Hulihee Palace Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, this is Rusty. Let’s have a look at what’s in store for the next couple of weeks.

Alright, we’re kicking things off at Hulihee Palace (Big Island) – a reliable reef break that’s super consistent. The water temp is sitting about average for this time of year, so nothing wild there.

The first few days are a bit of a tease. Monday (31 August) through to Thursday morning (3 September) we’ve got small, clean swell with a very long period of 18-19 seconds, meaning groundswell energy, but it’s weak – only around 278 to 296 units of combined energy. The swell is tiny, 1ft to 2ft, from the SSW. The wind is light onshore or cross-onshore, so the waves are there but they’re small and a bit messy. Not really worth paddling out for.

Now, Thursday afternoon (3 September) is where things get interesting. The wind drops to glassy, and we’ve got 2ft of S swell with a 14-second period. The combined energy is still low at 201, but that glassy surface is gold. The waves will be clean, but tiny. A fun little session on a longboard if you’re desperate.

Friday (4 September) through to Sunday morning (6 September) sees a bit of a bump up in size – 4ft to 5ft from the SSW/SW, but the period drops to 10 seconds, and the wind is onshore. The combined energy climbs to 467-562, which is moderate, but the onshore wind will chop it up. Not great.

The standout window arrives Sunday afternoon (6 September). We get a glassy, clean session with 2ft of SSW swell, but the period jumps back to 19 seconds – that’s very long period groundswell. The combined energy is 506 (moderate). This is a true gem for a reef break like Hulihee Palace. The wind is glassy, the waves will be clean, and the long period will give you proper, lined-up waves. It’s small, but it’ll be a joy.

Then Monday (7 September) is another absolute ripper. Monday morning has 4ft of SSW swell, 17-second period, with a light cross-shore wind from the NNW (733 combined energy – moderate). Monday afternoon is even better: glassy again, 4ft SSW swell, 16-second period, and 609 combined energy. Clean, fun, and the crowd is only “sometimes” there. This is the best condition in the whole run.

After that, the second week fades fast. Tuesday (8 September) through to the end of the forecast (15 September) sees a drop in quality. The swell sticks around 1ft to 3ft, but the wind turns onshore or cross-onshore, and the period drops. By Wednesday (9 September) the wind is up to 12-15 mph, and the waves are poor. There’s a long gap of poor to marginal conditions from 8 September right through to 15 September, with only a brief, glassy but tiny 2ft session on Friday afternoon (11 September) that’s barely surfable.

So, the best of the best is Sunday afternoon (6 September) and Monday (7 September) – both days offer glassy, clean conditions with nice groundswell. If you’re a beginner, the 4ft on Monday will be fine. If you’re looking for something bigger, you won’t find it here. The rest of the window is a write-off.

Stay stoked, and pick your windows wisely.

Rusty

Read more