Halawa Surf Forecast and Surf Report

G’day, Rusty here. Let’s be straight up – the next couple of weeks at Halawa are looking pretty grim. This spot is a reef/river setup, exposed to the swell, and usually needs a good NNW to really fire, but we’re getting a whole lot of east and ENE wind instead. The water temp is sitting at 81°, which is bang on average for this time of year, so no surprises there.

For the first week, from Tuesday the 15th through to Thursday the 24th, it’s a write-off. The swell is small, mostly under 3 ft, and when it does show a bit of height, the wind is howling from the east at 15-22 mph, cross-shore and choppy. There’s almost no energy in the water – usually under 100 (weak) and even when it climbs to 898 (moderate) on Thursday the 17th at 8 ft from ENE, the conditions are described as “fresh cross-shore with lumpy cross-chop.” That’s not surfable, that’s a mess. We get a couple of mornings around Wednesday the 23rd and Thursday the 24th where the wind drops right off – clean, even glassy – but the waves are only 1 ft to 1 ft with a 9-11 second period. Barely a ripple. Not worth paddling for.

Then comes a glimmer. Friday the 25th morning is real promising: clear skies, glassy conditions, and a very long-period groundswell from the NW at 20 seconds, pushing waves of 1 ft. The energy reading jumps to 133 (moderate) – that’s a classic signal for a clean, long-lining groundswell. For a reef/river break like Halawa, that long period could produce some clean, organised lines, especially with the S offshore wind direction. It’s small, but with glass like that, you might snag a few waist-high peelers. I’d mark that as the best on offer for the whole outlook – but don’t expect much power. Crowds are “sometimes” a thing here, so you might have some company if anyone else bothers.

From Saturday the 26th into the first few days of October, the swell picks up again – 6 ft to 8 ft from ENE with periods around 8-11 seconds – but the wind stays cross or cross-off from the east at 9-19 mph. The energy readings get high (936, 1183 – strong to very strong), but the conditions are lumpy, choppy, or marginal. The 27th morning might be the next best call: 6 ft ENE at 8 seconds with clean, cross-off wind – that’s surfable, but short period makes for a bit of a crumbly, bumpy wave at a beach setup. It’s not ideal for Halawa’s reef character.

Honestly, if the swell is over 8 ft and the wind stays fresh easterly, this setup looks more interesting for kite surfing than paddle surfing – it’s gonna be a messy, blown-out ocean. The second week (from the 26th onwards) has a few marginal moments, but nothing to get excited about. Save your energy for that Friday the 25th glass-off window.

Rusty.

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