Halawa Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, Rusty here. Let's have a look at what's on the table for the next couple of weeks.

Alright, I'll be straight with you – this is a tough stretch. We're looking at a solid 16-day window, but the first 11 days are basically a write-off. From Tuesday the 25th of August all the way through to Friday the 4th of September, it's a painful run of poor surf. The wind is a constant problem, blowing a fresh cross-shore breeze from the east or east-northeast, which is just chopping everything up. The swell is a mix of short-period, weak windswell, and while there's some energy building through the end of that first week, it's all messy. The combined energy sits in the moderate range, but it's useless with that wind. Even the water temp is a steady 80°F, which is pretty average for this time of year, but that's small comfort.

We finally get a glimpse of something different on Saturday the 5th of September. The swell jumps up to 6ft from the ENE, and the period stretches out to a very long 13 seconds – that's proper groundswell energy. The combined energy rockets up strong. But, and it's a big but, it's still a cross-shore wind and the forecast is for rain showers. The tide conditions are also questionable, so it's only a marginal call. That long period swell is best suited for a point or reef, like Halawa, which is a reef/river setup. It's rated as intermediate and fairly consistent, and it's exposed to that swell. With the wind coming from the east, it's a cross-shore, so the waves could have some shape, but the rain and chop will make it a battle. The crowds are listed as "sometimes," so you might have a few others out there with the same idea.

Sunday the 6th of September is a bit of a letdown. The swell hangs in at 6ft from the ENE, but the period drops to 12 seconds, and the wind picks up again to a fresh breeze. The energy is still very strong, particularly in the afternoon, but the wind turns more cross-onshore, making it lumpy and poor. Then Monday the 7th, the wind howls from the east at 25 mph, a strong breeze, with a 5ft, 11-second swell. The energy is still strong, but it's just messy cross-chop. Not a fun paddle.

The 8th of September is a risk of thunderstorms, strong wind, and a 4ft, 10-second swell. The 9th is more of the same: fresh cross-shore breeze and a 5-5ft swell. It's all poor surf conditions.

So, the only real standout, and I'm being generous, is the Saturday the 5th of September. The combination of that long-period groundswell and the reef setup at Halawa gives it a chance to be the best on offer, but it's a gamble with the rain and cross-shore wind. The rest of the period is a write-off for a clean, fun surf. If you're a kite surfer, that strong cross-shore wind for the first week might be your thing, but for a paddle surfer, it's a sad run.

Rusty.

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