Rock Point/Pohakuloa Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, this is Rusty. Let’s be straight with you – the next couple of weeks at Rock Point/Pohakuloa are a real mixed bag, and honestly, mostly a frustrating one. We’ve got a long stretch of messy, wind-affected surf ahead, but there is a glimmer of hope for a short window if you’re patient and picky.

The biggest issue is the wind. For the first week and a half, we’re looking at a persistent cross-shore breeze, blowing from the ENE at 15 to 22 mph. That’s going to keep things lumpy and chopped up. The swell is there, but it’s short-period stuff, mostly around 6 to 8 seconds, which means weak, crumbly waves. The energy is mostly moderate, nothing to write home about.

Things start to build a little from Friday the 14th of August onward, with the swell bumping up to over 7 ft and the period finally stretching to 8 seconds. The wave energy gets into the moderate-to-strong zone. But that cross-shore wind is still there, ruining the surface. The setup is a reef and point, so it can handle some swell, but with that wind, it’s a washout for paddle surfing. Honestly, this stretch looks more interesting for the kite crew than for us.

Now, here’s the one bright spot. On Saturday the 15th and Sunday the 16th of August, the wind shifts. We get a cross-offshore breeze from the NE, and the swell period jumps to 10 to 11 seconds. That’s real groundswell energy. The wave energy is strong. The swell is 8 ft and coming from the ENE, which is a good direction for this spot. The wind is clean, the waves will have shape. This is the standout. Saturday afternoon and especially Sunday morning look like they could be seriously good. But be warned: the swell is over 8 ft, so this is expert-only territory. And the crowds are “often” here, so expect company. Also, the water temp is about average for the time of year, nothing unusual.

From Sunday afternoon onward, the wind goes bad again. It swings to a near gale on Sunday, then a southerly onshore on Monday the 17th, and then it’s back to the same old cross-shore mess for the rest of the run. The swell holds around 7 ft to 8 ft through the second week, but it’s all short-period junk again, with the same cross-shore wind. It’s a long grind of poor conditions.

So, to sum it up: the first week is a write-off. The second week has that one golden window on the 15th and 16th for experts only. After that, we’re back to the waiting game. It’s a frustrating outlook, but when that ENE groundswell lines up with a clean offshore, it’s worth the wait.

Rusty.

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