
Surf Forecasts:
Polihale surf forecast from 11 Sep 2026:
- Best quality surf: Saturday 12 Sep, 11AM (local time) - 1.5ft (0.5m), 16s period, SW swell with glassy winds.
- Most powerful swell: Tuesday 15 Sep, 5AM (local time) - 1.5ft (0.5m), 21s period, SW swell with 220 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Friday 11 Sep, 2AM (local time) - 1.5ft (0.5m), 16s period with SW swell.
Best Forecast Surf Conditions for Polihale this week:
The surf forecast for Polihale over the next 16 days: The first swell (rated 1 star or higher) is forecast to arrive on Friday (Sep 11) at 2AM. The primary swell is predicted to be 0.5m and 16s period. The wind is predicted to be cross-offshore as the swell arrives.
The most powerful waves expected at Polihale in the next 16 days are 0.5m 21s and forecast to arrive on Tuesday (Sep 15) at 5AM. Winds are predicted to be cross-offshore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 2.0m 8s period and expected on Thursday (Sep 17) at 2PM.
| Wave Type | Time (HST) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 2AM (Fri 11th Sep) | 1.5ft (0.5m) 16s |
| Best Surf | 11AM (Sat 12th Sep) | 1.5ft (0.5m) 16s |
| Most Powerful | 5AM (Tue 15th Sep) | 1.5ft (0.5m) 21s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Polihale over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
Right, gather 'round. Rusty here, checking the charts for our patch.
First thing you need to know: it’s a bit of a slow burn for the next week to ten days. We’ve got a few windows of clean, small waves, but nothing that’s going to get the heart racing. The real hope is sitting way out there around the 25th of September, but we’ll get to that.
Let’s start with what’s on offer now. Thursday the 10th afternoon is a write-off with a risk of thunderstorms and tiny 2 ft NW swell, so don’t bother. Friday the 11th morning shapes up a little better. We’ve got some cloud cover, a glassy surface with an ENE breeze at 3 mph, and the swell bumps up just a touch to 2 ft from the NNE. It’s still only 8 seconds of period, so it’s weak, but the combined swell energy is 59 (weak) and it’s gonna be smooth. Honestly, it’s just surfable but very ordinary.
The weekend gets interesting for a quick flash on Saturday the 12th morning. The sky is partly cloudy, wind is a light SE at 3 mph making it glassy, and the swell switches to a long-period 2 ft groundswell from the SW. That 16-second period is significant – it’s a proper groundswell – and the combined energy jumps to 206 (moderate). Now, a long period like that can make a beach break sectiony, and Polihale is a sandbar setup. It might line up nicely or close out straight. For a surfer who knows the bank, it’s a standout window for a clean, glassy session on small but organized lines. Water temp is 80°, which is a touch cooler than average for this time of year, about 1° below the norm, so it’s not a big deal.
After that, the next ten days are a grind. From Sunday the 13th all the way through to the 24th, it’s mostly poor surf conditions or very ordinary waves. We get a lot of clean, glassy mornings with tiny NE swell around 3 ft to 3 ft, but the period drops to the 7-9 second range and the energy is weak (usually between 91 and 144). There are a few flat spells with zero energy, like on the 17th and 22nd. The 20th of September offers a tiny 0.9 ft W swell with an 11-second period and glass, but it’s just not enough push. It’s a long, dry stretch of marginal surf.
Then, hang on for Friday the 25th of September. That morning looks promising. Clear skies, a light offshore wind from the SE at 6 mph, and the swell picks up to 2 ft from the NW. The period stretches out to a very long 12 seconds, and the combined energy is 144 (moderate). The afternoon gets even better, with the swell building to 3 ft from the NW, still with a 12-second period, and a light cross-off breeze from the south. Energy hits 195 (moderate). This is the standout of the whole run. We’re looking at clean, lined-up groundswell with offshore wind. It’s still not huge, but after that long gap, it’s the best conditions on offer. Keep an eye on that date – it’s the real hope.
So, bottom line: Saturday the 12th morning is your early call for a glassy, long-period session if you want small waves. Otherwise, sit tight and aim for Friday the 25th of September. That’s the one worth paddling out for.
Rusty, signing off.
