Hanalei Bay Surf Forecast and Surf Report

G’day, Rusty here. Let’s cut to the chase—this isn’t a week for glory at Hanalei Bay. The next few days are looking pretty grim, with poor surf and a lot of chop. The trade winds are blowing steady out of the east, so it’s cross-offshore and the ocean’s got a bit of texture on it. We’re looking at a real gap in the action early on, so don’t bother rushing out.

Saturday the 8th and Sunday the 9th are basically a write-off. Tiny, weak waves in the 1ft to 4ft range with short, crumbly periods around 7 seconds. The energy’s weak too, coming in at 57 to 233. You’d be fighting for nothing out there. It’s clean, but there’s just no push.

Monday the 10th and Tuesday the 11th don’t get much better. Still small, still short-period, and the energy’s barely moderate, sitting in the 155 to 283 range. The swell direction is all over the shop, from E to ENE, but it’s not doing Hanalei any favors. You’re looking at marginal surf at best, with questionable tides messing with what little shape there is.

The first real sign of life shows up on Friday the 14th. The swell bumps up to 7ft on the morning, with the period stretching to 8 seconds. The energy jumps to a strong 551, and it’s coming from the east. It’s still a bit lumpy with the cross-off breeze at 25 km/h, but this is the first day that’s worth a look. By Saturday the 15th, it’s pushing 8ft with energy over 1000. This is getting serious. The period is still only 9 seconds, so it’s not a clean groundswell, but there’s some grunt behind it.

Now, Sunday the 16th is the standout. The morning shows 12ft of east swell with a 10-second period, and the energy is pumping at 2160. That’s strong, powerful surf. This is a proper day for experienced surfers only. Anything over 8ft is expert territory, and this is well past that. The break is a reef and point setup, which will handle this size better than a beach break, but it’s still a heavy, demanding wave. The cross-off wind will keep it reasonably clean, but don’t be fooled—this is a serious paddle and a serious wave. This is your best bet of the whole window.

After that peak, it starts to fade. Monday the 17th drops back to 6ft, and the energy falls off a cliff to 436. The period is still 8 seconds, so it’s junky. From the 18th through the 23rd, it’s back to the same old story: small, weak, and short-period. The swell hovers around 3ft to 5ft, with periods of 6 to 8 seconds, and the energy is mostly weak to moderate. There’s a tiny blip on the 23rd with a NNE swell, but it’s only 3ft and the period is still 7 seconds. Not worth getting excited about.

So, if you’re looking for anything in the next 16 days, your only real window is the 15th and 16th of August. The 16th is the big one, but it’s not for the faint of heart. The water temp is about average for this time of year, so no surprises there. For the rest of the time, you might as well stay on the beach.

Rusty out.

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