Rock Point/Pohakuloa Surf Forecast and Surf Report

G’day, Rusty here. Look, I’m gonna level with ya—this stretch from August 16th right through the end of the month is a tough one for Rock Point/Pohakuloa (a reef and point set-up). The truth is, there’s barely a window of clean, rideable surf in the whole 16-day forecast. We’re looking at a solid gap of nothing but poor surf conditions from the start, with the first real standout not showing up until over a week away.

For the first ten days or so, from Sunday the 16th all the way through to Friday the 28th, it’s a write-off. The wind is mostly cross-shore or cross-onshore, often fresh, and the swell is mixed up with short periods and lumpy, choppy surface. Swell heights start around 10 ft on Sunday morning, but with a short period of 9 seconds and an east wind at 22 mph, it’s just messy. The combined energy is moderate to strong (1399) but it’s not doing us any favours. Water temp is about average for this time of year, nothing unusual.

Through the week, the swell drops off, but the wind stays cross-shore and the period gets even shorter—down to 5 seconds on Tuesday the 18th. That’s weak, choppy energy. The combined energy falls to 117 on that morning, so it’s really weak. Not worth paddling out.

Now, the first time we get a flicker of something is on Friday the 28th afternoon. The swell bumps up to 10 ft from the east, period 8 seconds, and the combined energy jumps to 1198 (strong). The note says wind and tide are favourable, but the swell is just too big for this break. At 10 ft, that’s expert-only territory, and with a cross-shore fresh breeze, it’s still lumpy. It’s a bit of a tease.

Saturday the 29th morning is the real standout, but it’s a big caveat. Swell climbs to 12 ft from the east, period 9 seconds, combined energy 1860 (very strong). Again, wind and tide are favourable for the break, but the swell is predicted to be too big for this reef and point. That’s big, powerful, and heavy—only for pros, and even then, it’s a beast. The wind is cross-shore at 22 mph, so it’s not glassy. Expect lumpy, challenging conditions.

After that, Sunday the 30th and Monday the 31st see the swell dropping back to 8 ft and 7 ft, but the wind stays cross-shore and fresh, and the surf is still poor. The energy remains moderate to strong, but the quality just isn’t there.

So, bottom line: if you’re a die-hard expert looking for a big, powerful wave on Saturday the 29th morning, you might find something at Rock Point, but it’ll be a wild, lumpy session. For everyone else, this whole 16-day window is a big miss. The break is inconsistent anyway, and with these conditions, it’s just not worth the effort. The water’s about average temp for the time of year, so no surprises there. Keep an eye on the longer range—things can change, but right now, it’s a tough run.

Rusty.

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