Polihale Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, Rusty here. Let’s have a look at what’s cookin’ on the west side.

Right off the bat, I gotta be straight with you – the next 16 days are lookin’ pretty lean for Polihale. This exposed sandbar is gonna see a stretch of very ordinary waves, and a whole lotta flat spells in between. The water temp is sittin' right around average for the time of year at 80°F, so nothin' wild there.

We start off with a big ol' gap. There's no real surf on offer until the afternoon of Saturday the 25th of July. That first bump is a weak 6 ft NE swell with a short 8 second period, and it’s got moderate energy (434). The wind is cross-off from the ENE at 9 mph, which will keep the surface clean enough, but the swell direction is NE and this spot really wants it from the NW. It’s a marginal call, maybe a few scruffy ones for the patient.

Sunday the 26th of July picks up a little. We’ve got a 6 ft NE swell in the morning, droppin’ to 5 ft by the afternoon, still with that short 8 second period. Energy is moderate (353 and 291). Wind stays light cross-off from the E at 6-9 mph. Conditions are clean, and the data says “expect good surf conditions,” but honestly, it’s not the right direction. It’s surfable, but it’s not classic Polihale. This is likely the most consistent couple of sessions in the whole run, so if you’re keen, that Sunday morning window is your best bet for a few clean, if a little weak, waves.

Monday the 27th and Tuesday the 28th of July see the swell drop fast. Monday morning has a tiny 5 ft NE swell with a poor 7 second period and weak energy (217). Winds go light cross-shore, but the energy is gone. This is really for beginners only, and even then it’s marginal. Tuesday the 28th is basically flat by the afternoon.

Then we hit a long, dry spell. From Wednesday the 29th of July right through to Saturday the 8th of August, the pickin’s are slim. You get a few scraps – a tiny 2 ft SW groundswell with a 16 second period on the 31st of July (energy 143), but it’s barely surfable. Winds are mostly moderate cross-off at 12 mph. That long period will make it line up weird on a sandbar like this, too. Not worth paddlin' out for.

There’s another big gap of flat or tiny junk after that until Sunday the 9th of August. That morning, a tiny 2 ft W swell with a long 12 second period pushes the energy up a notch to 69, and the wind is light cross-off from the SSW. The data calls it “surfable waves but very ordinary conditions.” I’d call it a last gasp. By the afternoon, the wind swings cross-on from the WSW at 6 mph, and a 3 ft NE windswell pops up with weak energy (132), but it’s gonna be choppy and messy.

The Bottom Line: There’s no true standout here. If you have to paddle out, Sunday the 26th of July morning is your only real window for clean, semi-consistent 5-6 ft surf at Polihale, but the direction is all wrong for this spot. Expect a lot of flat days in between.

Stay patient, keep an eye on the sky, and don’t force it.

Rusty.

Read more