Hookipa Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, folks, it’s your local surf reporter Rusty here. We’ve got a bit of a mixed bag on the horizon. Honestly, the first week and a half looks pretty grim for a proper paddle, with a lot of wind-affected, choppy conditions. We’re in for a long wait until the energy really starts to show up.

Let’s start with the only spot on the menu: Hookipa. It’s a well-known reef break that’s fairly consistent and exposed to the North-Northeast. The water temp is about average for the time of year, so nothing crazy there.

For the first week, from Saturday, July 18th, right through to Friday, July 24th, it’s a real struggle. The wind is blowing cross-shore from the East and East-Northeast at 12 to 16 mph, which is just messing up the surface. The swell is small and weak, with a short period around 6 to 8 seconds, and the combined energy is low to moderate (under 500). The wave comment calls it “poor surf conditions” for almost every session, and the scores are a flat zero. There’s nothing to get excited about – it’s just chop and crumble.

Then we get a little glimpse of hope. On Saturday, July 25th, the swell starts to bump up a bit, hitting 5.9 ft to 6.2 ft from the East-Northeast, and the energy climbs to 695. The wind is still a cross-shore breeze at 12 mph, so it’s not clean, but it’s a “marginal” call. It’s still not great, but it’s a step up from the week before.

Now, the real standout, and the one that makes this whole outlook worth talking about, is Sunday, July 26th.
The morning session is the pick of the entire 16 days. The swell is a solid 5.2 ft from the East, but the period jumps to a massive 17 seconds. That’s a very long period groundswell, packing a ton of energy. The combined energy reading is a massive 3360 – that’s strong to very strong energy. The wind is a gentle breeze from the East-Northeast at only 9 mph, which is cross-shore, but it’s light enough to keep things fairly clean. The wave comment is still “marginal” due to tide or something, but with that much power and that long period, Hookipa is going to have some serious lines. It’s not a beginner wave at 5.2 ft with that kind of period, but for a surfer who knows the reef, this is the best on offer. The long period means the sets will be a bit more spaced out, but the waves will be proper and powerful. The afternoon session is still good, but the wind picks up a bit.

Monday, July 27th, and Tuesday, July 28th, still have decent energy from the East with periods around 13 to 15 seconds, but the wind is a bit stronger, so it’s more of a “marginal” call again. The swell slowly drops off through the week.

From Wednesday, July 29th, the wind turns more cross-onshore, and the swell fades, dropping back into “poor” conditions through the first few days of August. The last week of the forecast is a write-off.

So, the bottom line: if you can wait, Sunday, July 26th, morning is the time to be at Hookipa. That’s over a week away, so it’s a long-range call, but it’s the only day with that kind of power and decent enough wind. The rest of the time is a struggle for clean, rideable waves.

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