Polihale Surf Forecast and Surf Report

G'day, I'm Rusty. Let’s have a look at the surf outlook for Polihale.

Mate, I’m not gonna lie, this is a tough run. For a spot that’s exposed to a northwesterly swell and usually picks up something, the next 16 days look really, really quiet. We’ve got a massive gap straight up, with no real surf to speak of for the first week. The first sign of anything even slightly worthwhile doesn’t show up until Wednesday the 19th of August, which is a long wait for a wave. And even then, it’s not much.

Alright, let’s work through it. From now through most of the second week, it’s all tiny dribble. We start off on Wednesday the 12th with a glassy morning but absolutely zero rideable swell—the combined energy is a flat 0, and the rest of the week is just 1 ft to 1 ft of weak, messy stuff. Winds stay light and variable, mostly cross-off or glassy, which is about the only positive, but with no height, it’s a flat spell. The crowd factor is "sometimes" at Polihale, but nobody will be out when there's nothing to ride.

The pattern doesn't break until the afternoon of Wednesday the 19th of August. We finally get a pulse of 3 ft swell from the NE, but the period is a short 6 seconds, so it's barely got any push. The combined energy reads 94, which is still weak. The report says "surfable waves but very ordinary conditions," and honestly, that’s a generous description for a 3 ft, short-period wave. Thursday the 20th morning is similar with 3 ft from the NE at a 7-second period (62 energy), and it stays cross-off with light winds, so you could scrape a few knee-high lumps out of it if you’re desperate.

After that, it’s back to the flat and weak stuff right through until Thursday the 27th of August. On that morning and afternoon, we get another little bump: 2 ft from the W with a 12-second period (71 energy), which is longer-period and a bit cleaner, but it’s still tiny. The winds are light cross-off, so the surface will be tidy, but with height that small, it’s really just ankle-to-knee-high slosh.

So, the standout? There isn't one, really. The best of a very ordinary bunch is the 3 ft NE swell on the afternoon of Wednesday the 19th, just because it’s the biggest wave in the 16-day window. But with a 6-second period and weak energy (94), it’s going to be crumbly and weak, and it’s only suitable for a longboard if you’re just wanting to paddle around. No one’s scoring barrels here.

As for the water, when we first consider Polihale on the 12th, the temperature is 81°F with a +0.7°F anomaly, so it’s basically average for the time of year—no surprises there.

It’s a lean forecast, folks. I’d be checking back in about 10 days to see if things shift, because right now, the surf cupboard is bare.

Rusty

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