Honokohau Harbour Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, Rusty here. Let’s have a look at what’s on offer at Honokohau Harbour over the next couple of weeks.

Straight up, this isn’t a period that’s going to have you calling in sick. The surf is small for the most part, and we’ve got a lot of days where the wind is just a bit too messy or the energy is lacking. The water temp is sitting at a pleasant 82°, which is a touch warmer than normal for this time of year, so at least you won’t need a thick suit.

We kick off Monday, 14th September, with tiny 1ft swell from the SW and a period of 14 seconds. It’s a light west wind, but the wave comment is "poor surf conditions" and the combined energy is only 84 – that’s weak. Not worth paddling out for. Monday afternoon is a bit of a head-scratcher: a tiny 1ft swell but a very long 22-second period, giving a combined energy of 232. It’s clean with a light west wind, but that period is so long it’ll likely break too straight at a beach setup; this is a reef break, so it might offer something, but at that size it’s not really breaking with any power.

Tuesday, 15th September, we see a slight lift to 2ft swell from the SW with a period of 19-20 seconds. The combined energy climbs to 385 in the morning and 380 in the afternoon. It’s marginal at best. Clean conditions with light offshore winds, but the size is still tiny.

Wednesday, 16th September, brings the first real glimmer of hope. We’ve got 3ft of SSW swell with an 18-second period. The combined energy is strong, hitting 427 in the morning and 494 in the afternoon. The morning has a cross-onshore breeze, but the afternoon goes glassy. That’s the standout moment of the first week – clean, glassy conditions on a reef break with a decent long-period groundswell. The swell is small enough for intermediates, and that glassy wind is a major positive. It won’t be big, but it’ll be the cleanest wave of the period.

From Thursday, 17th September, things fall apart. The wind picks up, becoming cross-onshore and choppy, and the swell stays small. The combined energy stays moderate to strong (484 to 578) but the quality is poor. Friday and Saturday are much the same – cross-shore winds, thunderstorms possible, and marginal surf. Sunday the 20th and Monday the 21st remain in the marginal zone with 3-3ft swell and light winds, but the period drops to 13-15 seconds and the conditions are just ordinary.

Then we hit a real lull. Tuesday, 22nd September, the swell drops to 1.0ft with a combined energy of only 39 and 56. That’s weak. Wednesday the 23rd and Thursday the 24th see a slight bump to 2-2ft, but it’s mostly poor or ordinary. The one bright spot is Thursday afternoon, 24th September: 2ft SW swell, 15-second period, and glassy conditions. The combined energy is 287, and the wave comment is "expect good surf conditions". That’s the second standout, but it’s a long way off and the energy is only moderate.

After that, the last few days of the forecast (25th to 29th September) are a mixed bag of marginal surf, cross-onshore winds, and small swell. There’s a slight increase in energy on the 29th (657 in the morning, 729 in the afternoon) with 3-3ft SSW swell and a 16-second period, but the wind is cross-onshore and the conditions are only marginal. It’s promising but not a sure thing.

Overall, the best bet is Wednesday afternoon, 16th September, at Honokohau Harbour. It’s small but glassy, and that’s about as good as it gets in this run. If you can’t make that, Thursday afternoon, 24th September, offers another glassy window. For the rest, you’re mostly waiting.

Rusty.

Read more