Honokohau Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, Rusty here. Let’s take a look at what’s on the cards for Honokohau over the next couple of weeks.

Alright, plain and simple: for the first week and a half, it's pretty grim. We’ve got a real flat spell on the go. From Sunday the 23rd of August all the way through until Monday the 31st of August, there’s just nothing doing. The trade winds are honking out of the ENE at 18-25 mph, mostly cross-shore, and it’s kicking up a messy, lumpy cross-chop. The swell is there, running 5 ft to 7 ft, but it’s all short-period windswell trash, and the combined wave energy is weak to moderate (values between 159 and 835). Conditions are just poor for paddling into anything clean. Basically, if you’re looking to get wet, you’re better off with a kiteboard during this stretch.

Now, we do finally see a glimmer of hope as we head into the start of September. On Tuesday the 1st of September, the wind swings more easterly and goes cross-offshore, cleaning things up. The swell bumps up to 8 ft from the ENE, with a period of 9 seconds. The combined energy jumps to moderate (880). It’s still a bit of a gamble with some risk of storms and only a marginal call, but it’s the first time in the whole run that the surface looks clean.

The real standout, though, is the pulse that arrives on Sunday the 6th and Monday the 7th of September. This is the one to circle on the calendar. We get a proper long-period groundswell out of the ENE, with periods hitting 13 to 14 seconds. That’s a lot of energy in the water, and the combined energy readings are huge (over 1400, and up to 2487), meaning strong to very strong wave energy. The swell heights are solid, pushing 8 ft to 10 ft. This is big, powerful stuff. For a reef and point like Honokohau, that long-period ENE groundswell is a fantastic match. While the wind is still cross-shore or cross-off, it’s much lighter (6-9 mph), and by Monday afternoon, we get a light breeze and clean conditions. That afternoon session on Monday the 7th is rated excellent for experienced surfers. This is going to be powerful, well-shaped, and it’s a point break, so it’ll handle that long-period energy beautifully. Just be aware, with crowds listed as "often" here, you won’t be alone. The water temperature is sitting at a warm 81°, which is about average for the time of year, keeping things comfortable.

To sum it up: the first week is a write-off unless you’re into kiting. The second week shows promise, with the real gold being that long-period groundswell and light winds on the 7th of September. That’s the one that’ll get the heart pumping.

Rusty.

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