Halawa Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Right, grab a coffee, let’s have a look at what’s on offer for Halawa.

This is a tough one to call. The whole 16-day window is basically a long, flat spell with a few brief pulses of energy that get completely blown out by the wind. For the first eight days, from Tuesday the 11th through to the 19th of August, the surf is pretty much unsurfable. The wind is hammering from the east and east-northeast, mostly cross to cross-onshore, and the wave heights are either tiny or, when we do get a bump, the wind is howling. The strongest pulse comes in around the 15th and 16th, with swell heights up to 8ft, but the wind is a strong breeze and then a severe gale on that Sunday afternoon, making it a total mess. The combined energy gets up to 2525 on the Sunday morning, which is powerful, but it’s completely wasted with that wind. The water temperature is 80°, which is a touch above average for the time of year, so at least you won’t need a thick suit.

The only real standout, and I mean the only one worth talking about, is Monday the 17th of August. Monday morning sees a window of hope. The swell is from the NE at 12ft, with a period of 11 seconds, and the combined energy hits 3041. That’s a lot of punch. The wind swings to a cross-offshore from the ESE at 19 mph, and the forecast calls for clean conditions. That’s your best shot. The break is a reef/river setup, which is perfect for a long-period groundswell like this. It’s a fairly consistent spot, but it can get crowded sometimes, so get in early. The size is into the expert-only range, over 8ft, so this is not a day for beginners. The optimum swell direction is from the NNW, and this is coming from the NE, so it’s not perfect, but the clean conditions and the power make it the clear winner. The afternoon on the 17th gets lumpy again, so the morning is the window.

After that, the swell drops off hard and fast. From the 18th onwards, it’s back to tiny, weak waves with poor conditions. The energy drops to 41 by the 19th, and then we get a ghostly pulse from the west on the 20th with a 1ft, 11-second swell, but it’s not enough to do anything. The rest of the month is flat and crossed out.

So, the short story: if you’re an expert with a flexible schedule, the morning of Monday the 17th is your only chance for a real session. The rest of the 16 days is a write-off for surfing. This is a pretty normal blank run for this area when the trade winds lock in.

Rusty.

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