Halawa Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, Rusty here. Let’s be straight with you – this 16-day window for Halawa is a tough one. The forecast is pretty bleak, with no good surf options on offer at all. We’re looking at a run of poor surf conditions that stretches from the beginning of the period right through to the end, with no real standout window to get excited about.

The pattern is dominated by a persistent, fresh cross-shore wind from the east and east-northeast, blowing at 18 to 22 mph. This is creating a lumpy, messy cross-chop that just won’t let up. While there’s plenty of swell energy in the water – moderate to strong, with combined energy values ranging from 395 to 566 – it’s a short-period, 7 to 8 second wind swell coming from the ENE. That’s not the direction this reef/river setup wants to see; it’s looking for a NNW swell. The water temperature is sitting at 79°, which is bang on average for the time of year, so no surprises there.

For the first week, from Wednesday the 8th through to the 16th, it’s the same story day after day: 7 ft to 7 ft of lumpy, short-period wind swell with a nasty cross-chop. The wind is too strong and the angle is wrong. This is surf for the hardcore, not for a fun session. On Thursday the 16th morning, there’s a brief blip of a 2 ft, 15-second long-period groundswell from the west, but with 22 mph cross-shore wind, it’s a non-starter. By the 17th and 18th, that small westerly groundswell drops right off, with combined energy down to 54 and 36, and the wind picks up even more on the 18th afternoon to a strong 25 mph breeze. The 19th sees a quick return to a 7 ft ENE wind swell, but again, the wind is ruining it.

Into the second week, from the 20th to the 23rd, the wind eases a touch to a moderate 12-16 mph, but it’s still a cross-shore or cross-onshore breeze. The swell drops to a more manageable 3 ft to 5 ft, but the energy is weak (between 109 and 247) and the period is still short. The conditions are still marked as poor, with a cross-chop. There’s just no clean window here.

The bottom line is, Halawa is a break that is fairly consistent, so a blank run like this is a bit of a bummer, but it happens. The forecast can change, so don’t throw the towel in completely, but as it stands, you’re better off finding something else to do for the next couple of weeks.

Rusty.

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