Surf Forecasts:
Polihale surf forecast from 19 Aug 2026:
- Best quality surf: Friday 21 Aug, 8AM (local time) - 2.5ft (0.7m), 11s period, W swell with glassy winds.
- Most powerful swell: Saturday 22 Aug, 5PM (local time) - 3.5ft (1.1m), 12s period, WNW swell with 328 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Thursday 20 Aug, 5AM (local time) - 3ft (0.9m), 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 Thursday (Aug 20) at 5AM. The primary swell is predicted to be 0.9m 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 1.1m 12s and forecast to arrive on Saturday (Aug 22) at 5PM. Winds are predicted to be cross-offshore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 1.9m 8s period and expected on Tuesday (Aug 25) at 11AM.
| Wave Type | Time (HST) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 5AM (Thu 20th Aug) | 3ft (0.9m) 7s |
| Best Surf | 8AM (Fri 21st Aug) | 2.5ft (0.7m) 11s |
| Most Powerful | 5PM (Sat 22nd Aug) | 3.5ft (1.1m) 12s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Polihale over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
Alright folks, Rusty here. Let’s have a look at what’s coming down the pipe for the next couple of weeks.
Right off the bat, we’ve got a bit of a flat spell to sit through. The first few days are a write-off, with tiny, weak, messy windswell and poor conditions. It’s not until Friday morning, the 21st of August, that we finally see a pulse of life. A new long-period groundswell starts to fill in, with a period of 11 seconds from the west-northwest, but it’s still small at 2ft. However, the wind goes glassy, and the energy picks up to 110 (moderate), so it’s a start. By Friday afternoon, that same swell drops in a bit of rain but the easterly wind stays glassy, the energy jumps to 205 (moderate), and the conditions are good. That’s the first real sign of life.
Saturday the 22nd of August is where we start to get excited. That morning, the swell is a clean 3ft from the west-northwest with a 12-second period, glassy wind, and the energy is pumping at 293 (moderate). It’s still a small wave, but it’s clean and building. The afternoon sees it nudge up to 4ft, but the wind goes cross-shore and the score drops off, so get it in the morning.
Now, for the standout window. Sunday morning, the 23rd of August, is the pick of the bunch. Head to Polihale – a sandbar setup that’s fairly consistent. The swell is 3ft from the west-northwest, but the period is 11 seconds, and the energy is solid at 207 (moderate). The wind is from the east-northeast at 6 mph, which is a clean, cross-offshore breeze. That’s the magic combo. The water temperature is about average for this time of year with no unusual anomaly. The waves will be clean, shaped, and the long-period groundswell will give them some push. It’s not a big wave, but for a small, clean, glassy morning, it’s the best on offer. Keep in mind, crowds can be a factor here sometimes, so get there early.
After that, the swell fades fast. The rest of the run is mostly small, weak, and not worth a paddle. You’ll see a few knee-high bumps from the 30th of August into the first week of September, but the wind is never on your side, and the energy is weak (values like 63, 44, 49). There’s a tiny pulse on the 3rd of September with a 2ft, 14-second swell from the west, but the energy is only 198 (moderate) and the wind is cross-offshore. It’s surfable, but nothing to write home about.
So, the long and short of it: Hit it hard on Sunday the 23rd of August. That’s your window. The rest is a waiting game.
Rusty.
