Polihale Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, Rusty here. Let’s get into it.

Right off the bat, we’ve got a bit of a wait. The first few days are a bust with poor surf and messy conditions. It ain't until Thursday the 30th that things start to look a little more promising, but even then, it’s a slow burn. The main story is the latter half of the outlook, with a solid run of surf kicking off around the 9th of August.

Let’s start with Polihale, our only spot this time. It’s a sandbar setup, fairly consistent but exposed to the northwest, so it needs the right swell direction.

Thursday 30th July is our first real nod. Morning brings a clean 5ft swell from the NE with a light 6 mph offshore out of the SE. That’s glassy, clean, and the combined energy sits at (238) – moderate power. It’s small but clean, and for the advanced crew, that’s a good window. The water temp is about average for the time of year.

Friday the 31st is a step back. We’ve got a 2ft swell from the SW, but it’s got a long 16-second period – groundswell territory. Combined energy is weak (124). The wind is cross-off from the east at 9 mph, so it’s clean, but the swell is tiny. Not worth paddling out for.

Then we hit a dry spell. From Saturday the 1st of August right through to Thursday the 6th, it’s mostly flat or knee-high junk. The 3rd and 4th have glassy mornings, but the swell is barely a ripple – 1ft to 2ft. Combined energy down in the teens and twenties. A real lull.

Friday the 7th of August sees a slight uptick. The swell builds a little, 2ft from the west with a 13-second period, and combined energy hits (117). Still small, but it’s clean and the wind is light cross-off. It’s surfable, but you’ll be fighting for tiny shoulders.

Now, Sunday the 9th of August is where we start talking. Afternoon session sees 3ft from the west, period 14 seconds, combined energy at (243) – moderate power. Light cross-off breeze from the east. Clean, building energy. This is the beginning of a good run.

Monday the 10th of August afternoon is the first real standout. Swell jumps to 4ft from the NE with a 9-second period, and combined energy rockets to (408) – that’s strong wave energy. Light breeze, cross-off wind. That’s a proper session, and the best on offer so far. The direction (NE) isn’t the optimum (NW), but the size and energy make up for it.

Then Tuesday the 11th through Wednesday the 12th of August are excellent. Swell holds around 3ft from the WNW with a 13 to 15-second period – that’s long-period groundswell. Combined energy peaks at (465) on Wednesday afternoon. Winds go glassy (offshore) both mornings and afternoons on the 12th. This is the true highlight. That long-period west-northwest swell at a sandbar? It could run a bit straight at a beach break, but at Polihale it can handle it. For experts, this is the cleanest, most powerful window in the whole forecast.

Thursday the 13th of August continues the trend with 3ft from the WNW, 16-second period, combined energy (449), and light cross-off winds. Still a solid option.

Overall standout: The 12th of August (Wednesday) – morning and afternoon. Glassy conditions, 3ft groundswell from the WNW with a 15-second period, and the highest combined energy of the whole run (465). That’s the one to circle on the calendar. Keep an eye on the long-period caveat – it might be a little straight at the sandbar, but the lack of wind and the power make it the best bet.

Crowds at Polihale are listed as “sometimes” so you might have company on the best days, but it’s not a circus.

Rusty.

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