Surf Forecasts:
Pohoiki surf forecast from 14 Aug 2026:
- Most powerful swell: Saturday 15 Aug, 11AM (local time) - 16ft (5.0m), 11s period, E swell with 6,097 kJ wave energy.
Best Forecast Surf Conditions for Pohoiki this week:
The most powerful waves expected at Pohoiki in the next 16 days are 5.0m 11s and forecast to arrive on Saturday (Aug 15) at 11AM. Winds are predicted to be cross-onshore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 1.2m 8s period and expected on Sunday (Aug 16) at 8AM.
| Wave Type | Time (HST) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | - | - |
| Best Surf | - | - |
| Most Powerful | 11AM (Sat 15th Aug) | 16ft (5.0m) 11s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Pohoiki over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
Alright folks, Rusty here. Let's break down what we've got cooking for the next couple of weeks. We're locked in on one spot, so the story is pretty simple.
Overall, it's a tough run. The forecast is a bit of a heartbreaker for the next week or so. We've got a real dry spell coming up, with a big gap in quality surf from now until the very end of the month.
Right now, and for many days ahead, we're dealing with a mix of strong, messy winds and short-period, choppy swell. The water temp is sitting at a warm 81°, which is about average for this time of year, so no surprises there. But the conditions just aren't cooperating.
Let's run through the dates. We start off on Thursday the 13th of August. Afternoon sees a cross-shore breeze at 19 mph on a 4 ft south swell, but it's a long-period 15-second groundswell. The combined energy is a big 1192, but the winds are keeping it messy and lumpy. Not worth paddling out for.
Friday the 14th picks up, but don't get excited. The swell jumps to 10 ft from the east in the morning, but with a 22 mph cross-shore and rain squalls, it's blown out and ugly. By the afternoon it's hitting 13 ft with the same wind. That's way too big for beginners and only for the most experienced if they're keen on closeouts and a beating. The energy is huge – 6561 – but it's all over the place.
Saturday the 15th is a write-off. Near-gale force winds from the ENE at 31 mph on a 16 ft swell? That's not surfing, that's survival. Forget it.
Sunday the 16th calms down a bit, but the swell drops to 8 ft with a short, weak 8-second period and onshore winds. The energy is still moderate at 1155. Monday and Tuesday are flat and weak with a small 3 ft to 3 ft south swell, but still plagued by cross-shore or cross-onshore winds.
We then go into a long stretch from Wednesday the 19th right through to Tuesday the 26th of August where the swell hangs between 3 ft and 6 ft, mostly from the east, but the period stays short and the wind is consistently cross-on or onshore. The combined energy drops into the low hundreds and up to about 732 – weak to moderate at best. It's all poor or marginal surf with choppy, bumpy conditions. Kite surfers might find it more fun than paddle surfers during this period.
Now, here is the one bright spot, and it's a long way off. The standout in this entire 16-day window is Thursday the 27th of August, carrying through to Friday the 28th. We finally see a proper groundswell showing up. On Thursday morning, we've got a 5 ft swell from the east with a *very* long period of 17 seconds, and the energy is back up to 1667. The wind is still cross-onshore at 12 mph, which isn't perfect, but that long period will push through. It's a reef break (Pohoiki) that's exposed to the east, and it's best with a clean E swell direction. It's a fairly consistent little wave, though it can get crowded. The biggest and best looking session looks like Friday the 28th afternoon: an 8 ft east swell with a 15-second period and a gentler 9 mph cross-onshore breeze. The combined energy jumps to a solid 3134.
This late-week swell at the end of August is promising, but it's a long-range call, so keep an eye on it. It's the only true quality swell on the board, so if you can wait, that's your window. It's a reef setup, so that long-period energy will likely hold up better than at a beach break.
Until then, it's a waiting game.
Rusty.
