Polihale Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, folks, Rusty here. Let’s have a look at what’s cookin’ for Polihale over the next couple of weeks. Gotta be straight with you – the first week is pretty flat and quiet, so don’t get your hopes up too early. We’ve got a long stretch of small, weak waves and mostly ordinary conditions until things finally start waking up toward the end of the forecast window.

Overall Pattern:
The first recommendation comes in on Sunday, September 13th, with a small, knee-high swell. For the next week or so, it’s mostly tiny waves – often below 3 ft – with weak energy readings. The combined swell energy sits between 37 and 216 (moderate at best), but the quality is just “surfable but ordinary” or flat-out poor for most of that time. There’s a real gap from about Wednesday the 16th through to the following Wednesday the 23rd where there’s hardly any surf worth paddling out for. The water temperature at Polihale is a warm 80°F, which is pretty much normal for this time of year – no surprises there.

The First Week (Sept 13–19):
Sunday morning the 13th is your only real chance early on – small 3 ft NE swell with a 9-second period, cross-off wind from the east at 3 mph, and clean conditions. Energy is weak at 129. It’s not gonna blow your mind, but it’s surfable. After that, Monday the 14th morning looks *glassy* with 3 ft NE swell, same 8-second period – that’s about as good as it gets for the first few days. Tuesday the 15th holds a bit of hope with 3 ft NE swell in the afternoon and clean conditions. But by Wednesday the 16th it’s fading fast – period drops to 6 seconds and energy plummets. Thursday the 17th morning pushes 5 ft NE swell (moderate energy at 216), but it’s a crosswind with short 7-second period – not great shape. From Thursday afternoon through the rest of the week it’s mostly flat or messy with weak, short-period pulses.

The Gap (Sept 20–25):
There’s a real dry spell here. From Sunday the 20th through to Thursday the 24th, swell heights barely hit 2 ft or 2 ft, with energy mostly under 100. The period is short or mixed, and wind is cross-off most of the time. It’s honestly a kite-surfing setup, not a paddle-surfing one – small, weak, and blown-out. Friday the 25th morning sees a tiny 2 ft N swell with 10-second period and energy at 92 – still very ordinary, and rain showers spoil the afternoon.

The Turnaround (Sept 26–28):
Now this is where it gets interesting. Saturday the 26th brings a 1 ft WNW swell but with a *very long* 19-second period – that’s groundswell with serious energy (192). It’s small in height, but that long period means clean lines at this sandbar, especially with light ENE winds. Sunday the 27th is the standout: 3 ft WNW swell, 17-second period, and combined energy jumping to 340 (strong!). Winds are light cross-off, and conditions are clean. This is the best on offer – a proper long-period groundswell hitting Polihale’s exposed NW sandbar. It’ll be clean, with good shape and decent power for the size. This is the one to target. Monday the 28th morning is also a beauty – 2 ft NW swell, 14-second period, glassy conditions with NE wind at 3 mph, and energy at 201. Afternoon holds 3 ft WNW swell with 13-second period and glassy conditions again. That’s a solid couple of days right there.

Crowds & Consistency:
Polihale can get crowded sometimes, so expect company if the surf turns on. It’s fairly consistent as a spot, but this long-period swell is best for the sandbar – it might break a bit straight at times, but with that period and clean wind, it should offer some nice lines.

Sign-Off:
So, the bottom line: don’t bother with the first week unless you’re desperate for a splash. The real action is from Saturday the 26th through Monday the 28th – that’s your window. The long-period groundswell and glassy mornings are what dreams are made of. Stay patient, and you’ll be rewarded.

Rusty.

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