Honokohau Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Righto. Gotta be straight with you – looking out over Honokohau for the next couple weeks, it's a bit of a tough one to call. The swell's gonna be there, no doubt about that, but the wind's the real story here, and it's not a pretty one for us surfers.

The pattern we're locked into is persistent trade wind swell out of the ENE, but with those same trades howling across the break, just about every session is looking cross-shore and messy. The water's sitting at a comfortable 79°F, which is pretty much exactly where you'd expect it for July, so at least the temperature's playing nice. But the energy in the water is moderate to solid – we're seeing combined swell energy figures in the 400s to 500s range (473 to 584), so there's push there, just no quality.

Right from the start on Saturday afternoon, 4th of July, we've got 6ft of ENE swell at a short 8 seconds, but that 19 mph cross-wind is going to chop it up. That "poor surf conditions" call is spot on – it's going to be lumpy and hard work. This theme just repeats, day in, day out. Sunday the 5th, Monday the 6th, Tuesday the 7th – all same story. Swell bumps up to 7ft by Tuesday morning, still only 8 seconds, with a 22 mph cross-wind. The wave energy is there (497), but for a reef and point break like Honokohau, that short-period chop is just not going to form properly. A lot of these 6ft to 7ft days are borderline too big for beginners anyway, but with the wind ruining it, it's not a good option for anyone with a paddle.

We roll through the first week and into the second. Thursday the 9th, Friday the 10th, Saturday the 11th – the swell stays in that 5ft to 7ft range, always ENE, but the wind just won't let up. Saturday the 11th afternoon even hits 7ft with 559 of combined energy, but it's still 19 mph cross-shore. Honestly, at this point with that consistent cross-shore wind and a beach-and-reef setup, this looks more interesting for kite surfing than for us with a paddle.

There's a tiny flicker of hope on Monday morning, 13th July. The wind drops to 16 mph and turns cross-offshore from the ENE, with the swell at 6ft and 8 seconds. For the first time, the notes say "clean". But it's a single morning, and the swell period is still short, so the waves will be fat and crumbly. It's not the standout we'd want to point you to.

The rest of the second week is more of the same. By Wednesday the 15th, the swell direction starts to shift a touch more easterly, but the wind stays cross-shore and in the 16-19 mph range. Thursday and Friday see the swell drop a bit (5ft to 5ft), but the energy stays moderate. Then, right at the tail end on Friday afternoon the 17th, a tiny 1.0ft pulse from the WNW appears with a very long 14-second period and only 73 of combined energy. It's a tease – too small to do anything with, and still cross-wind.

Then we bounce back into 6ft to 6ft easterly swell for the final weekend of the 18th and 19th, but again, the cross-wind is relentless.

Honestly, if you've got a kite, this is a solid 16-day stretch of consistent wind. For us surfers, you're looking at a whole lot of nothing good. The only break in the wind for that single Monday morning on the 13th is the best of a bad bunch, and even that's just mediocre. It's one of those longer blank runs that you just have to ride out. Forecasts can change, and it tends not to stay poor forever, but right now, save the petrol and wait for the next system.

Rusty

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