Short Range ForecastMostly dry. Warm (max 27°C on Wed morning, min 25°C on Wed morning). Wind will be generally light. | Days 4-6 Weather SummaryLight rain (total 2mm), mostly falling on Mon night. Warm (max 28°C on Sat morning, min 25°C on Sat night). Wind will be generally light. | ||||||||||||||||||||
Wednesday 19 | Thursday 20 | Friday 21 | Saturday 22 | Sunday 23 | Monday 24 | Tuesday 25 | |||||||||||||||
AM | 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) | NE 7 | NE 6 | NE 6 | W 11 | W 10 | W 10 | W 11 | W 10 | W 10 | WNW 11 | WNW 12 | WNW 11 | WNW 11 | WNW 11 | NW 11 | NW 11 | WNW 10 | WNW 10 | E 8 | ENE 8 | ENE 8 |
Wave Graph | |||||||||||||||||||||
46 | 46 | 56 | 60 | 49 | 71 | 110 | 108 | 130 | 273 | 328 | 234 | 207 | 227 | 126 | 94 | 71 | 40 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
Wind (km/h) | |||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | glassy | cross | cross-off | glassy | cross-off | glassy | glassy | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off |
High Tide | 10:07AM0.51m | 11:26AM0.53m | 12:23PM0.57m | 1:05PM0.59m | 11:49PM0.22m | 1:40PM0.62m | 00:48AM0.24m | 2:10PM0.64m | 1:30AM0.27m | 2:37PM0.65m | 2:08AM0.30m | ||||||||||
Low Tide | 1:44AM0.13m | 2:53AM0.14m | 4:19AM0.13m | 9:37PM0.21m | 5:28AM0.11m | 9:26PM0.20m | 6:20AM0.09m | 9:31PM0.19m | 7:04AM0.07m | 9:41PM0.18m | |||||||||||
6:16 | — | — | 6:18 | — | — | 6:18 | — | — | 6:18 | — | — | 6:18 | — | — | 6:18 | — | — | 6:18 | — | — | |
— | 7:07 | — | — | 7:06 | — | — | 7:05 | — | — | 7:04 | — | — | 7:02 | — | — | 7:01 | — | — | 7:01 | — | |
mm | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 2 | 1 | — | — |
Temp °C | 27 | 26 | 26 | 26 | 26 | 26 | 26 | 26 | 26 | 28 | 28 | 27 | 27 | 28 | 26 | 28 | 27 | 26 | 26 | 26 | 26 |
Feels °C | 30 | 29 | 29 | 29 | 29 | 30 | 30 | 30 | 30 | 31 | 31 | 30 | 29 | 29 | 26 | 28 | 27 | 26 | 27 | 26 | 27 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | NE 7 | NE 6 | NE 6 | NE 6 | E 8 | ENE 7 | ENE 7 | ENE 7 | ENE 7 | WNW 11 | WNW 12 | WNW 11 | WNW 11 | WNW 11 | NW 11 | NW 11 | WNW 10 | SSW 12 | E 8 | ENE 8 | ENE 8 |
46 | 46 | 56 | 60 | 43 | 90 | 93 | 90 | 75 | 273 | 328 | 234 | 207 | 227 | 126 | 94 | 71 | 89 | 375 | 280 | 232 | |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | E 9 | E 9 | E 8 | E 8 | W 10 | W 10 | W 11 | W 10 | W 10 | ENE 7 | SSW 16 | SSW 16 | SSW 15 | SSW 15 | SSW 14 | SSW 14 | SSW 13 | WNW 10 | S 16 | S 8 | SSW 14 |
73 | 52 | 33 | 46 | 49 | 71 | 110 | 108 | 130 | 68 | 166 | 162 | 150 | 144 | 138 | 108 | 102 | 40 | 131 | 29 | 165 | |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | S 12 | S 12 | S 12 | W 11 | SSW 17 | SSW 16 | SSW 17 | SSW 16 | SSW 16 | SSW 16 | SW 9 | WSW 9 | SSE 13 | SSE 13 | E 11 | E 11 | SSW 18 | SSW 16 | SSW 12 | S 16 | S 7 |
69 | 69 | 69 | 58 | 119 | 181 | 197 | 173 | 171 | 173 | 23 | 8 | 60 | 35 | 65 | 62 | 61 | 91 | 58 | 127 | 23 | |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | E 9 | E 8 | — | NE 6 | — | — | SSE 3 | — | E 7 | ENE 7 | ENE 7 | ENE 7 | ENE 6 | ENE 7 | ENE 7 | ENE 8 | E 9 | E 8 | — | — |
— | 94 | 86 | — | 49 | — | — | 2 | — | 113 | 79 | 160 | 193 | 192 | 216 | 271 | 318 | 442 | 517 | — | — | |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 8 | 14 | 8 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 8 | 8 | 8 | 344 | 344 | 162 | 162 | 8 |
Best forecast wave conditions in Kaua'i | |||||||||||||||||||||
Best forecast wave conditions in United States | |||||||||||||||||||||
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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










