Hulihee Palace Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Right. Let’s take a look at what’s on offer for the Kona side. We’ve only got one spot lighting up in the data, and that’s Hulihee Palace (Big Island). It’s a reef setup, very consistent, exposed to the south-southwest, which is exactly the direction it likes to see swell from. For the first few days, though, it’s a bit of a slow start. The waves are small, only around 1ft to 2ft, and the wind is mostly cross-onshore, which isn’t doing it any favours. The water temp is sitting around average for this time of year, so nothing unusual there. You’ll get a few ripple-lined waves, but honestly, it’s pretty marginal through Sunday the 30th and Monday the 31st.

Come Tuesday, September 1st, we start to see a little pulse of energy with the combined swell energy hitting a moderate 583 (moderate wave energy). Swell height bumps up to about 3ft out of the SSW with a nice long 18-second period. That’s proper groundswell, and it’s going to wrap in nicely for the reef. The wind is light and onshore in the morning but swings cross-onshore in the arvo. It’s still a bit messy, but you’ll get some fun ones if you pick your tide right.

The real standout in this entire 16-day window is Monday, September 7th. Now, that’s over a week away, so keep that in mind, but the charts are promising. We’ve got a clean 3ft to 3ft SSW swell riding in on a long 17-second period. The combined energy is strong at 579 to 624 (strong wave energy). And here’s the kicker: the wind goes glassy both morning and afternoon. That means smooth, clean faces on that reef. This is the pick of the bunch. Hulihee Palace loves a long-period SSW swell, and with zero wind chop, it’s going to be lined up and super fun for an intermediate surfer. Keep in mind, because it’s a reef and the period is long, the sets will have some nice gaps, making it easier to get out the back.

Before that, on Thursday the 3rd and Friday the 4th, we get a small taste of glassy conditions with waves around 2ft to 3ft. It’s not going to set the world on fire, but if you just want to get wet and catch a few, the conditions will be nice.

After that Monday high point, the swell fades back into small stuff, and by the second week, it’s a real mixed bag of cross-onshore breezes and tiny waves. The weekend of September 12th and 13th looks poor, with waves barely 1ft and choppy conditions. It’s a bit of a write-off until the end of the run.

So, to sum it up: the first week is a slow burn with small, wind-affected surf. The absolute standout is Monday, September 7th, with glassy conditions and a nice long-period SSW groundswell. That’s the day to have the board waxed and ready. For the rest, don’t get your hopes up too high, especially in the second week.

Rusty

Read more