Honokohau Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright crew, Rusty here. Let’s talk Honokohau for the next couple weeks. Right off the bat, I’ll tell you it’s a tough forecast. We’ve got a long stretch of poor quality surf before a possible payoff way out at the end.

Starting Thursday, 20 August, it’s all messy. Small east-northeast swells, short periods, and a persistent cross-shore wind blowing 20 to 22 mph, often gusting stronger. The combined energy is weak to moderate, but the chop is rough. Water temp is about 80°F, right where it should be for this time of year.

Honokohau is a reef and point break that works best with a north swell. We’re seeing east and northeast swells the whole time, so it’s off-angle.

From 20 August all the way to the end of August, every session is marked “poor surf conditions.” The wind is fresh, the waves are either too small or too short-period. On Saturday, 22 August, there’s a 6 ft swell from the east at 7 seconds, but with 22 mph cross winds, it’s choppy junk. At 6 ft, it’s already getting big for beginners, but the texture is awful for everyone.

Tuesday morning, 25 August, the wind turns cross-offshore and the ocean cleans up a bit. You’ve got 7 ft east swell at 8 seconds, but still 19 mph wind. There are waves, but they aren’t pretty.

The turning point looks to be Sunday, 30 August. A 7 ft ENE swell with a 13-second period shows up, and the combined energy climbs to 1349. The wind is still cross-shore, but you can feel the power. By Monday, 31 August, it’s 8 ft from the ENE at 12 seconds, energy jumps to 1943. At 8 ft, this is expert-only territory for a reef. Wind drops to 15 mph, but stays cross-shore.

The real standout is Tuesday, 1 September. Morning sees an 12 ft ENE swell at 10 seconds—very strong energy at 2165—with the wind easing to just 6 mph, though it’s cross-on. Afternoon improves: wind shifts to a gentle 9 mph cross-shore, swell backs to 10 ft. That’s a big, powerful groundswell with light breeze. It’s not the ideal north direction for Honokohau, but 10 ft of long-period swell and light wind is a rare treat for those with the skills. This is the one to circle on your calendar, but it’s a week and a half out, so don’t book the time off just yet.

After that it fades. Wednesday, 2 September has 7 ft dropping to 7 ft, and by Thursday we’re back to poor conditions.

So, bottom line: don’t get your hopes up for the first week and a half. The best chance of a proper session is around 1 September, with big clean swell and light wind. It’s a long way out, so stay tuned, but that’s the one that could deliver.

Rusty.

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