
Surf Forecasts:
Polihale surf forecast from 28 Jul 2026:
- Best quality surf: Tuesday 28 Jul, 2AM (local time) - 5ft (1.5m), 7s period, NE swell with cross-offshore winds.
- Most powerful swell: Wednesday 29 Jul, 8PM (local time) - 7ft (2.1m), 10s period, NE swell with 862 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Tuesday 28 Jul, 2AM (local time) - 5ft (1.5m), 7s period with NE swell.
Best Forecast Surf Conditions for Polihale this week:
The surf forecast for Polihale over the next 16 days: The first swell (rated 1 star or higher) is forecast to arrive on Tuesday (Jul 28) at 2AM. The primary swell is predicted to be 1.5m and 7s period. The wind is predicted to be cross-offshore as the swell arrives.
The most powerful waves expected at Polihale in the next 16 days are 2.1m 10s and forecast to arrive on Wednesday (Jul 29) at 8PM. Winds are predicted to be cross-onshore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 2.3m 11s period and expected on Wednesday (Jul 29) at 2PM.
| Wave Type | Time (HST) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 2AM (Tue 28th Jul) | 5ft (1.5m) 7s |
| Best Surf | 2AM (Tue 28th Jul) | 5ft (1.5m) 7s |
| Most Powerful | 8PM (Wed 29th Jul) | 7ft (2.1m) 10s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Polihale over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
Alright folks, Rusty here. Let’s get into it for the stretch from late July into early August. Gotta be honest with you, this is a quiet one for the most part. We’re looking at a long, slow period with only a few flickers of life, mostly at the very end of the run.
The first real chance to get wet comes on Tuesday, 28 July, but it’s not much to write home about. Polihale is seeing a small 4ft NNE windswell with a short period of 7 seconds, and the wind is light cross-shore. The combined energy is weak (173), and the surf is pretty poor—just a bit bumpy and disorganized. Tuesday afternoon is a little better with a 4ft NE swell, still short period, but the energy picks up a bit (231). Still, it’s only marginal.
The rest of the first week is a write-off. Wednesday the 29th has a bit of swell but it’s onshore and choppy, and from Thursday 30 July through to Monday 3 August, we’ve got next to nothing—flat days with clean conditions but no waves to speak of. That’s a solid five-day gap with no recommendations.
Things stay tiny through the start of the second week. We get a small 1.0ft to 1ft west-southwest groundswell popping up on Tuesday 4 August and Wednesday 5 August, but the energy is weak (40 to 54) and the waves are just too small. It’s not until Thursday 6 August that we start to see something surfable. A 1ft west swell with a 14-second period rolls in, and the combined energy climbs to 92. Winds are light cross-offshore, so the conditions are clean. The waves are still only "surfable but very ordinary"—it’s a knee-high groomer for the patient surfer.
Now, the standout. If you’ve got the patience, aim for Friday 7 August afternoon. We’ve got a 2ft west swell, period of 14 seconds, and the energy jumps to 201—moderate wave energy for this spot. The wind is light and cross-offshore, keeping it clean. This is the best on offer across the whole 16 days. It’s small, but for Polihale, that long-period west groundswell will line up nicely on the sandbar. The optimum swell direction is NW, so it’s a little off-angle, but it should still produce some fun, peelable lines. Conditions are expected to be good. It’s not a day for beginners with that long period, but for a competent surfer on a log, it’s your best bet.
After that, Saturday 8 August drops off again, and the following week (9th to 12th) is a mix of flat and tiny waist-high dribbles. The water temp is about average for the time of year, no major anomaly to note.
In short, a long flat spell, then one small window of clean, long-period groundswell on the 7th. Forecasts can change, and it wouldn’t take much to improve this outlook, but as it stands, that Friday afternoon is the only real session in the lot.
Rusty.
