Honokohau Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, Rusty here again, let’s do it in feet and miles.

We’ve got a real mixed bag coming up for Honokohau. The first few days are a write-off, but there’s a proper window of clean waves on Wednesday morning, 29 July, that is the standout of the entire 16-day run. After that, it’s pretty grim for two weeks straight.

The pattern starts quiet. Monday, 27 July, has some east swell around 5 to 6 feet, but it’s coming with a cross-shore wind and the wave comment says it’s marginal. The combined energy is moderate at 1090, but it’s not worth paddling out for. Tuesday, 28 July, gets worse—swell builds to 8 to 10 feet, but the wind is cross-on and choppy, making it a total mess. The water temperature is 80°, which is pretty normal for this time of year, so no surprises there.

The real highlight is Wednesday morning, 29 July. The wind drops to glassy, going southeast at 3 mph, and the swell is a clean 7 feet from the east-northeast with a period of 9 seconds. The combined energy is strong at 1202, and the report says “expect very good surf conditions.” This is the one to get in the water for. Honokohau is a reef and point, so that longer period helps it reel off nicely, and it’s consistently breaking. It’s a spot that can get crowded—crowds are listed as “often”—so get there early for the cleanest sets. The swell direction is close to the optimum north, so it’s gonna work well.

Wednesday afternoon, the wind picks up to 12 mph from the east, cross-off, but the swell drops to 6 feet and the period shortens to 8 seconds. The energy drops to 448, so it’s still surfable but not the same magic.

From Thursday, 30 July, through to the end of the forecast on 11 August, it’s a long, tough stretch. The wind is relentless from the east-northeast, blowing 15 to 25 mph, mostly cross-shore, and the swell stays around 5 to 8 feet, but with short periods of 7 to 9 seconds. The wave comments are all “poor surf conditions” with a score of zero. The combined energy fluctuates between 380 and 1126, but with that wind and chop, it’s just not worth it. A few days, like 1 August, have clean offshore wind, but the swell is 8 feet with an 8-second period, which is big and dumpy—only for experts, and even then it’s not great.

Honestly, if you’re a kitesurfer, that exposed east swell with strong cross-shore wind might be interesting, but for paddle surfing, it’s a long blank run from Thursday morning until the end. There’s nothing else on offer after Wednesday, 29 July.

That Wednesday morning, 29 July, is the absolute standout. 7 feet east-northeast swell, glassy, clean, consistent—that’s the session to circle on the calendar.

Rusty.

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