Kawaihae Breakwater Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, folks, Rusty here. Let’s break down what’s brewing at Kawaihae Breakwater. Honestly, the first few days are a total flat spell. We’re looking at a solid four-day gap with nothing worth paddling for until Friday the 5th of September. Water temp is 82°, which is right around the norm for this time of year, so no shocks there.

The first real sign of life shows up on the 5th. A tiny 0.8ft swell from the SW, with a long 11-second period, and light NNE breezes. It’s surfable, but it’s nothing to write home about. The afternoon gets a little better with the wind dropping to glassy and the swell edging up to 0.8ft. The combined energy is still weak at 155. It’s a knee-high day, that’s all.

Sunday the 6th and Monday the 7th are much the same – glassy mornings, light winds, that same 0.8ft SW groundswell. Energy sits around 112-117. Clean, but small. The real standout window opens on Tuesday the 8th. The morning brings a 1.0ft WSW swell with a 12-second period, and energy climbs to 261, which is now moderate. But the afternoon is the real deal: 1ft from the WSW, 12 seconds, and glassy conditions. Energy jumps to 393, and the forecast says good surf conditions. That’s the peak of the run. A solid chest-high wave with clean, long-period push. This is a reef break, so that long period groundswell will wrap in beautifully, and with the wind off the land, it’ll be smooth as silk. The optimum swell is from the W, and we’re getting WSW, so it’s close enough to be a winner. It’s an intermediate spot, and crowds are sometimes a thing here, so you might have a few mates out, but it’s well worth the session.

Wednesday the 9th morning keeps the goods coming with a 1ft swell from the WSW, still glassy, and energy at 385. That’s another excellent session. The afternoon sees the wind pick up a touch onshore, but the morning window is pure gold.

After that, the swell drops right off again. Thursday the 10th and Friday the 11th are back to tiny, weak pulses. Then on Saturday the 12th afternoon, something odd happens. A short-period 3ft swell from the SW with a 6-second period shows up. The energy is a strong 418, but with that period, it’s going to be a fat, lumpy mess. This is a reef break, so it might have some shape, but honestly, that’s a kite-surfing wind swell. Not for the paddle crew.

The rest of the second week is a slow fade into tiny, long-period stragglers from the SSW and SW. The 15th of September has a tiny 0.3ft swell with a 21-second period – that’s a very long, deep-ocean pulse, but it’s just too small to do anything. Energy is only 72. The 16th has a similar story: 0.4ft with an 18-second period, clean morning, but just not worth it.

So, the headline is clear: Tuesday the 8th and Wednesday the 9th of September are your best bets. The 8th afternoon and the 9th morning, in particular, are the standouts. Clean, glassy conditions, a solid 1 to 1ft of long-period WSW groundswell wrapping into the reef. That’s the one to mark on the calendar.

Rusty.

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