Honokohau Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, Rusty here. Let’s get into what Honokohau is looking like for the next couple of weeks.

I gotta be honest right from the start – it’s a tough run. The forecast is full of "poor surf conditions" for days straight. The main problem is the wind, which is almost always fresh and cross-shore or cross-off, making a mess of the waves. There’s a flicker of hope at the very end, but you’ll have to be patient. The wave energy is mostly moderate, with a few stronger pulses later on, but the quality just isn’t cooperating.

Friday afternoon, 21st August, is a non-starter. We’ve got tiny 0.5m swell from the north-northeast, with a combined energy of only 46, and a strong 30 km/h east wind blowing cross-offshore. Not worth a look.

The weekend is a bust. Saturday morning (22nd), the swell jumps to 1.9m from the east, and it builds to 2.1m by Sunday, but it’s all short-period slop (7 to 9 seconds). Wind is howling at 35-40 km/h, straight cross or cross-off, so it’s lumpy and messy. Wave energy climbs to 842 on Sunday morning, but it’s not surfable.

The entire first week is a washout. From Monday the 24th right through to Monday, 31st August, we’re stuck with 1 to 2.4m east-northeast swell. The wind stays stubborn at 25-30 km/h, mostly cross-shore. There’s a big pulse on Monday morning, 31st August, with 2.3m swell from the ENE at 11 seconds and combined energy hitting 1195 – that’s strong wave energy. But with fresh cross-shore wind, it’s just a big, choppy mess. At that size (over 2.5m is for experts, and this is close), you’d want it clean, which it’s not.

Come September, it gets a touch better. Tuesday morning, 1st September, shows a 2.2m NE swell with a 10-second period and a moderate energy of 1026. The wind drops to 20 km/h. The model only gives it a 1 out of 10, calling it “marginal,” but it’s the first break in the bad run.

The single best window in this 16-day stretch is Thursday morning, 3rd September. The swell is small – 0.9m from the east-northeast with an 8-second period, and combined energy is only 154 (weak). But the wind turns glassy, just 5 km/h from the southeast. That’s a huge deal for Honokohau. The reef and point break should be clean, even if the waves are tiny. That’s your moment for a fun, small-wave session.

After that, the wind picks right back up. Friday the 4th and Saturday the 5th offer 1.3m ENE swell with moderate breeze and some cross-off conditions, but it’s still not perfect.

Honokohau is a reef and point break that’s fairly exposed to the swell and consistent. It’s also often crowded, so when it’s good, expect company. The water temp is 27°C, which is about average for this time of year, so nothing unusual there.

Plain and simple: the first week is a total loss. The second week has a few bigger swells, but the wind won’t quit. Thursday morning, 3rd September, is your only real standout: glassy conditions with a small, clean wave. Don’t hold out for much else.

Rusty.

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