Honokohau Harbour Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Right on, let’s take a look at what’s cooking here at Honokohau Harbour (Big Island). The water is sitting at a warm 81°, about a touch warmer than what we typically see for this time of year, which is nice.

Overall, the forecast is a bit of a waiting game. There’s some nice clean surf lined up for the weekend, but the 16-day window has some quiet spells. After a bit of action, things get a little patchy, with a stretch of several days where the options are really slim, and the swell energy fades.

Right now, on Friday morning the 3rd, we’ve got a tiny 2ft SSW groundswell rolling in with a very long 17-second period. The combined energy is weak at 354, and with a light offshore wind from the west, the surface is clean. It’s marginal though, and honestly, there isn't much push.

Saturday the 4th is where it starts to get interesting. The morning shows the same 3ft SSW swell, but the combined energy jumps up to moderate at 801. The wind is light cross-on, so it’s a little bumpy. But Saturday afternoon is the standout. The swell holds at 3ft from the SSW, with a solid 20-second period, and the wind goes glassy. That’s the one to get out for—clean, long-period lines at a reef setup like this that can really handle that long groundswell. The combined energy is strong at 809. This is the best on offer: Honokohau Harbour on Saturday afternoon, the 4th of July.

Sunday the 5th is also a good call, with a glassy morning. The swell drops a touch to 3ft but still has an excellent 18-second period and moderate-to-strong energy (683). The afternoon picks up a little rain and a cross-on wind, so get it early.

After that window, the surf quality drops off. Monday the 6th has a cleaner afternoon with glassy conditions and 3ft at 15 seconds, but the energy is moderate (594). Tuesday the 7th through Thursday the 10th are mostly poor, with weak, short-period windswell and cross-onshore winds. By Thursday the 9th, the swell direction swings to a short-period NNE, period down to 7 seconds, and energy is barely 65—really weak.

We hit another small bump around Saturday the 11th, with a 2ft SW groundswell at 18 seconds, but the energy is moderate (303) and the winds are light. Still just marginal.

From around the 14th onward, it’s mostly poor surf with cross-onshore winds and swell in the 3ft range from the west/northwest, but the combined energy stays moderate (around 595-623). The waves are there, but the quality just isn’t there. Saturday the 18th trails off with tiny 2ft SSW swell.

So, to keep it simple: Saturday afternoon July 4th is your day. Glassy, long-period SSW groundswell at a reef that can handle it. Sunday morning July 5th is your backup plan. After that, it’s a long stretch of average conditions.

Rusty.

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