Short Range ForecastLight rain (total 3mm), mostly falling on Thu afternoon. Warm (max 27°C on Thu afternoon, min 24°C on Sat night). Wind will be generally light. | Days 5-7 Weather SummaryMostly dry. Warm (max 27°C on Wed morning, min 24°C on Sun night). Wind will be generally light. | |||||||||||||||||||
Thu 10 | Friday 11 | Saturday 12 | Sunday 13 | Monday 14 | Tuesday 15 | Wednesday 16 | ||||||||||||||
PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | |
Swell Height Map | ||||||||||||||||||||
Wave Height (m) Direction Period (s) | NW 8 | SW 16 | NNE 8 | NE 8 | SW 15 | SW 16 | NE 9 | NE 9 | NE 9 | NE 9 | NE 9 | NE 8 | NE 8 | NE 8 | NE 8 | NE 7 | NE 7 | NE 7 | NNE 7 | NE 8 |
Wave Graph | ||||||||||||||||||||
31 | 129 | 59 | 82 | 109 | 118 | 120 | 115 | 129 | 129 | 172 | 105 | 132 | 126 | 108 | 105 | 77 | 91 | 28 | 17 | |
Wind (km/h) | ||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | cross-off | cross-off | glassy | cross-off | cross-off | glassy | cross | cross-off | glassy | cross-off | cross-off | glassy | glassy | cross-off | glassy | glassy | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off |
High Tide | 3:08PM0.60m | 3:35AM0.47m | 3:33PM0.54m | 4:16AM0.51m | 3:55PM0.48m | 4:58AM0.54m | 4:12PM0.42m | 5:42AM0.55m | 4:21PM0.37m | 6:31AM0.55m | 4:06PM0.33m | 7:32AM0.53m | ||||||||
Low Tide | 9:39PM0.12m | 9:22AM0.15m | 9:57PM0.11m | 10:11AM0.20m | 10:15PM0.10m | 11:04AM0.24m | 10:33PM0.09m | 12:04PM0.28m | 10:52PM0.10m | 1:33PM0.31m | 11:13PM0.11m | 11:36PM0.12m | ||||||||
— | — | 6:24 | — | — | 6:24 | — | — | 6:24 | — | — | 6:24 | — | — | 6:24 | — | — | 6:26 | — | — | |
6:46 | — | — | 6:45 | — | — | 6:45 | — | — | 6:44 | — | — | 6:43 | — | — | 6:42 | — | — | 6:40 | — | |
mm | 2 | 1 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Temp °C | 27 | 26 | 26 | 26 | 26 | 25 | 25 | 25 | 26 | 25 | 25 | 26 | 25 | 25 | 26 | 26 | 26 | 27 | 27 | 27 |
Feels °C | 31 | 29 | 29 | 29 | 29 | 27 | 27 | 27 | 29 | 27 | 27 | 29 | 27 | 27 | 30 | 30 | 29 | 30 | 31 | 30 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | ENE 8 | ENE 7 | ENE 7 | NE 8 | ENE 11 | NE 9 | NE 9 | NE 9 | NE 9 | NE 9 | NE 9 | NE 8 | SW 22 | NE 8 | NE 8 | NE 7 | NE 7 | NE 7 | SW 18 | SSW 17 |
155 | 181 | 84 | 82 | 194 | 88 | 120 | 115 | 129 | 129 | 172 | 105 | 119 | 126 | 108 | 105 | 77 | 91 | 316 | 190 | |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SSW 12 | SSW 12 | NNE 8 | E 7 | NE 7 | E 10 | ENE 10 | E 10 | E 9 | ENE 9 | SW 14 | SW 14 | SW 14 | SW 21 | SSW 20 | SSW 19 | SSW 19 | SSW 18 | NNE 7 | E 10 |
121 | 81 | 59 | 64 | 50 | 98 | 98 | 70 | 41 | 27 | 51 | 49 | 48 | 117 | 256 | 251 | 246 | 273 | 28 | 47 | |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | NW 8 | SW 16 | E 11 | E 11 | SW 15 | SW 16 | SSW 16 | SSW 13 | SW 15 | SW 15 | WNW 12 | SSW 23 | WNW 11 | SSW 13 | SSW 12 | SSW 12 | SSW 12 | E 11 | E 10 | NE 8 |
31 | 129 | 93 | 65 | 109 | 118 | 98 | 67 | 54 | 54 | 14 | 54 | 12 | 34 | 30 | 29 | 29 | 37 | 31 | 17 | |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | E 5 | NE 8 | — | — | — | — | E 7 | ENE 7 | ENE 8 |
— | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 12 | 132 | — | — | — | — | 87 | 114 | 161 | |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | ||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 8 | 0 | 8 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 8 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 8 | 8 |
Best forecast wave conditions in Kaua'i | ||||||||||||||||||||
Best forecast wave conditions in United States | ||||||||||||||||||||
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Information about the Polihale Surf forecast
The above surf forecast table for Polihale provides essential information for determining whether the surfing conditions will be good over the next 16 days. A general guide to surfing at Polihale can be found by selecting the local surf guide option on the grey menu. Our Polihale surf forecast is unique since it includes wave energy (power) that defines the real feel of the surf rather than just the height or the period. If you surf the same spot (Polihale) regularly then make a mental note of the wave energy from the surf forecast table each time you go. Very soon you may start to choose your surf days based on the wave energy alone combined with our forecast of favourable offshore wind conditions. Our star ratings will help here and of course you will also find the usual wave height and period predictions on our surf forecasts as well as a full break down of the swell components under our advanced users option (to reveal that, click the little Einstein character under the tide times).
Further information to help with frequently asked questions about our surf forecast for Polihale may be found under the help tab on the top menu and also by moving your mouse over the question marks on the surf forecast table itself. Please always bear in mind that the forecast is for near-shore open water and local factors at each surf break influence the actual breaking wave height, such as the beach / reef profile, water depths offshore and shelter.
Are you planning a vacation in Kaua'i? If you are looking for accommodation near Polihale, camping, hotels and condos and appartments in Kaua'i, consider staying in Nawiliwili which is 43 km (27 miles) away. Alternatively, find information about places to stay and car hire in Lihue - Kauai which is 45 km (28 miles) away









