Surf Forecasts:
James Kealoha Beach Park surf forecast from 15 Jul 2026:
- Best quality surf: Friday 17 Jul, 2AM (local time) - 4ft (1.2m), 6s period, E swell with cross-offshore winds.
- Most powerful swell: Saturday 18 Jul, 8PM (local time) - 5.5ft (1.7m), 8s period, E swell with 409 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Tuesday 14 Jul, 11PM (local time) - 3ft (0.9m), 8s period with NNE swell.
Best Forecast Surf Conditions for James Kealoha Beach Park this week:
The surf forecast for James Kealoha Beach Park over the next 16 days: The first swell (rated 1 star or higher) is forecast to arrive on Tuesday (Jul 14) at 11PM. The primary swell is predicted to be 0.9m and 8s period with a secondary swell of 0.8m and 7s. The wind is predicted to be glassy as the swell arrives.
The most powerful waves expected at James Kealoha Beach Park in the next 16 days are 1.7m 8s and forecast to arrive on Saturday (Jul 18) at 8PM. Winds are predicted to be glassy at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 0.2m 9s period and expected on Wednesday (Jul 15) at 11AM.
| Wave Type | Time (HST) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 11PM (Tue 14th Jul) | 3ft (0.9m) 8s |
| Best Surf | 2AM (Fri 17th Jul) | 4ft (1.2m) 6s |
| Most Powerful | 8PM (Sat 18th Jul) | 5.5ft (1.7m) 8s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for James Kealoha Beach Park over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
Alright folks, Rusty here. Let’s get into it for the Hilo side.
First up, we’re looking at a pretty quiet stretch for the next week and a half at James Kealoha Beach Park, a reef setup that’s a beginner-friendly spot. The water temp is sitting at about 80°, which is about average for this time of year, so nothing wild there.
The overall pattern is long on cross-shore and cross-onshore winds, with the swell mostly hanging around the 2ft to 3ft mark. For the first week, from Tuesday the 14th right through to Monday the 20th, it’s a real struggle. The combined energy is weak, and the wind is just never quite giving us that clean face. You’ll see a few “surfable” moments on Wednesday the 15th and Thursday the 16th, but with a 4ft, 7-second windswell from the NE, it’s pretty ordinary. The cross-off wind on the 15th morning is the best we get, keeping it clean, but the swell is small and short. Nothing to get excited about.
There’s a little bump in size on Saturday the 18th, with the swell hitting 5ft to 6ft from the E, and the energy gets moderate. But the wind is cross-on and choppy, so it’s messy. Not ideal for a beginner spot.
The real standout, and the only true bright spot in this whole 16-day window, is the morning of Monday, July 27th. The wind finally swings around to a cross-off from the ESE at just 6 mph, giving us clean conditions. The swell is 3ft from the E with a very long period of 14 seconds. That’s real groundswell energy, and while it’s not huge, that long period will produce some nice, lined-up waves. Keep in mind, with a period that long, the reef will handle it much better than a beach break, so James Kealoha should be working well. It’s a pretty consistent spot, so you can expect some waves. Be aware that crowds are possible here.
The rest of the second week is a lot of the same story – cross-on wind and marginal surf. The 14-second period swell lingers into Sunday the 26th and Monday the 27th, but the wind is mostly cross-on, so that Monday morning is the golden window.
Overall, if you’re only going to paddle out once in the next two weeks, make it the morning of Monday the 27th. It’s the cleanest and most promising call we’ve got.
Rusty.
Short Range ForecastModerate rain (total 17mm), heaviest on Thu night. Warm (max 26°C on Thu afternoon, min 24°C on Tue night). Wind will be generally light. | Days 5-7 Weather SummaryModerate rain (total 12mm), heaviest on Fri night. Warm (max 26°C on Sat morning, min 24°C on Sat night). Wind will be generally light. | ||||||||||||||||||||
Wednesday 15 | Thursday 16 | Friday 17 | Saturday 18 | Sunday 19 | Monday 20 | Tue 21 | |||||||||||||||
Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | |
Swell Height Map |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | |||||||||||||
Wave Height (m) Direction Period (s) | NNE 8 | NE 7 | NE 7 | E 7 | E 6 | E 6 | E 6 | ESE 7 | ESE 7 | E 8 | E 8 | E 8 | E 8 | E 8 | E 8 | E 8 | E 7 | E 8 | E 7 | NE 7 | ENE 7 |
Wave Graph  | |||||||||||||||||||||
 kJ | 107 | 118 | 96 | 62 | 45 | 47 | 113 | 89 | 114 | 235 | 338 | 400 | 405 | 298 | 217 | 167 | 156 | 111 | 64 | 67 | 124 |
