The Three Bears Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, let’s talk about it. The first surf worth your time shows up Wednesday morning, July 29th. The Three Bears (Big Island) is the only spot lighting up across this whole 16-day run, so we’ll roll with it.

Wednesday morning: a 5ft SW swell, period around 13 seconds – that’s a proper groundswell, better shape but longer waits between sets. Water temp is 66°, nothing unusual for this time of year. Wind is NE at 12 mph, cross-offshore, keeping things tidy. Combined energy is moderate at 1366. Not a classic, but a fine start for the beginner-friendly reef.

Wednesday afternoon picks up to 6ft from the WSW, period stretching to 16 seconds – long period groundswell, packing more punch. Wind drops to 9 mph, still cross-off. This is the cleanest session early on. Energy sits at 1356. Good for the experienced crew.

Thursday morning drops to 4ft, but period stays long at 15 seconds from the WSW. Wind is NNE at 16 mph, cross-off, but the smaller size and breeze make it marginal. Energy drops to 938. Afternoon slips to 4ft, 14-second period, N wind at 9 mph just cross. Energy is 1047, but a little cross-chop shows up. Quality fades.

Friday the 31st: forget it. Morning has a 7ft WSW swell at 16 seconds, but wind is NW at 19 mph and cross-onshore – fresh and lumpy. Energy hits 2540. Afternoon gets worse: onshore wind at 25 mph from the WSW, 8ft swell, energy at 3559. Stay on land.

Saturday the 1st of August: morning 8ft WSW swell, 15-second period, S wind at 16 mph cross-off, clean. Energy is 2917. Afternoon bumps to 10ft, wind SSE at 12 mph, still cross-off, energy at 4334. This is big – experts only. Beginners, sit this one out.

Sunday the 2nd of August: morning 7ft WSW swell, 13-second period, NE wind at 16 mph cross-off. Energy 1623. Afternoon is the better call: swell drops to 6ft, wind lightens to 6 mph from the NE, cross-off, and it’s excellent for experienced surfers. Energy 1245. A clean, solid session.

Monday the 3rd of August: morning glass-off. Swell 5ft from the WSW, period 15 seconds, wind from the SSE at only 3 mph – glassy. Energy is 935. This is a beautiful, clean morning. The long period groundswell will wrap nicely into the reef. A real highlight.

Tuesday the 4th: 8ft WSW swell, long 17-second period, but morning wind is WNW at 6 mph and onshore. Energy jumps to 3859. Afternoon gets messy with SW wind at 22 mph cross-onshore, fresh and lumpy. Not the one.

The rest of the first week and into the second is mostly big, messy, or blown out. The 5th is 8ft with onshore or cross-on winds. The 6th of August is dangerous: 13ft WSW swell with NW winds up to 25-31 mph, strong to near gale. Energy between 7564 and 7895 – very strong. This is for experts only, and the wind ruins it.

The 7th of August morning: 21ft WSW swell, 14-second period, energy at a massive 16712. Wind is WSW at 16 mph onshore. The report says it’s simply too big for this break. Don’t even think about it.

The 8th and 9th of August stay big and stormy. 12ft to 21ft swells, strong winds, energy from 4986 to 17944. Avoid.

Now, the real standout: Thursday the 13th of August. Early morning: swell 18ft from the WSW, period 14 seconds, wind from the E at only 6 mph – offshore and clean. Energy is 10249. This is very strong energy and exceptional for expert surfers. Circle this date. The size is massive – 18ft – so only for very experienced, confident surfers. The offshore wind will groom it, and the reef will handle that long period groundswell. This is the best on offer across the whole 16 days. Afternoon is still big at 15ft, but wind goes cross-on from the SW, less clean.

The Three Bears is a consistent reef, but crowds can be a factor sometimes. With a few decent windows and that one massive day, it’s worth the trip if you’ve got the skills.

The second week cools off after that 13th, but nothing else in the window compares. Don’t expect much after that big day – it’s a long stretch of poor conditions.

Rusty.

Read more