Surf Forecasts:
Pohoiki surf forecast from 13 Sep 2026:
- Best quality surf: Monday 14 Sep, 11PM (local time) - 3ft (0.9m), 8s period, NE swell with cross-offshore winds.
- Most powerful swell: Thursday 17 Sep, 8AM (local time) - 7ft (2.2m), 10s period, ENE swell with 844 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Monday 14 Sep, 11PM (local time) - 3ft (0.9m), 8s period with NE 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 Monday (Sep 14) at 11PM. The primary swell is predicted to be 0.9m and 8s period with a secondary swell of 0.4m and 8s. The wind is predicted to be cross-offshore as the swell arrives.
The most powerful waves expected at Pohoiki in the next 16 days are 2.2m 10s and forecast to arrive on Thursday (Sep 17) at 8AM. Winds are predicted to be cross-onshore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 0.8m 16s period and expected on Friday (Sep 18) at 8PM.
| Wave Type | Time (HST) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 11PM (Mon 14th Sep) | 3ft (0.9m) 8s |
| Best Surf | 11PM (Mon 14th Sep) | 3ft (0.9m) 8s |
| Most Powerful | 8AM (Thu 17th Sep) | 7ft (2.2m) 10s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Pohoiki over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
Alright folks, Rusty here. Let’s break down what’s coming our way for this stretch. We’re looking at a pretty long run of days here, and honestly, the first week and a half is gonna be more about watching than paddling out. The surf quality is going to be pretty average to poor for a while, so patience is the name of the game. The water temp is sitting at a normal 81°F for this time of year, nothing out of the ordinary there.
The first real sniff of something decent doesn't show up until Tuesday the 17th of September. We’ve got a moderate 8ft swell pushing in from the ENE with a period of 9 seconds, and the wave energy is up to a moderate 864. The wind is light cross-onshore, so it’s not perfect, but the size is building. Then Thursday the 19th of September morning keeps the swell around 7ft from the E with an 8-second period and moderate energy (576). It’s still a bit onshore and choppy, so not a day to get too excited about.
Now, if you’re an experienced surfer and you’re willing to wait, the real standout window opens up on Monday the 23rd of September morning. We’re looking at a solid 8ft swell from the ENE with a 10-second period. The combined energy is strong at 1293. That’s proper size, over 8ft, so this is strictly for the experts. The wind is cross-onshore, so it won’t be glassy, but the power is there. The Tuesday the 24th of September is a similar story with 7ft from the ENE and moderate energy (775), still a bit messy.
Honestly, for the earlier part of the run, it’s pretty bleak. The first week looks like a gap of about 4-5 days with no real recommendations. The swell is there, but the wind and conditions are just making it a choppy mess. For a reef break like Pohoiki (Hawaii), which is exposed to the E and likes that direction, we’re just not getting the clean lines we need until later in the forecast. The best call? Keep an eye on the 23rd of September for the big stuff if you’ve got the skills, but don’t hold your breath for perfection.
Rusty.
Short Range ForecastLight rain (total 4mm), mostly falling on Mon night. Warm (max 28°C on Tue afternoon, min 24°C on Sun night). Wind will be generally light. | Days 4-6 Weather SummaryHeavy rain (total 56mm), heaviest during Thu night. Warm (max 27°C on Wed morning, min 25°C on Wed night). Wind will be generally light. | ||||||||||||||||||||
Sunday 13 | Monday 14 | Tuesday 15 | Wednesday 16 | Thursday 17 | Friday 18 | Saturday 19 | |||||||||||||||
