
Surf Forecasts:
Honokohau Harbour surf forecast from 9 Aug 2026:
- Best quality surf: Saturday 8 Aug, 8PM (local time) - 1.5ft (0.4m), 18s period, SSW swell with cross-offshore winds.
- Most powerful swell: Saturday 15 Aug, 5PM (local time) - 5.5ft (1.7m), 8s period, NNE swell with 345 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Saturday 8 Aug, 8PM (local time) - 1.5ft (0.4m), 18s period with SSW swell.
Best Forecast Surf Conditions for Honokohau Harbour this week:
The surf forecast for Honokohau Harbour over the next 16 days: The first swell (rated 1 star or higher) is forecast to arrive on Saturday (Aug 08) at 8PM. The primary swell is predicted to be 0.4m and 18s period with a secondary swell of 0.9m and 6s. Another secondary swell of 0.5m and 13s is also forecast. The wind is predicted to be cross-offshore as the swell arrives.
The most powerful waves expected at Honokohau Harbour in the next 16 days are 1.7m 8s and forecast to arrive on Saturday (Aug 15) at 5PM. Winds are predicted to be cross-offshore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 1.5m 14s period and expected on Saturday (Aug 15) at 8PM.
| Wave Type | Time (HST) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 8PM (Sat 8th Aug) | 1.5ft (0.4m) 18s |
| Best Surf | 8PM (Sat 8th Aug) | 1.5ft (0.4m) 18s |
| Most Powerful | 5PM (Sat 15th Aug) | 5.5ft (1.7m) 8s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Honokohau Harbour over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
Alright folks, Rusty here. Let’s have a look at what Honokohau Harbour has in store for us over the next couple of weeks. It's a bit of a mixed bag, but there are a few moments where it could come together nicely.
Overall, the pattern is pretty mellow. We’ve got a consistent but small SSW groundswell showing up early, with a very long period around 18 seconds, so that’s plenty of energy underneath. However, for a reef break like Honokohau Harbour, that long period can make things a little straight if you’re not on a point or a river mouth. The standout here is really the conditions more than the size – when we get that glassy, west-southwest wind, it’ll be clean as a whistle.
The water is sitting at 81°F, which is about one degree Fahrenheit warmer than usual for this time of year. Nice and tropical, you won’t be needing a wetsuit.
Saturday, August 8th kicks things off in the afternoon. There’s a tiny 1ft swell from the SSW with that 18-second period, but the wind goes glassy from the WSW. It’s small and the combined wave energy is moderate (203), but it’s clean. A fun little session on a log or a longboard, but nothing to get too excited about.
Sunday, August 9th is a write-off. Onshore wind both morning and afternoon from the W and WSW with just 1ft to 2ft of swell. Not worth your time.
Monday, August 10th morning has a little more push – 3ft from the SSW at 15 seconds. The wind is cross-onshore from the SW though, so it’ll be a bit bumpy. The energy is moderate (383), but the conditions are marginal. Give it a miss.
Tuesday, August 11th is similar. 3ft to 3ft from the SSW, but cross-shore winds spoil the surface. Might be a kite surfer’s playground, but for a paddle, it’s not appealing.
Now, Wednesday, August 12th morning. This is your best bet in the first week. The swell holds at 3ft from the SSW, period drops to 13 seconds, combined energy is moderate (303), and the wind is glassy from the WSW. It will be clean, glassy, and those waves will be lined up nicely for an intermediate surfer. That’s the one to circle on your calendar.
After that, it gets messy. From Thursday, August 13th through the following week, there’s a shift to a small, weak NNE windswell with periods around 6 to 8 seconds – very short, weak energy. The winds flip around, and conditions turn poor. There’s a brief window Tuesday, August 18th morning, with a glassy start and 3ft from the NNE, but it’s still a weak, short-period chop. Nothing to write home about.
Saturday, August 15th sees a burst of wind from the N and NNE, blowing 19 to 22 mph, accompanied by a jump to 5ft to 6ft from the NNE, but it’s messy cross-off and cross-shore. That’s more of a windsurfing or kiting day than a clean surf day. Too big for beginners at that size with that chop, and the quality is poor.
The second week, from about August 19th onward, the swell drops back to tiny 1ft to 2ft from the SW or WNW. There are occasional glassy afternoons, like Wednesday, August 19th afternoon with 1ft from the WNW at 13 seconds, but the combined energy is very weak (95). It’s a lake out there.
Looking further out to Saturday, August 22nd afternoon, there’s a hint of a better swell kicking back in – 2ft from the SSW at 16 seconds, combined energy 253, and glassy conditions. It’s a long way off, so take it with a grain of salt, but it’s promising for a clean, mellow session.
So, to boil it down: the standout is Wednesday, August 12th morning – that glassy 3ft SSW groundswell with moderate energy and clean winds. That’s the one for a proper surf. The rest of the window, you’re either dealing with onshore junk, tiny windswell, or poor quality. There’s a long gap of several days with no real recommendations from August 14th through the 18th, and again from the 20th to the 22nd.
Keep your eyes on that Wednesday morning session, and for the rest, maybe bring a book.
Rusty.
