Halawa Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, Rusty here. Let’s have a look at what’s cookin’.

First up, the whole outlook is for Halawa, a reef-and-river setup that needs a nice NNW swell to really get goin’. Thing is, we don’t see that ideal direction at any point. What we do see is a solid stretch of persistent but messy onshore-to-cross conditions that keep the waves junky for the first couple weeks.

We kick off on Sunday the 23rd of August with nothing worth paddling out for. The swell is small, around 2ft at best with a moderate cross wind and lumpy chop, so the score is a flat zero. That grim scene carries on all through the following week – tiny surf, poor conditions, and constant cross-shore winds around 19 mph. There’s a little bump in energy on Thursday the 27th morning when a 5ft short-period easterly swell shows up with moderate energy (211), but with a cross breeze and messy wind state, it’s still not clean enough for a proper session. The whole stretch from the 23rd to the end of August is basically just paddlin' practice at best.

Now we roll into September, and things start turning. Tuesday the 1st of September morning pushes 5ft from the NE with a 9-second period and moderate energy up to 371, but again the wind is cross-onshore and choppy. By Wednesday the 2nd and Thursday the 3rd, we get some proper size: 8 to 8ft ENE swell with period around 8 seconds and strong wave energy (666 to 703). That’s too big for beginners – borderline expert territory – but the wind is still cross-shore and fresh, keepin’ it messy.

Here’s the real standout – Sunday the 6th of September morning at Halawa. Swell hits 8ft from the NE with a long 11-second period and very strong wave energy (1747). That’s proper groundswell, lots of push, but a beach-and-reef setup like this can get a bit straight with a long-period NE swell. Wind is a gentle cross breeze – not glassy but it’s mellow enough to get some clean walls if you pick your takeoff. It’s only a 2 out of 10 in the scoring, but that’s the best we’ve got in the whole run. Be aware – that’s only for experts at that size.

And then, Monday the 7th of September morning is the one to circle. Wave height drops to 6ft from the ENE with a 10-second period (540 energy), but here’s the sweet part – the wind goes glassy, light NNE at 5 mph. That’s magic for a reef setup. Clean, glassy conditions with a solid chest-to-head high swell. It’s still not dead-on the optimum NNW direction, but ENE with that period will wrap in nicely. For Halawa, Monday morning the 7th is the real winner.

Water temp on the first recommended date (Sunday 23rd) is 80°, which is just about normal for the time of year – no anomaly to speak of.

There’s a big lull from the 23rd of August all the way through the end of the month, so if you’re chomping at the bit, wait it out. The first week of September brings the goods, but the absolute pick is Monday the 7th morning for a glassy session. Crowds? This spot can be busy sometimes, so expect company if the conditions are that good.

Rusty, signing off.

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