Polihale is a stunning beach located in Hawaii that offers a variety of beachbreak setups for surfers all year round. The coastline stretches for miles, giving surfers plenty of options to find their ideal wave. Accessing the beach is pretty straightforward; you can enter anywhere from the road running through Polihale State Park and quickly find a good spot to paddle out. The vibe here tends to be mellow, so just be cool and enjoy the surf.
When it comes to surfing, Polihale picks up more northwest swell compared to the south, making it a decent spot for various swell directions like N-NW and S-SW. The wave sizes range from about 4 to 10 feet (1.2 to 3 meters) and can hold even larger on good days. The bottom mostly consists of sand with some reef sections, which means you can encounter both beach and reef breaks. Waves usually break left and right, and with calm or offshore easterly trade winds, conditions are often pretty clean. The area can experience strong currents, especially during larger swell events, so be mindful of that. For best results, low to mid tides work well here.
Polihale is great for surfers of all levels, from beginners to experts. The spot can yield fun waves on combo swells most days of the year, and you'll often find minimal crowds out in the water. It's especially consistent in the winter with the WNW to N swells, but you can also catch wrapping SSW to SW swells as the seasons change. So whether you’re riding a shortboard, fish, longboard, or even bodyboarding, Polihale has something for everyone.