Halawa Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, I’m looking at the charts for the next couple of weeks, and honestly, it’s a tough stretch for us here at Halawa. This is a reef and river setup that’s pretty exposed, and we’re waiting for the right angle – it likes a NNW swell. But for the next 16 days, the ocean’s just not cooperating.

The whole period is plagued by persistent cross-shore winds, mostly from the east and east-northeast, that are just tearing the surface up. The wave energy is weak, barely cracking moderate for most of the run, and the swell direction is all over the shop. We’ve got a massive gap of poor surf right from the start, with nothing worth paddling out for.

Let’s be real: the first real chance for a session doesn’t come until Tuesday, August 4th. The morning shows a moderate 5ft swell from the east-northeast with a period of 11 seconds – that’s a proper groundswell, which is good for a point or reef like this. The combined energy is moderate (581), but the wind is a moderate cross-shore, so it’s going to be a lumpy, cross-chop affair. The forecasters gave it a marginal 1 out of 10, so it’s not a standout, just the best of a bad bunch. The water temp is about average for the time of year, nothing unusual.

The afternoon on the 4th is similar, but the swell drops a touch to 5ft and the energy backs off (509). Still, it’s the only window where the swell period and direction are in the right ballpark, even if the wind is a letdown.

After that, it’s back to a long run of poor surf. The wind stays fresh and cross-shore, the swell energy dips into the weak territory (132, 22, 159), and the period drops to a short, choppy 5-6 seconds. We see a slight bump in swell on August 9th, with 6ft sets from the ENE, but the period is a short 7 seconds and the wind is still fresh cross-shore. It’s a messy, lumpy mess.

The second week is more of the same. There’s a late shift in the swell direction to the west around August 14th, with a long period of 14 seconds, but the swell height is tiny (2ft-3ft) and the wind is still howling from the east at 18-22 mph. The energy is moderate (261-360), but there’s just no size to work with, and the cross-shore wind will ruin any chance of a clean line.

Honestly, for the whole 16-day window, there’s nothing that’s a true standout. The setup is more suited to a kite surfer than a paddle surfer for most of this period, given the strong winds and messy conditions. The only day that even comes close to a surf is Tuesday the 4th, but it’s a marginal call. If you’re desperate, that’s your window, but keep the expectations low.

This is Rusty, signing off.

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