Polihale Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, Rusty here. Let’s take a look at what’s coming up for Polihale.

The next week and a half is looking pretty quiet for the most part. We’re starting off with a real flat spell. From Friday the 4th right through the weekend and into Monday the 7th, there’s practically nothing on the cards. The combined swell energy is sitting at zero or in the low teens, with tiny knee-high waves at best. It’s clean, but there’s no push at all. You’re looking at a solid 4-day gap with no real surf to speak of.

Things finally start to show a pulse on Tuesday the 8th. A moderate pulse of swell rolls in, with a combined energy of 900, and wave heights around 7 ft coming from the west. That’s a solid size, but it’s a short-period swell at 10 seconds, and the wind is a strong cross-off from the SSW at 16 mph. The conditions are considered marginal, with questionable tide and a bit of a chop. This one is really for the advanced crew only – it’s going to be a handful.

Wednesday the 9th offers a bit of a reprieve, with the energy dropping to 279 and waves around 4 ft from the NW. The magic here is the wind: it’s dead calm in the morning, glassy, which is a major positive. The water temp is a warm 81°, which is spot on for this time of year. The NW swell direction is where Polihale likes it, and that 10-second period gives decent shape. This is the best window in the first week – clean, sized right for a fun session, and not too crowded.

The rest of the first week and into the second week drifts back into lethargic conditions. From Thursday the 10th through to Monday the 14th, we’re back to waist-high, weak energy, with marginal to poor surf conditions. There’s a couple of days with long-period swell (16 seconds on the 11th, 13 seconds on the 13th) but the height is tiny, and the energy is low. Not worth paddling out for.

Now, looking further out, Tuesday the 15th of September has a standout. We’ve got a 2 ft swell from the SW with a very long period of 21 seconds and a combined energy of 338. The wind is light and cross-off from the east, keeping the surface clean. This is a classic groundswell event, and with that long period, it’s going to wrap in nicely. The size is small, but the quality and shape will be exceptional. It’s a promising long-range call, but still a week and a half away, so keep an eye on it.

After that, the last few days of the outlook (16th to 19th) are mostly small, weak, and ordinary. The 17th has a glassy morning with 4 ft from the NE, but it’s a short-period 7-second wave, so expect a bit of a bumpy, close-out wall. Not a highlight.

The pick of the run: Wednesday morning the 9th for the glassy, clean 4 ft NW swell. And for a more interesting, longer-range option, Tuesday the 15th for that beautiful long-period SW groundswell – just keep your expectations in check for the size.

Rusty.

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