Halawa Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Right, I’ve had a look at the charts for the next 16 days. Honestly, straight up, it’s a pretty grim stretch for Halawa. We’re looking at a solid block of poor surf conditions with no standout days to get excited about. The wind is almost always pumping from the east or east-northeast, and that’s cross-shore at best, which just ruins any chance of clean waves. The water temp is sitting at 80°, which is pretty normal for this time of year, so no surprises there.

The whole first week, from Tuesday the 21st all the way through to Monday the 27th, is just a write-off. You’ll see a mix of moderate to fresh breezes making a mess of the surface. The swell is small and weak, mostly under 7 ft, with short periods around 6-8 seconds, so it’s just wind slop. The combined energy is low to moderate – a hundred to a few hundred, nothing that’s going to get your heart racing. The wind is cross-shore, so it’s lumpy.

Then things get a bit more interesting energy-wise, but not in a good way. Around Wednesday the 29th, we get a pulse of swell with a long period of 12 seconds, pushing the combined energy right up to 1288, but the wind is still onshore. It’s a long period groundswell coming from the ENE, which is not ideal for a reef/river spot like Halawa – those long period swells can get a bit too straight. The wave comment says it’s marginal at best, and that’s being kind.

We do get a couple of days on the 3rd and 4th of August where the wind eases off a bit, and the swell drops to a more manageable 5 ft to 7 ft, with a period of 8-9 seconds. The combined energy is still solid (333 to 692), but again, the wind stays cross-shore, so we’re looking at a cross-chop. It’s still a no-go.

The only real flicker of hope is on the morning of the 5th of August. The wind swings around to a cross-offshore direction from the ESE, which is a much nicer angle. The swell is 4 ft at 10 seconds from the ENE, with a combined energy of 376. The description says "clean," which is the first time we’ve seen that word. This is the best it’s going to get, but it’s still only a marginal forecast. The Rip is rated as fairly consistent, which is a positive, but with the crowds sometimes an issue, it might be worth a look if you’re desperate. But don’t expect much.

Overall, there’s no real surf on offer here. The setup is more interesting for kite surfers than paddle surfers for most of this period. Forecasts can change, but for now, I’d leave the boards in the car.

Rusty.

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