Honokohau Harbour Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, let’s get into it. Gotta be honest with you – the surf window for Honokohau Harbour (Hawaii) is looking pretty quiet over the next 16 days. Not a lot of push, not a lot of shape. We’re starting from Monday, July 13, and there’s really nothing that lights the fire for a proper paddle session. The swell is small, the energy is weak, and most of the time the conditions are just marginal or poor.

The water temperature is about average for this time of year, so at least you won’t need a thick suit.

Let’s break it down. Early on, Monday July 13 through to the end of the week, we’ve got a mix of SW and WNW swells running around 2ft to 3ft, with periods between 14 and 16 seconds – that’s a long period groundswell, but the energy is moderate at best (combined energy around 366 to 604). The catch is the wind. It’s mostly light, but it’s coming from the west or southwest, so it’s either onshore or cross-onshore, which messes up the reef setup. The wave comment keeps saying “marginal” or “poor,” and the scores are bottom-of-the-barrel. This is not a week for surfing – it’s a week for checking the tide pools.

The real standout? If there’s a single moment where you might get a half-decent paddle, it’s Thursday afternoon, July 23. The swell is tiny, only 1ft from the SSW, but the period is a whopping 20 seconds – that’s very long period groundswell. For a reef break like Honokohau Harbour, that kind of period can produce some clean, lined-up waves despite the size. The wind goes glassy, dead calm, which is a massive positive. The combined energy is only 191, so it’s weak, but the conditions are “surfable waves but very ordinary.” It’s not a standout day for power, but for cleanliness, it’s the best we’ve got.

Outside of that, we’ve got a long dry spell. From July 14 through to July 22, it’s almost all poor surf conditions – wind is either on or cross-on, swell stays under 3ft, and the energy is weak. The only other flicker is on July 24 afternoon, with a 2ft SSW swell at 18 seconds and combined energy of 302, but the wind is onshore again. Not worth getting excited about.

Honokohau Harbour is a reef break, consistent, and best with a WNW swell. The whole period is dominated by SW and SSW swells, which is not the optimum direction, so the break is not at its best. Given the tiny swell and poor wind, this setup honestly looks more interesting for kite surfing than paddle surfing on most days.

So, bottom line: the one true standout is Thursday afternoon, July 23, with glassy conditions and a super long period, but it’s small. If you’re patient, you might get a few clean ones. Otherwise, the next 16 days are a slow grind. It’s not a great run, but for this area, blank spells happen. Forecasts can change, so keep an eye on it.

Rusty.

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