Surf Forecasts:
Pohoiki surf forecast from 30 Jul 2026:
- Best quality surf: Tuesday 4 Aug, 2AM (local time) - 5ft (1.5m), 12s period, ENE swell with glassy winds.
- Most powerful swell: Saturday 1 Aug, 2PM (local time) - 7.5ft (2.3m), 8s period, ENE swell with 737 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Tuesday 4 Aug, 2AM (local time) - 5ft (1.5m), 12s period with ENE swell.
Best Forecast Surf Conditions for Pohoiki this week:
The surf forecast for Pohoiki over the next 16 days: The first swell (rated 1 star or higher) is forecast to arrive on Tuesday (Aug 04) at 2AM. The primary swell is predicted to be 1.5m and 12s period with a secondary swell of 0.5m and 8s. The wind is predicted to be glassy as the swell arrives.
The most powerful waves expected at Pohoiki in the next 16 days are 2.3m 8s and forecast to arrive on Saturday (Aug 01) at 2PM. Winds are predicted to be cross-onshore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 0.7m 13s period and expected on Wednesday (Jul 29) at 11PM.
| Wave Type | Time (HST) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 2AM (Tue 4th Aug) | 5ft (1.5m) 12s |
| Best Surf | 2AM (Tue 4th Aug) | 5ft (1.5m) 12s |
| Most Powerful | 2PM (Sat 1st Aug) | 7.5ft (2.3m) 8s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Pohoiki over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
Alright, Rusty here. Let's talk about what's on the menu for the local waters around Pohoiki.
Right off the bat, I gotta be straight with you—this is a tough stretch. We're looking at a solid 16-day window, but the surf is mostly a mess. The wind is the main culprit here, blowing cross-onshore or cross-shore for the vast majority of the forecast, and that's just trashing what little swell we get. The wave energy is sitting in the moderate range, nowhere near the big numbers you want to see for a proper session.
The water is sitting at about 80°, which is bang on average for this time of year, so no surprises there.
The first real chance to even think about paddling out doesn't come until Sunday, August 2nd. Even then, it's a marginal call. We've got a 7 ft swell from the east-northeast with a short, weak 8-second period. The wind is cross-shore, which is a bit better than the onshore crap we've been dealing with, but it's still a choppy, lumpy mess. The combined energy is 771 (moderate), but the quality just isn't there. It's a "maybe" if you're desperate for a paddle.
The only real standout—and I'm using that word loosely—is the morning of Tuesday, August 4th. The swell is 5 ft from the east-northeast, but the period bumps up to 11 seconds, which gives it a bit more grunt and shape. The wind is a light cross-onshore breeze, which is the cleanest we'll see. The wave energy is 532 (moderate). For a reef break like Pohoiki, that longer period groundswell could actually line up the rights. It's the best the whole forecast has to offer, but don't expect perfection. It's still a marginal call.
After that, it's back to the same story. The wind picks up again, the swell stays short and messy, and the energy drops off. The conditions are just poor for paddle surfing from the 5th all the way through to the 13th. You'll see the swell height flicker up and down, but the wind is simply never your friend here.
Honestly, if you're not wedded to a surfboard, the persistent cross-onshore wind and moderate chop make this setup look more interesting for kite surfing than paddle surfing. For the rest of us, it's a waiting game.
Rusty.
Short Range ForecastModerate rain (total 12mm), heaviest on Fri night. Warm (max 27°C on Wed afternoon, min 24°C on Fri night). Winds increasing (light winds from the NE on Wed night, fresh winds from the NE by Fri afternoon). | Days 5-7 Weather SummaryLight rain (total 6mm), mostly falling on Sat afternoon. Warm (max 26°C on Sat afternoon, min 24°C on Sun night). Wind will be generally light. | |||||||||||||||||||
Wed 29 | Thursday 30 | Friday 31 | Saturday 1 | Sunday 2 | Monday 3 | Tuesday 4 | ||||||||||||||
PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | |
Swell Height Map |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | |||||||||||||
Wave Height (m) Direction Period (s) | E 8 | E 8 | E 8 | E 8 | E 8 | E 8 | E 8 | ENE 8 | ENE 8 | ENE 8 | ENE 8 | ENE 8 | ENE 8 | ENE 8 | ENE 8 | ENE 12 | ENE 12 | ENE 11 | ENE 10 | ENE 9 |
Wave Graph  | ||||||||||||||||||||
 kJ | 190 | 265 | 259 | 341 | 398 | 458 | 526 | 560 | 662 | 699 | 621 | 554 | 504 | 402 | 270 | 583 | 612 | 511 | 502 | 344 |
