Surf Forecasts:
Waiaha Rivermouth / Honls surf forecast from 18 Aug 2026:
- Best quality surf: Friday 21 Aug, 8AM (local time) - 2ft (0.6m), 17s period, SSW swell with glassy winds.
- Most powerful swell: Friday 21 Aug, 5AM (local time) - 2.5ft (0.7m), 17s period, SW swell with 298 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Tuesday 18 Aug, 8PM (local time) - 2ft (0.6m), 13s period with S swell.
Best Forecast Surf Conditions for Waiaha Rivermouth / Honls this week:
The surf forecast for Waiaha Rivermouth / Honls over the next 16 days: The first swell (rated 1 star or higher) is forecast to arrive on Tuesday (Aug 18) at 8PM. The primary swell is predicted to be 0.6m and 13s period with a secondary swell of 0.3m and 11s. The wind is predicted to be glassy as the swell arrives.
The most powerful waves expected at Waiaha Rivermouth / Honls in the next 16 days are 0.7m 17s and forecast to arrive on Friday (Aug 21) at 5AM. Winds are predicted to be cross-onshore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 0.4m 3s period and expected on Saturday (Aug 22) at 8AM.
| Wave Type | Time (HST) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 8PM (Tue 18th Aug) | 2ft (0.6m) 13s |
| Best Surf | 8AM (Fri 21st Aug) | 2ft (0.6m) 17s |
| Most Powerful | 5AM (Fri 21st Aug) | 2.5ft (0.7m) 17s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Waiaha Rivermouth / Honls over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
Alright, let me break this down. The only spot on offer in these parts is Waiaha Rivermouth, which we all just call Honls. It's an advanced reef break, and it's fairly consistent, so it can fire, but it's not a place for beginners at all.
Right now, the outlook is pretty flat and grim for a good stretch. We're looking at a real dry spell where nothing exciting is happening. For the first week or so, from mid-August right through to the end of the month, the swell is tiny, mostly around 2ft to 2ft. The energy is weak, sitting in the low 200s. Sure, there's a few windows where it goes glassy, like Wednesday afternoon the 19th, Friday afternoon the 21st, and Monday morning the 24th, but the wave comment says it all - "marginal surf" or "poor conditions." The swell size just isn't there to make anything of it.
The one true standout in this whole 16-day window is Monday the 24th of August. The swell jumps up slightly to 2ft from the SSW, but it's the wind that makes it special. Early morning is flat calm and glassy – dead calm winds. Then in the afternoon, we get a clean 10 km/h cross-offshore breeze from the north. It's going to be clean, and the combined energy is a moderate 243 (240 in the morning). That's about as good as it gets in this run.
After that, things get a bit dicey. The combined energy actually ramps up into the 300s and 400s from the 26th onward, with swell hitting 2ft to 3ft, but the wind turns onshore from the SW and SSW and we get a lot of "risk tstorm" and "rain shwrs" forecasts. The wave comment is mostly "poor surf conditions." For an advanced reef break like Honls, a consistent onshore wind and stormy weather is a no-go. It won't be clean, and the period is still pretty short to make it worthwhile.
Later on, around Saturday the 29th, we get another late-afternoon window with glassy conditions and a 2ft S swell, which might be worth a look if you're desperate, but it's not a standout.
Overall, Monday the 24th is your best bet, and even then, don't expect much more than a grovel. For the rest of the window, you're better off finding something else to do.
- Rusty
Short Range ForecastLight rain (total 2mm), mostly falling on Mon night. Warm (max 27°C on Wed morning, min 26°C on Mon night). Wind will be generally light. | Days 5-7 Weather SummaryLight rain (total 2mm), mostly falling on Fri afternoon. Warm (max 28°C on Sat morning, min 25°C on Sat night). Wind will be generally light. | ||||||||||||||||||
Tuesday 18 | Wednesday 19 | Thursday 20 | Friday 21 | Saturday 22 | Sunday 23 | ||||||||||||||
Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | |
Swell Height Map |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | ||||||||||||
Wave Height (m) Direction Period (s) | S 13 | S 13 | S 13 | SW 18 | SW 16 | SW 16 | SW 16 | SW 18 | SW 17 | SSW 17 | SW 16 | SW 16 | SW 16 | SW 16 | SW 16 | SW 15 | WNW 11 | SSW 15 | SSW 14 |
Wave Graph  | |||||||||||||||||||
 kJ | 171 | 117 | 125 | 55 | 73 | 71 | 68 | 150 | 143 | 188 | 127 | 122 | 206 | 119 | 119 | 110 | 99 | 74 | 165 |
