Hulihee Palace Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Hey, Rusty here. Let’s be straight up: the next couple weeks are gonna test your patience around Hulihee Palace. This is a reliable reef break, very consistent, and it likes swell from the SSW—which is what’s on the menu—but for most of the run, the size is tiny and the wind is a pain. We’re looking at a long, drawn-out period of marginal to poor surf, with only one real bright spot showing up late in the game.

Water temp’s sitting at 82°, which is about average for this time of year, so you won’t need a spring suit if you’re paddling out.

Right now, through Thursday and into the weekend, it’s scrappy. Tiny swell hovering around 1ft to 2ft, mostly from the SW, with long periods between 15 and 18 seconds. That’s groundswell, but there’s just not enough height to do much with it. The wind is cross or cross-on for almost every session, and there’s a risk of thunderstorms. The wave energy is weak to moderate (284 dropping to 69). It’s not worth paddling for.

Monday the 14th morning sees a tiny 0.7ft SSW swell arrive with a very long 23 second period. The energy is low (111), wind is onshore from the W—still not a goer. By Tuesday the 15th, the swell bumps up to 2ft from the SW with a 20 second period, and energy climbs to 358. Wind is still cross-on, so it’s “marginal” at best. This pattern holds all the way through to late September—small swells, long periods, and persistent cross or onshore breezes.

Now, here’s the standout. Thursday the 17th afternoon session: Hulihee Palace coaxes out a 2ft SSW swell with a 16 second period, and the wind goes glassy—dead off the WSW at 3 mph. That’s the cleanest window we’ve had. Combined swell energy is 459, so moderate. Glassy conditions on a reef with a SW-facing exposure and a SSW swell direction that matches the break’s optimum—it’ll be clean, tidy, and fun for an intermediate. Just be aware it’s not big, so don’t expect barrels, but it’ll be the best wave you’ll see in this whole outlook.

Friday the 18th afternoon also shows a slight flicker of hope with 2ft SW swell at 17 seconds, energy of 509, but the wind is onshore and there’s a risk tstorm. Still, the energy is moderate-strong for this break.

After that, from the 19th through the 25th, we’re back into the small stuff—2ft to 3ft, with cross-on winds and occasional light glassy patches in the morning, but nothing that consistently lines up. The wave energy stays moderate but the wind kills the quality.

If you’re a beginner, this whole run is tiny and clean enough on that one Thursday afternoon to have a go, but there’s nothing over 5ft, so it’s friendly. For experts, the lack of size means it’s a grovel session at best.

Overall, the only session I’d paddle for is Thursday 17th afternoon. Everything else is a write-off. It’s a tough patch, but forecasts can change.

Rusty.

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