Polihale Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, Rusty here. Let's have a look at what's coming down the pipe for us.

First thing you need to know – we’re in for a pretty quiet stretch. Right now there’s no surf to speak of. A tiny bit of energy on the 2nd of July from the NE with a combined swell energy of (125), but it’s a cross-shore wind and the report says poor surf conditions, so no point even paddling out. That flat spell will stretch all the way through to the morning of the 3rd, and honestly, even then it’s barely a ripple. We'll see a little bump of 2ft NW swell creep in Friday morning the 3rd, but the combined energy is weak (85) and it’s just “surfable but very ordinary.” Saturday the 4th and Sunday the 5th will be the same story – tiny swell, barely rideable. If you get desperate for a splash, you could maybe find a knee-high wave on Saturday afternoon, but don't get your hopes up.

Things stay very quiet right through the first half of the week. Monday the 6th, Tuesday the 7th, Wednesday the 8th, and Thursday the 9th are practically flat – we're looking at combined swell energy values between 3 and 38. Even the long period nature of the little spikes on the 8th (19 seconds) isn't doing us any favours when the height’s only 0.3ft.

Now, the real story starts to build late in the first week. Friday the 10th of July we finally see a pulse that matters – a 2ft groundswell out of the W, period of 14 seconds, and a combined energy that just nudges into triple digits at (100). Winds are cross-off and light with clean conditions. It’s still small, but it’s the first hint of something real. Saturday the 11th morning looks similar, 2ft W swell, period 14 seconds, energy (119), clean with light cross-off breeze. But here’s where it gets interesting: Saturday afternoon the 11th, a quick push of NE windswell pumps in at 4ft, period of 8 seconds. That's a lot more size, but the direction is NE and the winds go cross-shore, plus the combined energy jumps to (427) – moderate to strong energy. It’ll be a little messy and punchy, but if you're after some power on a sandbar, it might be worth a look. That's the biggest size we'll see for a while.

Sunday the 12th backs off to that clean 2 to 2ft W swell, energy in the 160s. Monday the 13th of July is where things finally start to click. We get a 2ft W groundswell with a 15-second period, combined energy at (267), and the winds go light cross-off with clean conditions. The report says “expect good surf conditions.” This is the first real standout. Tuesday the 14th sees that swell hold at 3ft, 16-second period, energy hitting (322) – that’s a proper moderate energy pulse. Still light cross-off winds and clean. Then Wednesday the 15th is the jewel: 3ft W swell, 15-second period, (279) energy, and the wind goes glassy out of the NE at only 5 km/h. Glassy conditions. That is the pick of the entire outlook. If you can get out there on Wednesday the 15th morning, you will find clean, lined-up sets at Polihale (Kauai). This is a sandbar break, so those long period W swells (over 15 seconds) can sometimes race a bit straight, but with glassy conditions it will be pure. It’s advanced-level surf at that size for sure, but the quality will be worth the paddle. Crowds? It's a sandbar, and it says “sometimes” for crowds, so expect some company but not a total circus. Thursday the 16th morning stays glassy, 2ft W swell, 14-second period, energy (206) – another really clean session, just a tiny step down in size.

After that, Friday the 17th fades. The swell drops to 2ft, the wind goes cross, and the quality disappears. So, to sum it up: the first ten days are mostly flat or tiny. The real gold is from Monday the 13th through Thursday the 16th, with Wednesday the 15th being the absolute standout – glassy conditions, waist-to-chest high + groundswell, and clean as a whistle.

Stay tuned, the surf’s comin’.

Rusty.

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