Honokohau Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, it’s Rusty here with a look at what’s cooking for Honokohau over the next couple of weeks.

Straight up, the forecast is a bit of a mixed bag, and honestly, we're staring down a long run of days that don't offer much for a clean paddle out. The water temp is sitting at about 80°F, which is pretty much average for this time of year.

We’ve got a run of poor surf starting from Sunday the 9th of August right through to the end of the week. The wind is locked in from the ENE at 15 to 18 mph, blowing cross-shore the whole time, which is just ruining any chance of decent shape. You'll see some swell in the water—hovering around 5 ft to 7 ft—but with a short, weak period of just 7 to 9 seconds, the energy is moderate, but it's just messy, choppy, and not worth paddling out for. This is a real stretch of nothing, almost a full week straight with no real recommendations.

Now, there’s a big spike in size on Saturday the 15th of August morning. The swell jumps to 12 ft from the East with a much longer period of 13 seconds. The combined energy is massive—that's strong to very strong. But the wind is still cross-shore from the NE at 15 mph, making it look pretty marginal. This one is really only going to be for experienced surfers; at that size, beginners are going to get hammered. By the afternoon, it gets even bigger to 13 ft, but the wind swings cross-onshore and it just gets sloppy.

Sunday the 16th of August morning pushes right up to 18 ft from the NE with a period of 12 seconds and energy hitting almost 9400. There’s also a risk of thunderstorms, and while the wind is onshore from the NNW, the sheer size and power are going to be intense. This is strictly an expert-only window. For most of us, this setup looks way more interesting for kiting than trying to paddle in that.

Here’s the one bright spot, the standout of the whole outlook. Monday the 17th of August is where we need to focus. The morning brings a cleaner, smaller 6 ft swell from the ENE with an 8-second period. The wind has shifted to a light S at 6 mph, going offshore. That’s going to clean things right up. The energy is still moderate, but with clean conditions and a light offshore breeze, this is the best chance we’ll get for some decent, rideable waves. Afternoon looks even nicer with the wind dropping to just 3 mph from the SSE, still offshore, keeping the surface glassy on the 6 ft swell. It’s not the biggest day, but the quality will be there. Don’t sleep on the Monday session.

After that, from Tuesday the 18th through to the end of the window, we slide back into a pattern of moderate to fresh cross-shore wind, with lumpy conditions and a messy mix of 4 ft to 8 ft swell. The later sessions around the 23rd and 24th do pick up some size again (8 ft to 8 ft) and a longer 11-second period, giving a bit more push, but the wind stays strong and cross-shore, so the quality just isn't there to call it a go-to.

So for the next sixteen days, Monday the 17th of August is your best bet for a clean, enjoyable paddle. Get on it while you can.

Rusty.

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