Honokohau Surf Forecast and Surf Report

G’day, Rusty here.

Look, I’ll be straight with you – this outlook for Honokohau is a tough one. We’ve got a solid 16-day window, but the first ten days or so are a write-off for decent paddling. The wind is locked in from the ENE, blowing a steady 19 mph cross-shore, and it’s chopping the ocean up something fierce. The swell energy is mostly weak to moderate (180 to 622 in the combined energy), and the wave comment is consistently “poor surf conditions.” It’s a long dry spell, from Thursday the 16th all the way through to Friday the 24th of July, with nothing worth a wave.

The real interest starts to flicker on Saturday the 25th of July. We get a jump in swell period to a very long 16 seconds, and the energy ramps up – 997 on Saturday morning, hitting 1120 in the afternoon. The swell is from the E, coming in at about 3 ft to 4 ft. That’s proper groundswell, the kind that’s gonna wrap around points and reefs with some real shape. But the wind is still a problem – a fresh 19 mph cross-shore, so the surface will be lumpy. It's a marginal call, but it’s the first sign of life.

The real standout, and the only one I’d get excited about, is the morning of Tuesday the 28th of July. We’ve got an ENE swell at 6 ft, with a period of 13 seconds and a combined energy of 1481 – that’s strong energy. The wind drops to a gentle 9 mph cross-shore, which means the chop will be slight, and the conditions will be the most manageable of the whole period. The water temp is about 79°F, which is bang on average for the time of year, so no surprises there. This is a reef and point setup, so that long-period energy will groom into some nice lines. It’s the best on offer, but it’s still a cross-shore day, so you’ll be paddling for the cleaner ones. Crowds are “often” here, so expect company.

Beyond that, the swell sticks around into Wednesday the 29th and Thursday the 30th, but the energy drops off and the wind picks back up. The very end of the run on Friday the 31st of July has some long-period E swell (15 seconds) but the height is only 2 ft, so it’s not going to do much. Don’t plan your week around it.

So, bottom line: the first ten days are a total bust. The best hope is the morning of the 28th, and even that’s a marginal trade-off. If you’re desperate, that’s your window. The rest of the run is too choppy or too small to bother with.

Rusty.

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