Honokohau Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, Rusty here. Gotta be honest with you, looking at the next 16 days for Honokohau, it’s a tough stretch. The short-term is a write-off, and we’re looking at a long, dry spell before anything even gets close to being worth a paddle.

The first 10 days, from August 21st right through to the end of August, are a total bust. The wind is a constant problem, blowing cross or cross-off from the east-northeast, and it’s strong enough to mess things up. The combined energy of all swells is weak, reading under 100 at the start, and even when it picks up to moderate values like 356 or 459 on the 22nd, the swell is short period, around 7 seconds, and the wind is a messy cross-shore creating lumpy chop. The water temperature is sitting at 80°, which is pretty much normal for this time of year, but that’s about the only thing that’s average. You’re looking at a solid 10-day gap with no recommendations.

The energy finally starts to build, but it's still paired with that relentless cross-shore wind. There’s a brief moment on the morning of September 2nd where the wind shifts to a cross-off from the ESE, but it’s a small window on a break that’s already been hammered. The swell is 7ft from the ENE with a period of 9 seconds (moderate wave energy, 759), and the cleaner conditions are a major positive. That’s the only real standout, but it’s buried in a long stretch of bad. The conditions are marginal at best.

Then we’ve got a huge pulse of energy hitting at the end of August and into September 1st. The combined energy spikes to 2181 on the morning of the 31st and then a massive 3348 that afternoon, with a swell of 10ft to 13ft from the ENE. That’s strong to very strong energy, but it also comes with a fresh cross-shore wind and a note about marginal surf. For a reef and point break like Honokohau, that’s a day for experts only. The period is 10-11 seconds, which is okay, but it’s a big, messy, wind-affected swell.

The last few days of the forecast, into September 5th, we see some cleaner conditions with cross-off winds on the 3rd and 4th, but the swell is still middling in size and period, and the energy is moderate. The swell direction is ENE, which is fine for the optimum N direction from the guidance, but it’s not a standout because the whole period is just a battle against the wind.

If you’re a kite surfer, this setup is a dream. Consistent strong cross-shore winds and building swell. For a paddle surfer? It’s a waiting game.

Rusty.

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