Wind (km/h) | ||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | on | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | cross | cross-on | cross-on | cross | cross | cross | cross | cross | cross | glassy | cross-on | cross-on | cross-off |
High Tide | 3:50PM1.02m | 3:34AM0.59m | 4:16PM1.01m | 4:11AM0.63m | 4:41PM0.98m | 4:50AM0.66m | 5:06PM0.93m | 5:33AM0.68m | 5:32PM0.86m | 6:23AM0.71m | 5:58PM0.78m | 7:23AM0.72m | 6:26PM0.69m | |||||||
Low Tide | 10:27PM0.23m | 9:22AM0.07m | 10:51PM0.21m | 9:56AM0.11m | 11:15PM0.19m | 10:32AM0.17m | 11:41PM0.17m | 11:12AM0.25m | 00:08AM0.16m | 11:58AM0.33m | 00:40AM0.15m | 12:59PM0.42m | 1:20AM0.15m | |||||||
 |  |  | |  |  | |  | | | | |  | | | | | | |  | |
 | — | — | 5:54 | — | — | 5:54 | — | — | 5:54 | — | — | 5:54 | — | — | 5:56 | — | — | 5:56 | — | — |
 | 6:55 | — | — | 6:55 | — | — | 6:55 | — | — | 6:54 | — | — | 6:54 | — | — | 6:53 | — | — | 6:53 | — |
mm | 1 | — | — | — | 2 | 1 | — | 6 | 2 | 1 | 3 | 1 | — | 1 | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Temp °C | 27 | 26 | 27 | 27 | 26 | 26 | 26 | 25 | 26 | 26 | 25 | 26 | 26 | 25 | 26 | 26 | 25 | 26 | 27 | 26 |
Feels °C | 29 | 28 | 29 | 28 | 27 | 26 | 24 | 23 | 26 | 25 | 24 | 25 | 24 | 24 | 27 | 26 | 25 | 28 | 29 | 29 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | E 8 | E 8 | E 8 | S 12 | E 15 | E 15 | E 14 | E 14 | E 14 | E 14 | ENE 8 | ENE 8 | ENE 8 | ENE 8 | ENE 8 | ENE 12 | ENE 12 | ENE 11 | ENE 10 | ENE 9 |
| kJ | 190 | 265 | 259 | 110 | 294 | 353 | 334 | 253 | 257 | 203 | 621 | 554 | 504 | 402 | 270 | 583 | 612 | 511 | 502 | 344 |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | NNE 8 | SSW 13 | SSW 12 | E 16 | S 13 | S 13 | S 12 | SSW 12 | SSW 12 | E 12 | E 14 | E 14 | E 13 | E 13 | E 12 | N 7 | SE 8 | SE 8 | SSW 11 | SSW 12 |
| kJ | 75 | 173 | 117 | 190 | 123 | 84 | 73 | 48 | 46 | 44 | 264 | 200 | 173 | 158 | 184 | 34 | 29 | 21 | 23 | 44 |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SSW 13 | S 16 | E 17 | S 15 | SW 16 | N 9 | N 9 | SW 15 | SSE 9 | S 12 | SSW 12 | N 10 | N 9 | SSW 13 | N 8 | SE 8 | N 6 | SSW 11 | S 13 | S 13 |
| kJ | 181 | 76 | 95 | 38 | 42 | 14 | 14 | 56 | 8 | 24 | 47 | 17 | 15 | 57 | 20 | 34 | 18 | 43 | 30 | 31 |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | — | — | E 8 | E 8 | E 8 | E 8 | ENE 8 | ENE 8 | ENE 8 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| kJ | — | — | — | 341 | 398 | 458 | 526 | 560 | 662 | 699 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | ||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 37 | 35 | 36 | 36 | 39 | 211 | 121 | 37 | 37 | 37 | 37 | 37 | 211 | 37 | 37 | 37 | 0 | 36 | 36 | 0 |
Best forecast wave conditions in Big Island | ||||||||||||||||||||
Best forecast wave conditions in United States | ||||||||||||||||||||
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Information about the Pohoiki Surf forecast
The above surf forecast table for Pohoiki provides essential information for determining whether the surfing conditions will be good over the next 16 days. A general guide to surfing at Pohoiki can be found by selecting the local surf guide option on the grey menu. Our Pohoiki surf forecast is unique since it includes wave energy (power) that defines the real feel of the surf rather than just the height or the period. If you surf the same spot (Pohoiki) regularly then make a mental note of the wave energy from the surf forecast table each time you go. Very soon you may start to choose your surf days based on the wave energy alone combined with our forecast of favourable offshore wind conditions. Our star ratings will help here and of course you will also find the usual wave height and period predictions on our surf forecasts as well as a full break down of the swell components under our advanced users option (to reveal that, click the little Einstein character under the tide times).
Further information to help with frequently asked questions about our surf forecast for Pohoiki may be found under the help tab on the top menu and also by moving your mouse over the question marks on the surf forecast table itself. Please always bear in mind that the forecast is for near-shore open water and local factors at each surf break influence the actual breaking wave height, such as the beach / reef profile, water depths offshore and shelter.
Pohoiki is 39 km (24 miles) from Hilo. If you plan a vacation in Big Island, look for hotels and other accommodation in Hilo. Hilo has rooms for a wide range of budgets as well as car hire and transport links.
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