Tunnels Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, Rusty here. Let’s break this down.

Right off the bat, I gotta be straight with ya – this is a lean stretch. There’s a real dry spell at the start with nothing worth paddlin’ out for from Monday the 17th right through to Wednesday the 19th. The wind is howlin’ cross-off from the east-northeast, and the waves are small, weak, and sloppy. The wave energy is pitiful – don’t waste your wax.

Now, we start to see a flicker of life on Thursday the 20th. Tunnels (Big Island) shows a bit of promise with a 2ft swell from the south-west, and here’s the kicker – the period jumps to 18 seconds. That’s a proper long-period groundswell, which means more shape and energy between sets. The wave energy hits 249 (moderate), and the wind goes light from the north-east in the morning – glassy conditions. It’s still small, but those longer-period waves will wrap in nicely, and you’ll find clean walls. Crowds are often a thing here, so expect company, but for a Thursday morning it should be manageable.

Friday the 21st holds similar energy, 2ft from the south-west with the period still up at 17 seconds, light east wind. Another decent little window.

Saturday the 22nd looks like the best of the bunch for this first week. Tunnels again, 2ft south-west swell, 16-second period, wave energy hitting 312 (solidly moderate). Wind is light easterly in the morning – that’s offshore enough to keep the faces clean. It’s not gonna be huge, but the quality per wave should be good. This is the standout for the first week, no doubt.

From Sunday the 23rd onward, the wind picks up again, the swell drops, and the energy fades back. By the middle of next week, we get a bump in size around Wednesday the 26th and Thursday the 27th – swell pushes to around 4ft to 5ft from the south, period drops to 12-13 seconds, and the wave energy jumps up to 725 then 636 (strong energy). But the wind is fresh cross-off from the east, and the shorter period means less refined waves. The size is there for a punch, but it’s probably gonna be a bit lumpy. If you’re a stronger intermediate or an expert, it could be a goer, but it’s not the clean gem of the week before.

After that, it fizzles hard into the end of August and start of September. The waves shrink back to 2ft to 2ft, the energy drops to weak numbers, and the wind stays up. That stretch from about the 28th onward is not worth chasing.

So here’s the bottom line: the real window is Thursday 20th through Saturday 22nd. The standout is Saturday 22nd at Tunnels – moderate energy, clean light wind, proper groundswell period. It’s not a big day, but it’s the best we’re gonna get.

Stay tuned, the forecast might shift, but right now, that’s the call.

Rusty.

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