” with tiny, messy swell and cross-shore winds that just ruin any chance of a decent wave. You’d be better off waxing your longboard and staring at it in the garage. Total write-off.

Now, the only glimmer on the horizon – and I mean a *glimmer* – is at Halawa. It’s a reef/river setup, exposed to swell and fairly consistent when there’s swell around. But for nearly ten days, it’s just not happening. The combined swell energy barely cracks three digits – we’re talking weak to moderate at best (224 down to 84 and lower), with short, weak periods. The water temp is a very pleasant 80°, which is pretty much dead average for this time of year, so at least the swim is nice.

The first sign of *something* happens on Wednesday the 16th, with a bump to 6ft and then 6ft on the afternoon, swell from the ENE with a short 6-second period. The energy picks up to moderate (197 and 262), but the cross-onshore wind has it lumpy and choppy. Still a “poor” call in my book.

Then on Thursday the 17th, the morning looks a bit different. We’ve got a 8ft swell from the ENE with a 10-second period and a *massive* jump in energy to 1064 – that’s strong energy. There’s also a risk of thunderstorms. But the swell period is moderate, and with a fresh cross-shore wind, it’s only rated as “marginal”. That size is pushing into expert territory, so if you’re a strong paddler and you don’t mind some chop and a bit of lightning, it’s the best of a bad lot. It gets derailed by the afternoon, dropping to a pathetic 0.3ft.

After that, it’s a long, sad, flat spell. Tiny waves, low energy (single and double digits), and cross-shore breezes. Honestly, the setup looks more interesting for kite surfing than paddle surfing through most of this.

Then we finally get a flicker on Monday the 21st afternoon: a 7ft ENE swell with a 7-second period and strong energy at 501. Still cross-shore winds and “poor” conditions. And again on Saturday the 26th, a little 4ft ENE swell with 8-second period and moderate energy (170-179). Still sloppy.

Now, the one that *might* get you out of bed is on Sunday the 27th. A really long-period groundswell from the NNW – 4ft in the morning, building to 5ft, with periods of 19 and 18 seconds. That’s a *very* long period, and the energy is off the charts: 1014 in the morning, jumping to a massive 2058 in the afternoon. That is strong to very strong wave energy. But remember, a long-period swell like that can break too straight for a beach break, but for a reef/river mouth like Halawa, that’s where it can really shine. The catch? The wind is still cross-shore, moderate breeze, and the call is “marginal”. It’s a long-range promise, so keep an eye on it. The optimum swell direction for Halawa is NNW, and that’s exactly what this is. This is the standout, but it’s nearly two weeks out, so don’t book your flights just yet.

Overall, it’s a tough run. Keep the quiver clean and wait for that last window.

Rusty

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