The first day of summer is still a few weeks away, but the seasonal swell window in the South Pacific arrived a little bit early in Hawaii with a bang.
With the first major South Pacific swell of the season lighting up Tahiti, followed by Hawaii this week, powerful lines marched into south-facing shores. Along the Kona coast of the Big Island, waves exploded over seawalls, flooded roadways, and turned normally placid shorelines into a spectacle of raw ocean energy.
Local officials issued a High Surf Advisory as surf climbed into the 10-to-14-foot range along exposed south shores, just below warning levels. The swell was large enough to force the cancelation of events, close several beach parks, and even alter cruise ship schedules. But most dramatically, one rogue wave slammed a seawall:
Big Island Now described the scene as “jaw-dropping,” while videos from Kailua-Kona showed towering waves detonating against seawalls and washing over pedestrians and vehicles along Ali‘i Drive.
For surfers, however, the swell represented something else entirely: the unofficial start of the South Pacific season.
Just days earlier, the same pulse roared through Tahiti, awakening Teahupo’o with its first truly significant swell of the Southern Hemisphere season. Local chargers, including Tahitian standout Matahi Drollet, were among those charging flawless, heavy barrels as the swell made its first landfall in the Pacific’s premier proving ground.
Related: Teahupo’o ‘Dream Wave’ Swell Detonates With 20ft Perfection (Video)
And it’s only just beginning.
According to Surfline forecasters, the South Pacific is gearing up again with a system generating seas exceeding 50 feet as it continues to track across the ocean, creating the long-period energy now reaching tropical coastlines throughout the Pacific. That energy will translate into powerful surf from Tahiti to Hawaii and beyond.
“This swell has a good shot to be the largest Southern Hemisphere swell of the season and one of the biggest in last decade,” Surfline noted.
More swell is expected to reach Tahiti in the coming days before continuing on toward Hawaii and eventually California, where Southern California’s south-facing breaks should receive another healthy dose of long-period energy.
After a long Northern Hemisphere winter, the Southern Hemisphere has officially opened for business.
And if this first swell was any indication, summer could be a memorable one.
Related: Tahiti’s Season Just Opened With 20-Foot Bombs at Teahupo’o. The Photos Are Unreal.
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