Short Range ForecastLight rain (total 2mm), mostly falling on Wed night. Warm (max 27°C on Tue afternoon, min 24°C on Mon night). Wind will be generally light. | Days 5-7 Weather SummarySome drizzle, heaviest during Thu night. Warm (max 28°C on Fri morning, min 24°C on Sat night). Wind will be generally light. | ||||||||||||||||||
Tuesday 28 | Wednesday 29 | Thursday 30 | Friday 31 | Saturday 1 | Sunday 2 | ||||||||||||||
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) | NE 7 | NNE 7 | NE 9 | NNE 7 | NNE 7 | N 7 | NE 9 | ENE 8 | ENE 8 | SW 16 | SW 16 | ENE 8 | SW 15 | ENE 8 | ENE 8 | ENE 8 | N 9 | N 8 | W 11 |
Wave Graph | |||||||||||||||||||
222 | 173 | 231 | 123 | 117 | 72 | 497 | 0 | 0 | 129 | 124 | 0 | 106 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 13 | 12 | 9 | |
Wind (km/h) | |||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | cross-off | cross | cross | cross-off | cross-on | cross-on | cross-off | off | off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off |
High Tide | 2:05AM0.25m | 3:41PM0.68m | 2:46AM0.27m | 4:08PM0.68m | 3:29AM0.29m | 4:33PM0.66m | 4:15AM0.31m | 4:55PM0.63m | 5:05AM0.34m | 5:16PM0.58m | 6:02AM0.37m | 5:35PM0.53m | |||||||
Low Tide | 10:44PM0.20m | 7:55AM0.04m | 11:01PM0.20m | 8:31AM0.04m | 11:18PM0.19m | 9:06AM0.07m | 11:36PM0.18m | 9:42AM0.11m | 11:54PM0.17m | 10:21AM0.16m | 00:13AM0.15m | 11:06AM0.23m | 00:35AM0.13m | ||||||
— | 6:09 | — | — | 6:09 | — | — | 6:09 | — | — | 6:09 | — | — | 6:11 | — | — | 6:11 | — | — | |
7:21 | — | 7:21 | — | — | 7:20 | — | — | 7:20 | — | — | 7:19 | — | — | 7:19 | — | — | 7:17 | — | |
mm | — | — | — | — | — | — | 2 | — | — | 1 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Temp °C | 26 | 26 | 27 | 26 | 26 | 27 | 26 | 27 | 27 | 26 | 28 | 28 | 26 | 27 | 28 | 26 | 27 | 27 | 25 |
Feels °C | 27 | 29 | 29 | 28 | 29 | 29 | 29 | 29 | 29 | 29 | 28 | 28 | 26 | 25 | 26 | 25 | 28 | 28 | 24 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | E 14 | E 13 | E 13 | E 12 | ENE 11 | ENE 10 | NE 9 | ENE 8 | ENE 8 | S 13 | S 12 | ENE 8 | E 15 | E 15 | E 15 | ENE 8 | E 14 | E 14 | E 14 |
561 | 878 | 991 | 989 | 792 | 990 | 497 | 315 | 226 | 156 | 106 | 238 | 159 | 150 | 150 | 439 | 144 | 194 | 146 | |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | S 14 | S 14 | S 13 | S 14 | S 14 | S 14 | S 14 | S 13 | S 13 | N 7 | E 16 | S 12 | SW 15 | SSW 14 | SSW 14 | E 14 | SW 14 | SW 13 | SSW 13 |
203 | 132 | 92 | 140 | 153 | 203 | 179 | 171 | 168 | 24 | 127 | 104 | 106 | 74 | 73 | 199 | 47 | 44 | 66 | |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | NE 10 | S 10 | S 16 | S 16 | S 10 | SW 20 | SSW 19 | SW 18 | SSW 18 | SW 16 | SW 16 | E 15 | S 12 | S 11 | S 11 | SSW 14 | N 9 | N 8 | W 11 |
45 | 8 | 46 | 46 | 2 | 15 | 37 | 80 | 121 | 129 | 124 | 110 | 70 | 40 | 37 | 77 | 13 | 12 | 9 | |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | NE 7 | NNE 7 | NE 9 | NNE 7 | NNE 7 | N 7 | — | — | — | E 8 | E 8 | — | ENE 8 | ENE 8 | ENE 8 | ENE 8 | ENE 8 | ENE 8 | ENE 8 |
222 | 173 | 231 | 123 | 117 | 72 | — | — | — | 149 | 168 | — | 280 | 394 | 475 | 645 | 516 | 468 | 432 | |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 0 | 8 | 8 | 0 | 8 | 18 | 0 | 24 | 36 | 0 | 8 | 344 | 344 | 365 | 344 | 8 | 8 | 8 | 8 |
Best forecast wave conditions in Kaua'i | |||||||||||||||||||
Best forecast wave conditions in United States | |||||||||||||||||||
Header Global | |||||||||||||||||||
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Information about the Polihale Surf forecast
The above surf forecast table for Polihale provides essential information for determining whether the surfing conditions will be good over the next 16 days. A general guide to surfing at Polihale can be found by selecting the local surf guide option on the grey menu. Our Polihale 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 (Polihale) 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 Polihale 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.
Are you planning a vacation in Kaua'i? If you are looking for accommodation near Polihale, camping, hotels and condos and appartments in Kaua'i, consider staying in Nawiliwili which is 43 km (27 miles) away. Alternatively, find information about places to stay and car hire in Lihue - Kauai which is 45 km (28 miles) away