AM | 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) | NNE 9 | NNE 9 | NE 8 | NNE 8 | NE 8 | NE 8 | E 11 | E 11 | ENE 10 | ENE 10 | ENE 10 | ENE 10 | ENE 9 | ENE 9 | E 9 | E 8 | E 8 | E 8 | E 8 | ENE 8 | ENE 8 |
Wave Graph  | |||||||||||||||||||||
 kJ | 121 | 99 | 102 | 88 | 145 | 86 | 87 | 84 | 373 | 425 | 491 | 741 | 844 | 724 | 653 | 493 | 493 | 505 | 576 | 509 | 459 |
Wind (km/h) | |||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | cross | cross-off | cross-off | cross | cross | cross-off | cross-on | cross | cross-off | cross | cross | cross | cross-on | on | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on |
High Tide | 4:18PM0.76m | 5:10AM0.88m | 4:39PM0.68m | 5:49AM0.85m | 4:57PM0.60m | 6:35AM0.80m | 5:07PM0.54m | 7:38AM0.75m | 4:25PM0.49m | 9:18AM0.72m | 11:00AM0.74m | 10:45PM0.39m | |||||||||
Low Tide | 10:36AM0.24m | 10:31PM0.09m | 11:17AM0.31m | 10:55PM0.12m | 12:02PM0.38m | 11:19PM0.15m | 1:01PM0.45m | 11:46PM0.20m | 3:30PM0.48m | 00:23AM0.24m | 1:37AM0.29m | 7:42PM0.37m | 3:54AM0.30m | ||||||||
 | |  | | |  |  | |  |  | | | | | |  |  | | | | | |
 | 6:05 | — | — | 6:05 | — | — | 6:05 | — | — | 6:05 | — | — | 6:07 | — | — | 6:07 | — | — | 6:07 | — | — |
 | — | 6:22 | — | — | 6:22 | — | — | 6:21 | — | — | 6:21 | — | — | 6:20 | — | — | 6:19 | — | — | 6:17 | — |
mm | — | — | — | — | — | 2 | 1 | — | 1 | 2 | — | 9 | 8 | 11 | 24 | — | — | 2 | 1 | — | 2 |
Temp °C | 25 | 26 | 25 | 26 | 27 | 25 | 27 | 28 | 27 | 27 | 27 | 26 | 26 | 27 | 26 | 27 | 27 | 26 | 27 | 27 | 26 |
Feels °C | 25 | 26 | 25 | 27 | 29 | 28 | 29 | 29 | 29 | 28 | 27 | 27 | 29 | 29 | 28 | 27 | 27 | 27 | 28 | 28 | 27 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | NNE 9 | NNE 9 | NE 8 | NNE 8 | NE 8 | NE 8 | E 6 | E 6 | E 10 | SE 8 | SW 18 | ENE 10 | ENE 9 | ENE 9 | E 9 | E 8 | E 8 | E 8 | E 8 | ENE 8 | ENE 8 |
| kJ | 121 | 99 | 102 | 88 | 145 | 86 | 44 | 54 | 290 | 16 | 79 | 741 | 844 | 724 | 653 | 493 | 493 | 505 | 576 | 509 | 459 |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | ESE 8 | SE 8 | E 8 | ENE 6 | SE 8 | E 12 | NNE 8 | E 11 | N 8 | SSW 19 | SSW 18 | SSW 18 | SSW 19 | SSW 18 | SSW 18 | SSW 17 | SSW 16 | SSW 15 | S 18 | SSW 16 | SSW 16 |
| kJ | 86 | 51 | 82 | 34 | 20 | 73 | 35 | 84 | 29 | 70 | 61 | 108 | 210 | 195 | 276 | 249 | 237 | 243 | 160 | 269 | 346 |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | ENE 8 | S 10 | SSW 14 | SE 8 | E 14 | SE 8 | E 11 | SE 8 | SW 19 | SW 18 | SE 8 | SW 17 | SSE 10 | SSE 10 | SSE 10 | SSE 9 | SW 11 | SSW 16 | SSW 15 | SW 16 | S 10 |
| kJ | 40 | 8 | 20 | 21 | 32 | 20 | 87 | 22 | 95 | 49 | 11 | 75 | 20 | 19 | 9 | 8 | 5 | 25 | 84 | 10 | 2 |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | NE 8 | NE 8 | ENE 5 | NE 5 | — | — | NNE 5 | NNE 8 | ENE 10 | ENE 10 | ENE 10 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| kJ | 72 | 57 | 26 | 42 | — | — | 9 | 39 | 373 | 425 | 491 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 37 | 50 | 44 | 106 | 37 | 0 | 36 | 121 | 44 | 37 | 110 | 53 | 35 | 36 | 35 | 36 | 39 | 35 | 35 | 211 | 37 |
Best forecast wave conditions in Big Island | |||||||||||||||||||||
Best forecast wave conditions in United States | |||||||||||||||||||||
Header Global | |||||||||||||||||||||
- Map Icons:
Break
Live Wave Height (m)
Live Wind Speed (km/h)
Surf Rating (10 Max)
Ocean Swells (m)- Wind Speed (km/h)
FREE! Surf-Forecast.com widget for your website
The surf report / weather widget below is available to embed on third party websites free of charge and provides a summary of our Pohoiki surf forecast. Simply grab the html code snippet that we provide and paste it into your own site. You can choose your preferred language and metric/imperial units for the surf forecast feed to suit users of your site. Click here to get the code.
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.
Nearest