Short Range ForecastSome drizzle, heaviest during Mon night. Warm (max 28°C on Sat afternoon, min 26°C on Sat night). Wind will be generally light. | Days 5-7 Weather SummaryLight rain (total 2mm), mostly falling on Tue night. Warm (max 28°C on Tue afternoon, min 25°C on Tue night). Wind will be generally light. | |||||||||||||||||||
Sat 8 | Sunday 9 | Monday 10 | Tuesday 11 | Wednesday 12 | Thursday 13 | Friday 14 | ||||||||||||||
PM | 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) | SSW 18 | SSW 13 | SSW 18 | SSW 12 | SSW 12 | SSW 15 | SSW 16 | SSW 15 | SSW 14 | SSW 14 | SSW 13 | SSW 13 | SSW 13 | NNE 6 | SSW 12 | NNE 6 | NNE 6 | NNE 6 | NNE 7 | NNE 7 |
Wave Graph | ||||||||||||||||||||
124 | 137 | 103 | 85 | 82 | 314 | 250 | 184 | 276 | 331 | 295 | 277 | 277 | 30 | 147 | 60 | 62 | 88 | 132 | 96 | |
Wind (km/h) | ||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | glassy | glassy | on | on | glassy | cross-on | on | glassy | on | cross | cross-on | glassy | cross-on | glassy | on | glassy | cross-on | glassy | glassy | cross-off |
High Tide | 00:37AM0.22m | 1:46PM0.80m | 1:40AM0.24m | 2:31PM0.81m | 2:32AM0.28m | 3:12PM0.81m | 3:20AM0.32m | 3:51PM0.77m | 4:06AM0.37m | 4:26PM0.72m | 4:52AM0.41m | 5:00PM0.64m | ||||||||
Low Tide | 8:33PM0.11m | 6:04AM-0.01m | 9:11PM0.08m | 7:03AM-0.02m | 9:45PM0.06m | 7:57AM-0.02m | 10:17PM0.05m | 8:48AM-0.01m | 10:47PM0.04m | 9:38AM0.02m | 11:16PM0.04m | 10:28AM0.07m | 11:43PM0.04m | |||||||
— | — | 6:01 | — | — | 6:01 | — | — | 6:03 | — | — | 6:03 | — | — | 6:03 | — | — | 6:03 | — | — | |
6:57 | — | — | 6:55 | — | — | 6:54 | — | — | 6:54 | — | — | 6:53 | — | — | 6:52 | — | — | 6:52 | — | |
mm | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 1 | — | — | 2 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Temp °C | 28 | 28 | 28 | 28 | 27 | 28 | 28 | 27 | 28 | 28 | 27 | 28 | 27 | 27 | 27 | 28 | 27 | 28 | 28 | 27 |
Feels °C | 31 | 31 | 31 | 31 | 31 | 31 | 31 | 31 | 31 | 31 | 30 | 31 | 29 | 30 | 30 | 31 | 30 | 31 | 31 | 30 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | NNE 5 | NNE 6 | NNE 6 | NNE 6 | NNE 6 | SSW 15 | NNE 6 | NNE 5 | SSW 14 | SSW 14 | SSW 13 | S 18 | S 17 | S 16 | S 16 | S 15 | S 15 | S 14 | NNE 7 | NNE 7 |
36 | 47 | 22 | 30 | 29 | 314 | 34 | 33 | 276 | 331 | 295 | 620 | 586 | 1017 | 589 | 753 | 619 | 508 | 132 | 96 | |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SSW 18 | SSW 13 | SSW 13 | S 16 | S 16 | NNE 6 | SSW 16 | SSW 15 | NNE 5 | NNE 6 | S 19 | SSW 13 | SSW 13 | NNE 6 | NNE 6 | NNE 6 | NNE 6 | NNE 6 | S 14 | S 13 |
124 | 137 | 96 | 193 | 186 | 32 | 250 | 184 | 26 | 36 | 365 | 277 | 277 | 30 | 41 | 60 | 62 | 88 | 405 | 289 | |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SW 13 | SW 17 | SSW 18 | SSW 12 | SSW 12 | W 11 | SSW 11 | SSW 11 | SSE 9 | SSW 20 | NNE 6 | NNE 5 | NNE 6 | WNW 12 | SSW 12 | WNW 12 | WNW 12 | WNW 11 | WNW 12 | W 12 |
43 | 107 | 103 | 85 | 82 | 37 | 49 | 41 | 16 | 133 | 29 | 26 | 38 | 28 | 147 | 28 | 28 | 25 | 27 | 24 | |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | — | SSW 10 | — | — | S 9 | — | — | — | WSW 10 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
— | — | 18 | — | — | 15 | — | — | — | 38 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | ||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 0 | 0 | 113 | 104 | 0 | 113 | 116 | 0 | 104 | 10 | 7 | 0 | 113 | 7 | 87 | 0 | 14 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Best forecast wave conditions in Big Island | ||||||||||||||||||||
Best forecast wave conditions in United States | ||||||||||||||||||||
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Information about the Honokohau Harbour Surf forecast
The above surf forecast table for Honokohau Harbour provides essential information for determining whether the surfing conditions will be good over the next 16 days. A general guide to surfing at Honokohau Harbour can be found by selecting the local surf guide option on the grey menu. Our Honokohau Harbour 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 (Honokohau Harbour) 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 Honokohau Harbour 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.
Honokohau Harbour is 99 km (61 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.











