Honokohau Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, Rusty here. Let’s have a look at what Honokohau (Big Island) has on offer over the next couple of weeks. I gotta be straight with you – it’s a pretty quiet stretch overall. The pattern is mostly one of those onshore, cross-shore winds mushing up whatever swell tries to push in. There are a few moments where the energy picks up and things get a little more interesting, but we’re not looking at any proper standouts that’ll have you calling in sick.

First up, we kick off Thursday the 27th of August. It’s not great. We’ve got 5ft of east swell with a short period of 7 seconds, and that ENE wind is blowing at 16 mph straight across the break. The water temp is about average for the time of year, nothing wild. The combined swell energy is moderate at best (232). The whole first week is a bit of a write-off, honestly. Through to the 30th, the swell bumps up a little to 6ft on Sunday morning, and the wind actually goes cross-off, which gives us a clean surface, but the period is still short (7 seconds) and the energy number (320) is still nothing to brag about. It’s fishable, but not worth a mission.

You’re going to see a gap in the good stuff. From the 31st of August all the way through to the 3rd of September, it’s the same story – lumpy, cross-shore winds and poor conditions. There’s a little more energy on the 1st and 2nd (energy hitting 460 on Tuesday morning, and 522 on Wednesday afternoon), but the wind just won’t let it clean up.

Now, we get to the 4th of September – Friday morning. This is the most promising window we’ve got. The swell jumps to 6ft from the east, but the period stretches out to a very long 12 seconds – that’s proper groundswell energy. The combined swell energy is strong at 841. We’ve got 9 mph northeast winds, which is a gentle cross-shore. That long period is going to create some nice, lined-up waves, but remember, at a reef and point like Honokohau, that’s a good thing – the swell won’t just close out. The catch? The forecast confidence this far out (a full week away) means it’s promising but not locked in. Still, the 4th of September morning is your best bet in the whole outlook.

After that, the swell drops back. The 5th and 6th of September see a 5ft east swell with an 11 second period, but the energy is dropping (down to 585-426) and the wind stays cross-shore. It’s marginal, barely a 1 or 2 out of 10. The 8th of September shows a bit of a late pulse with 4ft from the ENE, 10 second period and energy climbing to 937, but that’s still cross-shore and moderate wind.

So, to wrap it up: the first week is a no-go. Your one real window is the morning of Friday the 4th of September, where you might score some clean, grunty lines at Honokohau if the wind plays ball. The rest is for the kite crowd or a paddle to stay in shape. Keep an eye on it, but don’t hold your breath.

Rusty.

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