Kawaihae Breakwater Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, let me tell you how it’s looking for Kawaihae Breakwater over the next couple of weeks.

To be straight with you, the next week and a half is pretty flat. From Tuesday the 28th of July right through to the morning of Friday the 7th of August, there’s just nothing doing. We’re talking a solid 10-day stretch of poor surf conditions, with the combined swell energy mostly sitting at zero. There’s a tiny pulse of 0.7ft to 1ft swell from the SSW and SW on the 30th and 31st, with a very long period of 18 seconds, but it’s just too weak to push any proper waves through. The water temp is sitting at 80°, which is about 1° above normal – nothing crazy, just a touch warmer than average for this time of year.

Now, things start to get a little more interesting heading into the second week. On Friday the 7th of August, we see the energy finally pick up. The swell bumps to 1ft to 2ft from the W, with a period of 16 seconds, and the combined energy hits 94 in the morning, pushing to 127 (moderate) by the afternoon. It’s not big, but it’s the first real sign of life. The wind is offshore from the NE at 12 mph, so the conditions are clean. It’s still only surfable – very ordinary, nothing to write home about, but it’s a start.

The best of the window shapes up on Saturday the 8th of August. We’ve got 2ft of W swell in the morning, period 13 seconds, and the combined energy jumps to 202 (moderate). The wind is light offshore from the NE at 6 mph, keeping the surface clean. By the afternoon, the wind goes glassy with a calm SE breeze, and the swell holds at 2ft with energy at 129. This is your standout – the cleanest, most consistent push of the whole outlook. The swell direction from the W is a good match for the optimum W direction for this reef break. The water is still warm, and the glassy afternoon session is the pick of the whole 16 days.

After that, it fades again. Sunday the 9th has 2ft to 1ft W swell, still clean, but the energy drops to 84 and 74. Monday the 10th has a spike of 1ft from the SSW with a long 16-second period and energy of 190 (moderate) in the morning, but it’s a one-off, and the afternoon goes flat again. From Tuesday the 11th onward, it’s back to poor conditions with tiny 0.7ft to 1.0ft energy.

So, if you’re looking for a paddle, Saturday the 8th of August is your day. Get there for the glassy afternoon. It’s not pumping, but it’s the only real window of clean, surfable waves in the whole 16 days.

Rusty.

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