Kawaihae Breakwater Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, let me lay it out plain. This whole 16-day stretch is flat and pretty lifeless. There’s no real swell to get your heart pumping – just small, weak waves and mostly poor conditions. The best you can hope for is a tiny bump in size, but it’s still ordinary. You might get wet on a longboard if you’re patient.

The first surf worth mentioning comes on Friday morning, August 28th. It’s tiny – 0.2m of SSW groundswell with a 13-second period. The combined wave energy is a measly 18 (combined energy of all swells directed here). The wind is offshore NE at 10 km/h, so it’s clean, but the size is so small you’re barely floating. Water temp is around 28°, which is about normal for this time of year with a +1.0° anomaly – nothing unusual, just typical warm Hawaiian water.

The weekend and start of September don’t change much. Saturday and Sunday have the same 0.2m SSW swell, periods between 15 and 17 seconds. Wind stays light offshore, so surfaces are clean, but the energy is weak – numbers like 16, 36, 43, 22 (combined energy of all swells directed here). Monday the 31st sees a slight bump to 0.3m from the SW, period 15 seconds, but only 44 on the energy meter. Wind is offshore NE at 20 km/h in the morning, so it’s clean but the waves are poor – just a ripple.

From September 1st through the 7th, it’s the same story. Swell heights mostly 0.2m, sometimes 0.3m, from SSW and SW. Periods range from 9 to 18 seconds, but energy stays in the low single and double digits. The 7th shows a small lift to 0.3m from the SW with a 15-second period and 66 (combined energy of all swells directed here) – still poor. Wind is offshore, but it doesn’t matter when the waves are that small.

The only real improvement comes on Tuesday, September 8th. The swell rises to 0.4m from the SSW, period 16 seconds, and the combined energy ticks into the moderate range: 106 in the morning and 114 in the afternoon (combined energy of all swells directed here). This is the best on offer, but it’s still “surfable waves but very ordinary conditions.” The wind is offshore NE at 15 to 20 km/h, so it’s clean. Kawaihae Breakwater (Big Island) is a reef, and that long period (16 seconds) will give it better shape and longer sets. But 0.4m is still tiny – this is for the log rider.

After that, the surf drops back into weak stuff from the 9th through the 12th. The 11th shows a bit more size (0.6m to 0.7m) from the west with periods of 14-15 seconds and energy up to 200 (combined energy of all swells directed here), but the wind turns cross-onshore on Friday, so it gets messy. Saturday the 12th is glassy with E wind 0 km/h and a light offshore from the NNW in the morning, and the swell is still around 0.6m to 0.7m from the west. Clean, but very ordinary.

So there’s no true standout here. The best day is Tuesday, September 8th for the slight bump in size and cleaner conditions, but it’s still small and weak. If you’re a beginner, 0.4m is fine – no worries about being too big. For the experienced crew, it’s a long wait. The gap of poor surf from August 28th right through to September 12th is a long one, with only tiny improvements. Don’t hold your breath.

Rusty.

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