Polihale Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, Rusty here. Let’s be straight with you—this stretch isn’t giving us much to work with. For the next week and a half, it’s mostly flat and poor, with a tiny flicker of life well into the second week. If you’re hoping for a session, you’ll need to be patient and pick your moment.

The first real surf worth talking about doesn’t show up until Sunday, September 7th, so there’s a big gap of nothing from now until then. The water temp at Polihale is sitting at 81°F, which is about average for this time of year, nothing wild.

Let’s break it down. From Wednesday, August 27th, through the rest of the month, it’s a ghost town. Tiny dribbles of swell—1 ft to 2 ft from the NW, with periods around 9-10 seconds—and the combined energy is weak, around 20-47. Not worth paddling out for. Winds are light cross-off or cross, so it’s clean, but there’s simply no push. That continues through the first week of September with zeros across the board.

The only standout, and I mean the only one, comes on the morning of Sunday, September 7th. Polihale (Kauai) lights up with a 3 ft NW swell—actually from the NNW, which is close to the ideal NW direction for this spot. The period is 13 seconds, so we’re getting some proper groundswell energy, and the combined energy reads 215, which is moderate. Winds are light SSE at 6 mph, blowing cross-offshore, keeping the surf clean. The water temp anomaly is normal, so it’s comfortable. This is your best window: small but clean, and for an advanced break like this, those conditions are a rare treat. Just know that Polihale can be inconsistent, and crowds are possible here, so get in early.

The afternoon of the 7th keeps a similar 3 ft NNW swell with a 12-second period, but the wind swings to light SSE offshore, still decent. Energy drops a little to 196. It’s surfable, but the morning is the pick.

After that, Monday the 8th sees a mix—morning has a tiny 1 ft NNW swell, but the afternoon brings a bump to 4 ft from the NE, period 8 seconds, energy 230. That’s a bit more size, but the short period means it’s a bit junky and likely better suited to experienced surfers. The wind is light cross-off, so it’s clean enough.

The rest of the forecast into the second week (September 9th-10th) is back to small, marginal stuff—1 ft to 2 ft swells with weak energy, mostly under 145. Not worth chasing.

To wrap it up: the one clear standout is the morning of Sunday, September 7th at Polihale. That’s your shot. Bring patience, and don’t expect much else.

Rusty.

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