Rock Point/Pohakuloa Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, let’s get straight into it. This is a tricky one for us here at Rock Point/Pohakuloa – a reef and point break that’s inconsistent and can be a bit of a diamond in the rough. But for the next 16 days, it’s looking like a rough patch with no real diamonds to speak of.

We’re kicking off from Tuesday the 25th of August, and honestly, the first week is a write-off. The wind is hammering from the ENE at 19 mph day after day, and it’s a messy cross-shore. The swell is small, around 5 ft to 6 ft, and it’s a short-period E/ENE windswell – only 6 to 7 seconds – so the waves are just weak and lumpy. The combined energy is weak to moderate (279 to 420), but it doesn’t matter because the quality is poor. There’s nothing to recommend here. The water temperature is a warm 81°, which is about 0.5° above normal – nothing unusual, just a standard Hawaiian summer.

We then move into the first week of September, and the pattern doesn’t let up. From the 1st to the 4th, the swell bumps up a bit, hitting 8 ft by the 3rd, but it’s still that short-period ENE windswell. The energy gets into the moderate-to-strong range (500-636), but the wind stays cross-shore, blowing 16 to 22 mph, keeping the surface lumpy and uninviting. The wave comment stays “poor surf conditions.” This is not a time to paddle out.

Then, around the 5th and 6th of September, we see a change in the swell character. The period jumps to 12 seconds, so we’re talking groundswell, with a lot more energy (1185 to 907). The swell height is around 7 ft. But here’s the catch: the wind is still a strong cross-shore at 22 to 25 mph. That’s a messy, choppy combo. For a point and reef setup, long-period groundswell can be amazing, but only if the wind plays nice. It just doesn’t here. The “poor surf conditions” tag sticks.

The real tease comes right at the end of the forecast. On the 9th of September, Wednesday morning and afternoon, we finally get a break. The wind drops to 9 mph from the NE (cross-offshore), and the forecast says “clean.” The swell is 7 ft from the ENE at 9 seconds, with a combined energy of 737 (strong). This is the only window in the whole 16 days that gets a score of 2 out of 10, which is better than zeros, but it’s still listed as “marginal.” The break is inconsistent at the best of times, and a 7 ft swell with a 9-second period can be a bit fat and wonky here. The wind will clean it up, but it’s not a standout.

Given the consistency of the poor conditions, this setup looks more interesting for kite surfing than paddle surfing, especially during the windy, cross-shore days.

So, the honest truth: there’s no good surf on offer in this 16-day window. The only flicker of hope is that Wednesday the 9th of September, but it’s a long way off and the break is inconsistent. It’s a tough run for the area, but forecasts can change.

Rusty.

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