Honokohau Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Right. Gonna be honest with you, folks. Staring at the charts for Honokohau over the next couple of weeks, and it’s one of those stretches where you might want to check your gear, wax your board, and maybe pick up a new hobby for a bit. We’ve got a long, dry spell on our hands before we see anything half decent.

First thing for Honokohau (Big Island). Water temp is sitting right around 80°F, which is bang on average for this time of year, so at least one thing is normal.

Right now, we’re stuck in a relentless cross-shore wind pattern. It’s just constant easterlies, 15 to 19 mph, making a mess of everything. Through Saturday the 8th, all the way into the following week, the combination of energy and wind is just no good for a paddle. That swell is mostly short-period 7 to 8 seconds, coming from the east, and it’s blown out. The wave comment section keeps saying *poor surf conditions* – it’s ugly out there. Even when the swell bumps up to 6ft to 7ft on Monday and Tuesday, that fresh cross-shore just chops it to bits.

The combined energy is mostly sitting in the 200 to 400 range (moderate), but it’s all junky. This is the kind of setup that looks more interesting for a kite surfer than a traditional surfer. For the first week, forget it.

We do get a tease on Sunday the 16th. The wind swings around to a southerly for a moment, going offshore. Swell bumps up to 10ft, combined energy hits 1192 (strong). But the guide says it’s a “marginal surf forecast” and a 1 out of 10. The swell period is still only 8 seconds, so it’ll be a powerful, dumpy, crumbly mess. And on the 16th, the morning has 31 mph offshore wind – that’s near-gale, and you’ll never paddle into it in a million years. Afternoon is cleaner, but still, for experts only, if at all.

After that, it’s right back into the cross-shore easterly wind trash from Monday the 17th all the way through to Sunday the 23rd. Swells stay between 4ft and 7ft, but the quality is just *poor*. There is a brief moment on Wednesday morning the 19th where it goes cross-offshore and the guide says “clean,” but the waves are only 5ft with weak energy (287). Worth a look if you are desperate, but it’s a flat-to-meh day.

The only spot that *could* be a standout is for the true big-wave chargers. On Saturday, August 15th, combined energy rockets to 1999 (very strong) with an 12ft east swell. But with 25 mph cross-shore wind and a risk of thunderstorms, that is not a surf day – it’s a survival mission. Avoid unless you have a death wish and a jet ski.

So bottom line: a total dud for the first ten days. The second week is promising only for a very brief window on the 16th afternoon if you are an expert, but even then, the quality is questionable. We’ve got a 16-day block where the consistent conditions just aren't lining up. That’s how it goes sometimes. Nothing to get excited about.

Stay patient.

Rusty.

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