Kawaihae Breakwater Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, Rusty here. Let’s talk about what’s on the cards for the next couple of weeks.

Right off the bat, I gotta be straight with you—this is a pretty flat spell for the Big Island. The whole 16-day window is a quiet one. There are no standout swells, no real waves of note. We’ve got a long run of nothing worth paddling out for, so if you’ve got a kite, this setup might actually be more interesting than a surfboard for a while.

The only break in the forecast is Kawaihae Breakwater. This is a reef setup that’s fairly consistent, but even then, it’s struggling. The water temp is sitting at about 82°, which is right around average for this time of year, nothing unusual there.

Saturday 12th and Sunday 13th are dead. We’re talking tiny 0.7ft to 1ft swells coming from the SW with a long period around 14-15 seconds, and the combined energy is barely a whisper at 36 to 60. Winds are glassy or light offshore though, so it’s clean—but there’s just nothing to ride. The whole thing is classed as poor surf.

Monday 14th is more of the same—0.7ft to 1ft, SW swell, and the energy is minimal. Monday afternoon does see a jump in period to 22 seconds, which is very long, but with that tiny size it’s just a long wait between nothing. Winds turn offshore and clean, but you’d be bobbing around.

Tuesday 15th and Wednesday 16th are the… well, I guess you’d call them the “best” of a bad lot. Swell stays at 1ft from the SW, period dropping to 18-20 seconds. The combined energy creeps up a little, hitting 98 on Tuesday morning and then 109 on Wednesday afternoon (moderate wave energy). Winds are offshore—light to moderate—so it’s clean. The call is “surfable waves but very ordinary conditions.” That’s about as good as it gets. The direction is SW, and this break prefers a W swell, so it’s not even an optimal angle.

Thursday 17th through to Sunday 20th is back to poor conditions. Tiny swell, weak energy, and the risk of thunderstorms on Thursday and Saturday afternoons doesn’t help the mood.

Monday 21st sees a gap where there is literally no swell height or period recorded for the morning, just flat calm. Afternoon brings a pathetic 0.3ft from the SW with 8 energy. It’s a write-off.

From Tuesday 22nd all the way to Saturday 27th September, we’re stuck in the same rut. Swell heights bounce between 0.3ft and 1ft, mostly from the SW, with a couple of readings from the SSW or WNW. The combined energy stays low, mostly below 80, and even the “surfable” moments on the 26th and 27th are just 1.0ft to 1ft with weak energy. Winds stay favourable—offshore or glassy—but it doesn’t matter when there are no waves to push you.

Honestly, this is one of those stretches where the ocean is taking a nap. If you’re desperate, maybe Wednesday 16th afternoon offers the best chance at a knee-high, clean ripple from the SW at Kawaihae Breakwater. But for any real surfing? You’re better off waiting for the next proper swell. Forecasts can change, but right now, it’s a long blank run.

Stay patient,

Rusty.

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