Polihale Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, Rusty here. Let’s take a long, hard look at what’s coming down the pipeline for us.

The big picture? It’s a bit of a slow burn. We’ve got a window of fun, workable waves kicking off this week, but the real magic is tucked away towards the end. There’s also a flat spell in the middle of the second week that’ll test your patience.

Starting off on Sunday the 12th, Polihale has some energy to work with. The morning brings a 6ft swell out of the NE, and the combined energy is a solid moderate 382. With a cross-off breeze, the conditions are clean. It’s a little on the short period side at 8 seconds, but it’s surfable and the waves are there. This is a good, honest Sunday morning sesh. The water temp is about what you’d expect for this time of year, nothing weird going on there.

Monday the 13th settles right down. The swell drops to 2ft from the west with a really long 19-second period, giving it that lazy, groundswell feel. The combined energy is still moderate at 338. This is a more mellow, cruisy day. The long period at a sandbar like Polihale can mean the waves stand up a bit more, but the energy is low, so it’s just fun trim riding.

Tuesday the 14th is where things get interesting. The swell bumps up slightly to 3ft from the west, but the real story is the energy. We’re looking at a combined swell energy of 512, the highest of the entire run. The period is a very long 16 seconds and the wind is light out of the ENE. This is going to produce some proper, clean lines. This morning is the standout of the first week. The wave quality looks very good, and with that long period, the sets will have some push.

Wednesday the 15th and Thursday the 16th keep the good trend going. The swell holds at 3-3ft out of the west with a solid 14-15 second period. The energy stays high (361-435) and the winds remain light cross-off. These are clean, consistent days where you can just sit out there and pick off runners.

Friday the 17th is okay in the morning—still 2ft west swell with 14-second period—but the afternoon gets dicey. The wind switches to a light cross from the NE, but the surf is flagged as poor and the energy drops to 168. The morning is the call.

Now for the gap you need to know about. From Saturday the 18th, the swell takes a nose dive. The waves get smaller and the energy drops into the 100s and below. By Sunday the 19th, it’s pretty much flat with energy down to 31, and it completely flatlines through Monday the 20th. You’re looking at a solid 3-day stretch of no real surf.

There’s a flicker of life on Tuesday the 21st and Wednesday the 22nd. We get 3ft to 4ft of short-period NE windswell (7 seconds). The energy is back in the moderate range (88-131), but it’s ordinary. The glassy conditions on the 21st and 22nd mornings could offer a few weak but clean little waves if you’re desperate.

Thursday the 23rd is flat again with weak energy.

Friday the 24th brings another pulse. A 4ft NE swell, short period at 6 seconds, and a combined energy of 183. The wind is a gentle cross-off in the morning, but the afternoon turns to cross-shore chop. It’s surfable but not pretty. This pattern of 4ft NE windswell rolls into Saturday the 25th as well—nothing special.

And then it fades out. Sunday the 26th and Monday the 27th are completely flat.

So, where’s the best bet? Without a doubt, Tuesday the 14th of July morning is your winner. That 3ft west swell with a 16-second period and that big spike in combined energy (512) is going to be the cleanest, most powerful surf we see in this entire 16-day window. Light cross-off wind, good shape. That’s the one to circle on the calendar.

Rusty.

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