Wind (km/h) | |||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | cross-on | cross | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | glassy | glassy | cross | cross | cross-on | cross | glassy | cross-off | on | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | on | glassy |
High Tide | 8:28AM0.53m | 7:04PM0.33m | 9:39AM0.55m | 7:48PM0.27m | 10:50AM0.59m | 9:25PM0.24m | 11:51AM0.62m | 11:15PM0.23m | 12:41PM0.65m | 00:27AM0.25m | 1:23PM0.68m | 1:17AM0.27m | |||||||
Low Tide | 1:08AM0.07m | 3:10PM0.27m | 1:45AM0.08m | 5:22PM0.26m | 2:34AM0.09m | 7:02PM0.23m | 3:38AM0.10m | 7:46PM0.19m | 4:47AM0.10m | 8:16PM0.16m | 5:47AM0.09m | 8:43PM0.14m | |||||||
 |  | |  | | | |  | |  | |  | | | | | | | | |
 | — | 6:05 | — | — | 6:05 | — | — | 6:05 | — | — | 6:05 | — | — | 6:05 | — | — | 6:05 | — | — |
 | 6:50 | — | 6:50 | — | — | 6:49 | — | — | 6:47 | — | — | 6:47 | — | — | 6:46 | — | — | 6:45 | — |
mm | 2 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 1 | 1 | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Temp °C | 26 | 26 | 26 | 26 | 27 | 27 | 26 | 27 | 27 | 26 | 27 | 27 | 26 | 28 | 28 | 27 | 28 | 28 | 27 |
Feels °C | 31 | 30 | 29 | 31 | 30 | 30 | 29 | 30 | 30 | 30 | 30 | 29 | 29 | 32 | 31 | 31 | 31 | 31 | 31 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | S 13 | S 13 | S 13 | S 12 | S 12 | S 12 | SW 16 | SW 18 | SW 17 | SSW 17 | SW 16 | SW 16 | SW 16 | SW 16 | WNW 10 | WNW 11 | WNW 11 | WNW 11 | SSW 14 |
| kJ | 171 | 117 | 125 | 44 | 71 | 71 | 68 | 150 | 143 | 188 | 127 | 122 | 206 | 119 | 57 | 93 | 79 | 65 | 165 |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | WNW 11 | SW 17 | SW 18 | WNW 13 | W 12 | WNW 12 | S 12 | S 11 | S 11 | S 11 | WNW 10 | S 13 | S 13 | W 10 | SW 16 | SW 15 | SSW 16 | SSW 15 | WNW 10 |
| kJ | 25 | 75 | 80 | 55 | 73 | 48 | 44 | 21 | 21 | 21 | 35 | 55 | 85 | 50 | 119 | 110 | 99 | 74 | 38 |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | W 6 | WNW 11 | WNW 11 | SW 18 | SW 16 | SW 16 | WNW 11 | WNW 11 | WNW 11 | S 15 | S 11 | WNW 10 | W 10 | S 12 | S 12 | SSE 13 | SW 14 | SW 14 | SSE 13 |
| kJ | 7 | 24 | 24 | 48 | 67 | 65 | 25 | 23 | 23 | 38 | 37 | 34 | 53 | 46 | 45 | 53 | 54 | 53 | 33 |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | NNW 4 | W 6 | — | — | WNW 7 | S 7 | NW 8 | WNW 8 | — | — | WSW 9 | — | NW 3 | SW 3 | — | NW 5 | — | — |
| kJ | — | 2 | 7 | — | — | 9 | 4 | 11 | 11 | — | — | 15 | — | 1 | 1 | — | 5 | — | — |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 95 | 117 | 81 | 19 | 81 | 0 | 0 | 50 | 3 | 2 | 50 | 0 | 0 | 6 | 47 | 2 | 50 | 19 | 0 |
Best forecast wave conditions in Big Island | |||||||||||||||||||
Best forecast wave conditions in United States | |||||||||||||||||||
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Information about the Waiaha Rivermouth / Honls Surf forecast
The above surf forecast table for Waiaha Rivermouth / Honls provides essential information for determining whether the surfing conditions will be good over the next 16 days. A general guide to surfing at Waiaha Rivermouth / Honls can be found by selecting the local surf guide option on the grey menu. Our Waiaha Rivermouth / Honls surf forecast is unique since it includes wave energy (power) that defines the real feel of the surf rather than just the height or the period. If you surf the same spot (Waiaha Rivermouth / Honls) regularly then make a mental note of the wave energy from the surf forecast table each time you go. Very soon you may start to choose your surf days based on the wave energy alone combined with our forecast of favourable offshore wind conditions. Our star ratings will help here and of course you will also find the usual wave height and period predictions on our surf forecasts as well as a full break down of the swell components under our advanced users option (to reveal that, click the little Einstein character under the tide times).
Further information to help with frequently asked questions about our surf forecast for Waiaha Rivermouth / Honls may be found under the help tab on the top menu and also by moving your mouse over the question marks on the surf forecast table itself. Please always bear in mind that the forecast is for near-shore open water and local factors at each surf break influence the actual breaking wave height, such as the beach / reef profile, water depths offshore and shelter.
Waiaha Rivermouth / Honls is 95 km (59 miles) from Hilo. If you plan a vacation in Big Island, look for hotels and other accommodation in Hilo. Hilo has rooms for a wide range of budgets as well as car hire and transport links.
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