Polihale Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, this is Rusty checking in with the outlook for our local waters.

Honestly, it's a tough start and a real long dry spell. We've got next to nothing on the cards for the next week or so. The first whisper of anything rideable doesn't show up until September 4th, and even then it's a sad little 2ft from the NE at a short period of 7 seconds – just enough to mess with your head more than anything. There’s a long gap of almost dead flat conditions before that, from the 29th of August all the way through to the 3rd of September. You can see bits of glassy water, but there's zero energy in the water (0 combined energy).

The wait finally seems to pay off a little around September 7th. We get a little bump late in the day, but the real standout is shaping up for September 9th (Wednesday morning). That’s where we finally see a pulse of something real. Polihale is the go-to here. It's an exposed sandbar, and it’s the one spot in the mix worth paddling out at. This morning session has a clean 5ft of NE swell, driven by a light offshore breeze from the E. It’s a proper sandbar setup, so even though the period is a shorter 8 seconds, the combined energy is a solid moderate 367 – that’s the most energy we’ve seen in the whole 16-day run. The water is a warm 81°F, which is about average for this time of year, nothing unusual there.

Because that swell is a touch over 5ft, this one is really for the more experienced crew. Beginners might find it a bit much, especially at a sandbar where things can shift. Keep in mind the optimum swell direction for Polihale is NW, and this is coming from the NE, so it won't be perfect, but it's the best we've got. The crowds can be an issue here *sometimes*, but with the wind being that clean and offshore for the morning session, it’s worth risking the company. The early glass-off on the 10th of September (Thursday) offers a smaller, cleaner 3ft from the NNE with 168 combined energy, making it a decent follow-up session for a smaller board.

So the call is simple: sit tight through this blank run. It’s a long one, nearly a week with zero options. But once we hit the second week, there’s a glimmer. The 9th of September morning is your best bet by a long shot.

Rusty.

Read more