Hookipa Surf Forecast and Surf Report

G’day, Rusty here. Let’s talk about what’s coming at Hookipa over these next 16 days.

Honestly, the first week and a half is pretty grim. The wind is the main problem, blowing cross or cross-on from the east-northeast at 9 to 16 mph a lot of the time, keeping the surface all lumpy and chopped. We start with a weak, short-period easterly swell around 2 ft, and it’s just not delivering anything worth paddling for – the combined wave energy is weak to moderate (112 to 201). The water’s at 80°, which is normal for this time of year. There’s no scoring any waves in those early days.

By Thursday the 17th of September, we see a bit more size, with the swell pushing 6 ft to 7 ft, and the combined energy climbing into the moderate range (768 to 677). But it’s still an east swell with a short 8 to 10 second period, and that cross-shore wind is messing up any chance of decent shape. With the wind and chop, this is more of a kite-surfing scenario than a paddle session.

That same story keeps running through the 20th, with the swell around 5 ft to 6 ft but still wind-blown and ugly. On the 22nd and 23rd, the swell gets stronger, reaching up to 8 ft, and the combined energy hits a strong 1362, but the wind doesn’t let up. Conditions are only ever rated as marginal, not clean.

The one real bright spot – and it’s a long way out – is the morning of Tuesday, the 29th of September. The wind drops to a light breeze from the east at only 6 mph, blowing cross-shore. We get a 5 ft swell from the north-northeast with an 8 second period, and the combined energy is moderate at 543. Then in the afternoon, it gets even better: the wind turns to a light cross-offshore from the east-southeast at 9 mph, and the forecast says “clean.” That’s the first truly good news in the whole outlook. The north-northeast swell direction is exactly what Hookipa – an exposed reef – wants to see. Clean 5 ft surf on a prime reef with light wind? That’s a session to mark on the calendar. Just know it’s a week and a half away, so don’t nail your plans to it just yet.

Before that, the early morning of Saturday the 19th of September gets a marginal rating, but the wind and short period make it a low-percentage play.

So, this is a long stretch of frustrating, wind-affected surf. The size shows up, but the quality only arrives on that final Tuesday. If you’ve got patience, point yourself at the 29th. Otherwise, it’s a waiting game.

Rusty.

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