Honokohau Harbour Surf Forecast and Surf Report

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.

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