Pohoiki Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, my friends, let’s dig into this forecast for Pohoiki. I gotta be straight with you – the next week or so is looking pretty bleak. We’ve got a stubborn pattern setting in that's gonna keep things messy.

For the next week, starting Thursday, July 9th and going through to Friday, July 17th, it’s a real struggle. Persistent onshore and cross-shore winds from the ENE and NE are going to keep the surface all chopped up. The swell’s there, hanging around 4ft to 6ft from the east, but the wind just ruins it. The wave energy is moderate for most of this, readings between 300 and 600, but with that chop, it’s not worth a late paddle. It's frustrating.

Then, over the weekend of July 18th and 19th, the swell actually pumps up. On Saturday the 18th, we’ve got a 10ft swell from the ENE hammering in. The combined energy jumps to a very strong 2131, but it's coming with those same cross-onshore winds. 10ft with that kind of chop is going to be a beast – too big for beginners, and a real handful for everyone else. It continues into Sunday with a 7ft swell, still messy.

Now, here’s the light at the end of the tunnel, but it’s a long way off. The period around July 20th and 21st is the real standout. We get a long-period groundswell from the east with a period of 16 seconds – that’s legitimate deep-water energy. The best of the early stuff is Monday morning, July 20th, with the 16-second period, 4ft swell, and strong energy of 1385. The wind’s still cross-onshore, so not perfect. But the real winner is Tuesday morning, July 21st. We’ve got that same 16-second groundswell from the east, a solid 5ft, with very strong energy of 1643. The big difference is the wind: a light, gentle breeze from the NNE at 9 mph, which is a cross-shore flow. That's about as clean as it gets. This long-period east groundswell is exactly what Pohoiki (Big Island) was made for, hitting the reef at its optimum direction. Just know it’s a long-range call, so keep checking back.

That window of long-period swell is the one to circle. Pohoiki is a fairly consistent reef, and with those periods over 15 seconds, the sets will have plenty of punch, but there will be longer waits between them. Water temps are about average for the season.

So, the bottom line: this week is a wash. The weekend of the 18th brings size but with heavy chop. The only real hope is that Tuesday, July 21st, with that classic long-period east swell and light winds. If you can hold out, that's the day to aim for.

Stay patient out there.

Rusty

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