Short Range ForecastHeavy rain (total 144mm), heaviest during Sat afternoon. Warm (max 26°C on Thu afternoon, min 24°C on Sat night). Mainly near gales. | Days 5-7 Weather SummaryHeavy rain (total 21mm), heaviest during Sun afternoon. Warm (max 26°C on Sun afternoon, min 24°C on Mon night). Wind will be generally light. | |||||||||||||||||||
Thu 13 | Friday 14 | Saturday 15 | Sunday 16 | Monday 17 | Tuesday 18 | Wednesday 19 | ||||||||||||||
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) | S 15 | E 9 | E 11 | E 11 | E 11 | E 11 | ESE 10 | ENE 9 | E 8 | E 8 | S 15 | S 14 | ENE 8 | ENE 8 | E 8 | S 13 | ENE 8 | ENE 8 | ENE 8 | E 7 |
Wave Graph | ||||||||||||||||||||
662 | 710 | 1782 | 3426 | 4489 | 6097 | 4560 | 947 | 686 | 477 | 422 | 324 | 311 | 259 | 132 | 125 | 201 | 196 | 147 | 109 | |
Wind (km/h) | ||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | cross | cross-off | cross | cross | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | on | cross-on | on | on | cross-on | cross-on | cross | cross | cross | cross | cross-on | cross | cross |
High Tide | 4:05PM1.05m | 4:17AM0.73m | 4:35PM0.98m | 5:00AM0.76m | 5:02PM0.88m | 5:44AM0.77m | 5:26PM0.78m | 6:31AM0.76m | 5:46PM0.69m | 7:26AM0.74m | 6:00PM0.60m | 8:41AM0.72m | 5:46PM0.53m | |||||||
Low Tide | 10:35PM0.13m | 10:06AM0.11m | 11:02PM0.13m | 10:48AM0.20m | 11:29PM0.13m | 11:31AM0.29m | 11:56PM0.15m | 12:19PM0.38m | 00:23AM0.17m | 1:19PM0.47m | 00:55AM0.20m | 3:24PM0.52m | 1:39AM0.24m | |||||||
— | — | 5:58 | — | — | 5:58 | — | — | 6:00 | — | — | 6:00 | — | — | 6:00 | — | — | 6:00 | — | — | |
6:47 | — | — | 6:47 | — | — | 6:46 | — | — | 6:45 | — | — | 6:45 | — | — | 6:45 | — | — | 6:44 | — | |
mm | — | 1 | 3 | 5 | 23 | 7 | 42 | 54 | 9 | 8 | 9 | — | 1 | — | — | — | 1 | 2 | 1 | 3 |
Temp °C | 26 | 25 | 26 | 26 | 26 | 25 | 25 | 25 | 26 | 26 | 25 | 25 | 26 | 25 | 26 | 26 | 25 | 25 | 26 | 25 |
Feels °C | 24 | 23 | 25 | 24 | 24 | 21 | 20 | 19 | 27 | 28 | 27 | 25 | 27 | 25 | 26 | 25 | 27 | 28 | 27 | 27 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | S 15 | E 9 | S 14 | E 11 | S 14 | S 13 | S 13 | ENE 9 | E 8 | E 8 | E 8 | E 8 | ENE 8 | ENE 8 | E 8 | E 8 | E 8 | ENE 8 | ENE 8 | E 7 |
662 | 710 | 429 | 2802 | 293 | 229 | 176 | 888 | 686 | 477 | 323 | 265 | 273 | 259 | 132 | 107 | 130 | 196 | 147 | 109 | |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SE 12 | S 15 | N 8 | S 14 | — | S 20 | S 18 | S 10 | S 13 | S 13 | S 15 | S 14 | S 14 | S 13 | S 13 | S 13 | NNE 7 | SE 9 | N 7 | NNE 6 |
21 | 522 | 1 | 333 | — | 30 | 99 | 575 | 215 | 229 | 422 | 324 | 311 | 171 | 117 | 125 | 35 | 41 | 26 | 30 | |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SW 19 | SE 12 | SW 18 | — | — | — | SW 16 | S 14 | S 16 | S 16 | SE 11 | SE 11 | SE 11 | SE 10 | SE 10 | SE 10 | SE 9 | S 12 | SE 9 | SE 9 |
14 | 35 | 12 | — | — | — | 10 | 144 | 254 | 127 | 56 | 40 | 56 | 49 | 46 | 47 | 41 | 71 | 40 | 51 | |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | ENE 8 | — | E 11 | E 11 | E 11 | E 11 | ESE 10 | SE 9 | — | — | — | — | — | — | NE 7 | NE 7 | ENE 8 | — | — | — |
509 | — | 1782 | 3426 | 4489 | 6097 | 4560 | 947 | — | — | — | — | — | — | 56 | 54 | 201 | — | — | — | |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | ||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 132 | 44 | 110 | 110 | 110 | 116 | 116 | 572 | 36 | 121 | 36 | 37 | 37 | 132 | 209 | 110 | 35 | 37 | 120 | 2 |
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.











