Kalihiwai Surf Forecast and Surf Reports

(Kaua'i, USA)

Forecast
- Hourly Forecast
- 16 Day Forecast
Maps
Live
Weather State
Spot Information

Kalihiwai Surf Guide

Kalihiwai in Kauai is an exposed reef break that has quite reliable surf. Winter is the optimum time of year for surfing here. Works best in offshore winds from the south. Clean groundswells prevail and the best swell direction is from the north. Both left and right reef breaks. Good surf at all stages of the tide. Often Crowded. Beware of rips, sharks and rocks.

Kalihiwai Spot Info

Type:	Rating:	Reliability:	Todays Sea Temp*:
Reef	4	fairly consistent	24.2°C*ocean temperature recorded from satellite

Surfing Kalihiwai:

The best conditions reported for surf at Kalihiwai occur when a North swell combines with an offshore wind direction from the South.

Hourly Forecast

16 Day Forecast

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

januaryBest Season: winter

The best time of year for surfing Kalihiwai 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 24% of the time in January while 59% of the time it tends to be blown out. For the remaining 17% of the time it is considered too small by most surfers but may still be OK for beginners and groms at times.

clean

24%

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

blown out

59%

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

too small

17%

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

Explore Kalihiwai Location Map

Interactive Kalihiwai 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 Kalihiwai is Lihue Airport (LIH) in Usa Kauai Isl., 29 km (18 miles) away (directly). The second nearest airport to Kalihiwai is Barking Sands Pmrf Airport (BKH), also in Usa Kauai Isl., 43 km (27 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.

Kalihiwai Surf Forecasts:

Hourly Forecast

16 Day Forecast

Todays Surf Summary
Monday, 4 May 2026, 23:03 Local Time

m, °C	Mon	Tuesday 05
ft, °F	11PM	2AM	5AM	8AM
Wave (m)	NW	NW	NW	NW
Period (s)	12	12	12	11
Wind (km/h)
Wind State	cross	cross- off	cross- off	glass

What does Kalihiwai look like?

Latest photos from Kalihiwai. Upload your own or view all photos on the gallery page.

Credit: Kaeleb Fernandez

Tides at Kalihiwai

Current tide and informaton

For Hanalei Bay, Kauai Island, Hawaii, 8 km from Kalihiwai.

Next High Water: 03:02am | 0.13m

Next Low Water: 12:33am | 0.11m

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

Kalihiwai Sea Temperature

Sunny with pleasantly warm air temperatures (feeling like 24.0 °C once we account for wind), and similar sea temperatures (24.2 °C). Wear boardshorts or a shorty, or better still a thin summer wetsuit to keep the UV off.

Today, many surfers would wear a shorty.

Current Temp*: 24.2°C*ocean temperature recorded from satellite