Kawaihae Breakwater Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, Rusty here. Let's be honest, the surf outlook for the next couple of weeks is looking pretty bleak. We're in for a long stretch of tiny, weak waves, and it's going to be a while before we see anything that gets the heart pumping. The water temp is right about 81°, which is pretty standard for this time of year, so at least you won't be freezing while you're staring at a flat ocean.

The first few days are a total loss. Saturday the 15th is blown out with a nasty 31 mph onshore wind in the morning, making it a battle just to get past the shore break. It eases off a little in the afternoon, but the swell is a pathetic 0.7ft, so don't even bother. Sunday the 16th turns glassy, and the swell bumps up slightly to 1ft, but the energy is still weak (37). It's pretty, but there's simply nothing to ride.

We then have a good stretch of small, clean, but ultimately gutless surf from the 17th to the 19th. The wind is light or offshore, which is great for the surface, but the swell stays locked between 1ft and 1ft. The energy is weak, bottoming out around 25 on Monday, before building to a still-modest 73 by Wednesday. You'll pick off a few ankle-biters at Kawaihae Breakwater, but it's more of a float than a surf.

Now, the period from the 20th to the 22nd gets a little more interesting, but only just. The swell direction swings around to the southwest, and the period jumps up to a solid 17-18 seconds. That's proper groundswell, and it's coming from the west, which is the ideal direction for this reef. The energy is moderate, sitting in the 70s, but the wave heights are still tiny, only about 1ft to 1ft. It's a powerful engine in a go-kart frame. The glassy conditions on the 21st will make it look inviting, but you'll be doing more floating than surfing.

After that, we slide right back into the doldrums. From the 23rd to the 26th, it's mostly small, weak, and not worth the drive. The swell drops back down to 0.7ft at times, and the energy gets very weak, bottoming out at just 9. There are plenty of glassy windows, but you can't ride glass.

Here’s the one glimmer of hope in this entire forecast, and it's a long way off. Around Thursday the 29th and into Sunday the 30th, we finally see a bit of a pulse. The swell kicks up to a still-small but more rideable 2ft, and the period is a solid 13-14 seconds. The energy starts to build into moderate territory, hitting 106 on Saturday afternoon and then 111 on Sunday morning. It's not going to be big, but with light offshore winds and that long-period west-northwest swell, Kawaihae Breakwater might actually serve up a few fun, clean waves. This is the standout period of the whole outlook, but remember, it's way out there, so treat it as a hopeful maybe, not a guarantee. If you're keen, keep your eyes on that final weekend.

This has been a rough patch, but the ocean always has something to say. We just gotta listen.

Rusty out.

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