Honokohau Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Right then, let me give you the honest word on this stretch.

Alright, looking at the whole sixteen days, I gotta be straight with you – it’s a tough run for Honokohau. The pattern is pretty locked in with a persistent trade wind flow from the east and northeast, which is blowing right across the break. That’s the main problem. We’ve got swell on the table, but the wind is going to kill the quality for most of it.

We kick things off on Wednesday the 9th of September with a rain shower and a strong 16 mph cross-off wind from the east. That’s actually not terrible for the shape, giving us a clean-ish look on a 5 ft swell from the ENE. But the energy is moderate at best (569) and the period is a short, choppy 8 seconds. The water temp is sitting at a pretty standard 80°, nothing weird there for this time of year.

But then it gets ugly. From Thursday the 10th right through to Monday the 14th, we’re stuck in a cycle of moderate to fresh breezes (9 to 19 mph) that are all cross-shore, creating lumpy cross-chop. The waves are there – between 3 ft and 6 ft – but they’re a messy, blown-out mess. The comment for every single session is "poor surf conditions" and a score of zero. It’s not worth paddling out for this.

We then hit a gap where the quality just isn't there for days. There’s a flicker of hope on Tuesday the 15th with a 5 ft swell and a cross-off wind again, but the rating is still just a 1 out of 10 for "marginal surf." It’s not a goer.

The middle of the second week, from the 16th through to the 20th, the swell actually gets bigger – we’re looking at 6 ft to 7 ft from the east, with combined energy firing up into the 500s and 600s. That sounds promising, but the trade winds are howling at 16 to 22 mph, smashing everything into a fresh cross-shore chop. For a reef and point break like Honokohau, that wind direction is a killer. The sets will be there, but it’ll be a battle. At this size (over 5 ft) it’s pushing past beginner territory anyway, and with that wind, it’s a no-go for anyone wanting a clean wave.

The best chance in the whole window comes right at the tail end. On Thursday the 24th of September, we finally get a drop in the wind. A light breeze of just 6 mph from the ESE, blowing cross-off. That’s a major positive – it’ll be clean. We’ve got a 5 ft swell from the east with moderate energy (377) and a short period of 8 seconds. The forecast says "expect good surf conditions" which is the highest praise in the whole file. This is the standout. It’s a long way out, so treat it as promising but less certain, but if it holds, that Thursday morning will be the time to slide in for a few.

So overall, a long, frustrating wait for one decent day. The rest is blown out or too lumpy to bother with. Keep an eye on that last Thursday.

Rusty

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