Polihale Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, it’s Rusty here. Let’s be real about the next couple of weeks. We’re looking at a pretty slow start, but there’s a definite pulse of energy coming down the line. Don’t get too excited about the first few days; the ocean is gonna be a bit sleepy.

Right off the bat, the water temp at Polihale is sitting at 80°, which is bang on average for this time of year, so nothing weird going on there. We’ve got a patch of tiny, short-period swell rolling in for the 19th and 20th, with the energy reading at a weak 70. The wind is mostly light and cross-shore, which won’t help the already poor conditions. Thursday the 20th is glassy but still tiny at 3ft and the period is a weak 7 seconds, so don’t paddle out expecting much.

Now, keep an eye on the 21st. We get a shift as a longer-period, 11-second W swell fills in under a glassy sky. It’s still small, around 2ft, and the energy is only moderate at 149, but it’s a step in the right direction. Friday afternoon cleans up with light offshore ESE winds and glassy conditions, but you'll still be hunting for the ripple.

Here’s where things start to get interesting. The real window is the 22nd of August. The swell builds to 3ft on Saturday morning, with that WNW direction and a period of 11 seconds. The energy jumps up to a moderate 278. But the standout is Saturday afternoon. The swell pushes to 4ft from the WNW, with a 12-second period, and the energy is kicking at a strong 416. The winds go offshore from the ESE and it’s clean. This is the best surf of the first week. Get some.

After that flash, it backs off again. The 23rd through the 25th see the swell drop back under 3ft, with cross and cross-off winds messing with the shape. Energy drops back down to weak numbers. The 26th through the 31st is a real dead zone. We’re talking no swell – a solid blank run of about six days where there is nothing worth paddling out for. The models show zilch, which can happen, but it’s a bit of a bummer.

Now, for the second week, we have a couple of long-range promises, but keep your expectations in check. The first one jumps out on the 1st of September. It’s a Tuesday, and the afternoon looks like it could be fun. A new swell pushes in at 5ft from the NE, but the period is a short 7 seconds, so it’s going to be a bit crumbly. The energy is moderate at 200, and with light glassy winds, it could be a fun, punchy session.

But the one that has my attention is the 3rd of September. There’s a more powerful SW groundswell showing up, with a solid 13-second period. Thursday morning sees 4ft, and the afternoon builds to 4ft. The energy is strong at 545, and with light cross-off SSE winds, it’s looking like the cleanest, most powerful swell of the whole outlook. Remember, it's over a week out, so we treat this as promising, not a guarantee.

So, to wrap it up, if you want a wave, your best bets are Saturday the 22nd for clean, fun waves, and the long-range window on the 3rd of September for something with a bit more push. The rest is a waiting game.

Rusty out.

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