Surf-Forecast | Generals Surf Guide

Generals Surf Guide

Generals in Big Island is a fairly exposed reef break that has fairly consistent surf. Winter is the best time of year for surfing here. The best wind direction is from the east northeast. Tends to receive distant groundswells and the best swell direction is from the west northwest. A right hand reef break. When the surf is up, it can get quite busy in the water. Beware of rips, rocks,,crowds.

Generals Spot Info

Type:	Rating:	Reliability:	Todays Sea Temp*:
Reef	3	fairly consistent	26.4°C*ocean temperature recorded from satellite

Surfing Generals:

The best conditions reported for surf at Generals occur when a West-northwest swell combines with an offshore wind direction from the East-northeast.

Hourly Forecast

16 Day Forecast

What's the best time of year to surf Generals (for consistent clean waves)?

januaryBest Season: winter

The best time of year for surfing Generals with consistent clean waves (rideable swell with light / offshore winds) is during Winter and most often the month of January. Clean surfable waves are typically found 25% of the time in January while 19% of the time it tends to be blown out. For the remaining 56% of the time it is considered too small by most surfers but may still be OK for beginners and groms at times.

clean

25%

Surfable waves that hold up well for longer rides in prevailing cross-offshore, offshore or light wind conditions.

blown out

19%

Surfable sized waves that are of poorer quality due to prevailing onshore, cross-onshore or windy conditions (may be preferable for kitesurfing).

too small

56%

Waves usually considered too small for good surf. Some wave-magnet breaks may still work though if conditions are right (on occasion).

Explore Generals Location Map

Interactive Generals surf break location map. View information about nearby surf breaks, their wave consistency and rating compared to other spots in the region. Current swell conditions from local buoys are shown along with live wind speed and direction from nearby weather stations. Click icons on the map for more detail. The closest passenger airport to Generals is Kona International At Keahole Airport (KOA) in Usa Hawaii Isl., 15 km (9 miles) away (directly). The second nearest airport to Generals is Bradshaw Aaf Airport (BSF), also in Usa Hawaii Isl., 48 km (30 miles) away.

Map Icons:
Break
Live Wave Height (m)
Live Wind Speed (km/h)
Surf Rating (10 Max)
Ocean Swells (m)
Wind Speed (km/h)

Please note that some surf spot locations are approximate to protect their exact location while others are not shown at close zoom level.

Generals Surf Forecasts:

Hourly Forecast

16 Day Forecast

Todays Surf Summary
Tuesday, 9 June 2026, 00:43 Local Time

m, °C	Mon	Tuesday 09
ft, °F	11PM	2AM	5AM	8AM
Wave (m)	N	WNW	WNW	WNW
Period (s)	6	15	15	15
Wind (km/h)
Wind State	glass	glass	cross- off	cross- on

Tides at Generals

Current tide and informaton

For Kailua Kona, Big Island, Hawaii, 4 km from Generals.

Next High Water: 11:56am | 0.48m

Next Low Water: 04:51am | -0.02m

NEXT	IS AT (local time)	remaining
high tide
low tide

Generals Sea Temperature

Sunny with very warm air temperatures, feeling like 26.0 °C once we account for any wind. Sea temperatures (26.4 °C) very warm too. Staying comfortable in the water at Generals won't be a problem, but wear at least a rash-vest to keep the UV off.

Today, many surfers would wear a rashvest wetsuit.

Current Temp*: 26.4°C*ocean temperature recorded from satellite