Wind (km/h) | |||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | glassy | cross-off | cross | off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross | cross-on | cross-off | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | glassy | cross-on | cross-on | glassy | cross | cross-on |
High Tide | 3:23AM0.44m | 4:36PM0.96m | 4:15AM0.46m | 5:12PM0.91m | 5:10AM0.47m | 5:47PM0.83m | 6:10AM0.48m | 6:18PM0.74m | 7:17AM0.50m | 6:46PM0.64m | 8:37AM0.52m | 7:11PM0.55m | 10:07AM0.57m | 7:32PM0.47m | |||||||
Low Tide | 10:39PM0.13m | 9:23AM-0.16m | 11:16PM0.11m | 10:09AM-0.09m | 11:54PM0.10m | 10:55AM0.01m | 00:31AM0.09m | 11:41AM0.12m | 1:08AM0.08m | 12:34PM0.25m | 1:46AM0.07m | 1:45PM0.35m | 2:27AM0.07m | 3:45PM0.42m | |||||||
 |  | | |  | |  | | | |  | | | | |  | | | | | | |
 | — | 5:48 | — | — | 5:50 | — | — | 5:50 | — | — | 5:50 | — | — | 5:50 | — | — | 5:50 | — | — | 5:50 | — |
 | 7:01 | — | 7:01 | — | — | 7:01 | — | — | 7:00 | — | — | 7:00 | — | — | 7:00 | — | — | 7:00 | — | — | 7:00 |
mm | — | — | — | — | 1 | — | 9 | 2 | 5 | 9 | — | — | 3 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Temp °C | 24 | 25 | 25 | 25 | 25 | 26 | 26 | 26 | 26 | 25 | 26 | 26 | 25 | 25 | 25 | 25 | 25 | 26 | 25 | 25 | 25 |
Feels °C | 28 | 26 | 26 | 27 | 28 | 27 | 29 | 28 | 28 | 26 | 27 | 26 | 28 | 27 | 25 | 26 | 26 | 27 | 27 | 28 | 26 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | NNE 8 | NE 7 | NE 7 | NNE 8 | E 6 | E 6 | ENE 6 | ESE 7 | ESE 7 | E 8 | E 8 | E 8 | E 8 | E 8 | E 8 | E 8 | E 7 | E 8 | E 7 | NE 7 | ENE 7 |
| kJ | 107 | 118 | 96 | 62 | 45 | 47 | 85 | 89 | 114 | 235 | 338 | 400 | 405 | 298 | 217 | 167 | 156 | 111 | 64 | 67 | 124 |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | E 7 | SSE 9 | N 7 | ENE 7 | NNE 8 | NNE 7 | N 7 | NE 7 | NE 7 | NNE 7 | N 7 | N 7 | N 8 | N 7 | NNE 7 | NNE 8 | NNE 8 | NNE 7 | NE 7 | E 7 | E 12 |
| kJ | 38 | 8 | 10 | 35 | 45 | 43 | 27 | 44 | 52 | 40 | 26 | 37 | 33 | 25 | 41 | 50 | 34 | 48 | 54 | 47 | 69 |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SE 10 | ESE 9 | ESE 9 | SE 8 | NE 7 | NE 7 | ESE 8 | NNE 7 | N 8 | S 15 | — | S 16 | S 19 | S 19 | S 18 | S 16 | S 16 | S 15 | E 13 | E 12 | S 14 |
| kJ | 4 | 8 | 8 | 18 | 23 | 16 | 23 | 43 | 42 | 4 | — | 5 | 7 | 7 | 6 | 21 | 20 | 39 | 32 | 46 | 15 |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | — | — | E 7 | — | — | E 6 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| kJ | — | — | — | 57 | — | — | 113 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 89 | 89 | 89 | 89 | 177 | 0 | 177 | 99 | 0 | 2 | 2 |
Best forecast wave conditions in Big Island | |||||||||||||||||||||
Best forecast wave conditions in United States | |||||||||||||||||||||
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Information about the James Kealoha Beach Park Surf forecast
The above surf forecast table for James Kealoha Beach Park provides essential information for determining whether the surfing conditions will be good over the next 16 days. A general guide to surfing at James Kealoha Beach Park can be found by selecting the local surf guide option on the grey menu. Our James Kealoha Beach Park surf forecast is unique since it includes wave energy (power) that defines the real feel of the surf rather than just the height or the period. If you surf the same spot (James Kealoha Beach Park) regularly then make a mental note of the wave energy from the surf forecast table each time you go. Very soon you may start to choose your surf days based on the wave energy alone combined with our forecast of favourable offshore wind conditions. Our star ratings will help here and of course you will also find the usual wave height and period predictions on our surf forecasts as well as a full break down of the swell components under our advanced users option (to reveal that, click the little Einstein character under the tide times).
Further information to help with frequently asked questions about our surf forecast for James Kealoha Beach Park may be found under the help tab on the top menu and also by moving your mouse over the question marks on the surf forecast table itself. Please always bear in mind that the forecast is for near-shore open water and local factors at each surf break influence the actual breaking wave height, such as the beach / reef profile, water depths offshore and shelter.
James Kealoha Beach Park is 7 km (4 miles) from Hilo. If you plan a vacation in Big Island, look for hotels and other accommodation in Hilo. Hilo has rooms for a wide range of budgets as well as car hire and transport links.
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