Surf Forecasts:
Kawaihae Breakwater surf forecast from 7 Jul 2026:
- Best quality surf: Tuesday 14 Jul, 2PM (local time) - 2ft (0.6m), 18s period, W swell with offshore winds.
- Most powerful swell: Tuesday 14 Jul, 2PM (local time) - 2ft (0.6m), 18s period, W swell with 222 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Friday 10 Jul, 11PM (local time) - 1.5ft (0.4m), 15s period with W swell.
Best Forecast Surf Conditions for Kawaihae Breakwater this week:
The surf forecast for Kawaihae Breakwater over the next 16 days: The first swell (rated 1 star or higher) is forecast to arrive on Friday (Jul 10) at 11PM. The primary swell is predicted to be 0.4m and 15s period with a secondary swell of 0.2m and 19s. The wind is predicted to be offshore as the swell arrives.
The most powerful waves expected at Kawaihae Breakwater in the next 16 days are 0.6m 18s and forecast to arrive on Tuesday (Jul 14) at 2PM. Winds are predicted to be offshore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 1.2m 8s period and expected on Tuesday (Jul 07) at 11AM.
| Wave Type | Time (HST) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 11PM (Fri 10th Jul) | 1.5ft (0.4m) 15s |
| Best Surf | 2PM (Tue 14th Jul) | 2ft (0.6m) 18s |
| Most Powerful | 2PM (Tue 14th Jul) | 2ft (0.6m) 18s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Kawaihae Breakwater over the next 16 days.
Alright folks, Rusty here. Let’s take a look at what’s shaping up for Kawaihae Breakwater over the next couple of weeks. It’s a bit of a slow burner, but there’s some light at the end of the tunnel.
Right now and through the first few days, we’ve got a blank run. Nothing doing at all on Tuesday the 7th, Wednesday the 8th, or Thursday the 9th of July – just flat, with no energy to speak of (combined energy: 0). The water's sitting at a touch warmer than normal for this time of year at 81°, about 2° above the long-term average, so the bath is nice, but you’re not getting wet for a wave.
Things start to stir very slowly from Friday the 10th, with a tiny 0.3ft west swell creeping in, but it’s weak (combined energy: 45). We go through the weekend with small, weak pulses. Saturday the 11th sees a 1ft west swell and the energy finally cracks triple digits (112), but conditions are just ordinary. The wind is offshore from the NE, blowing 16 mph on Saturday morning, so it’s clean, but the swell is barely a ripple.
The real turn comes on Wednesday the 15th of July. That’s the standout. We get a 2ft west swell with a long 16-second period, and the energy jumps to 288 – the best reading of the whole run. The wind is a gentle offshore breeze from the NE at 9 mph, making for clean, glassy lines on the reef. This is the best on offer, no doubt. It’s not big, but with that long-period groundswell and clean offshore wind, Kawaihae Breakwater (Big Island) will offer some fun, shapely waves. Keep in mind, the longer period means longer lulls between sets, so be patient.
After that, Thursday the 16th and Friday the 17th keep similar 2-2ft west swell but the energy drops off a little. Still surfable, and the wind stays offshore and light through most of it. From Saturday the 18th onward, the swell slowly fades back down to 1-2ft, and by Sunday the 19th, energy is back below 100. Tuesday the 21st of July is another flat day. But then on Wednesday the 22nd, we get a bit of a final kick: 2ft west swell with a 14-second period, energy back up to 129, and the wind goes glassy from the NNW in the afternoon – that’s a real treat for the last day in the window.
Overall, the first week is a write-off. The highlight is clearly the 15th of July, with Wednesday the 22nd being a close second for a glassy session. Crowds are “sometimes” at the Breakwater, so on those best days, expect a few others out, but it’s not a zoo.
Rusty.
Short Range ForecastMostly dry. Warm (max 27°C on Wed morning, min 23°C on Tue night). Wind will be generally light. | Days 4-6 Weather SummaryMostly dry. Warm (max 27°C on Fri morning, min 24°C on Sun night). Winds increasing (light winds from the NNE on Fri afternoon, fresh winds from the NE by Sat afternoon). | ||||||||||||||||||||
Tuesday 7 | Wednesday 8 | Thursday 9 | Friday 10 | Saturday 11 | Sunday 12 | Monday 13 | |||||||||||||||
AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | |
Swell Height Map |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | ||||||||||||||
Wave Height (m) Direction Period (s) | NNE 8 | NNE 8 | SW 13 | NE 7 | W 16 | W 16 | W 15 | W 14 | W 16 | W 13 | W 14 | W 14 | W 14 | SW 18 | SW 17 | SW 16 | SW 16 | SW 16 | SW 15 | W 19 | W 18 |
Wave Graph  | |||||||||||||||||||||
 kJ | 0 | 0 | 7 | 0 | 5 | 5 | 17 | 16 | 20 | 31 | 37 | 37 | 61 | 79 | 77 | 66 | 89 | 86 | 78 | 74 | 174 |
Wind (km/h) | |||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | off | off | cross-off | off | off | cross-off | off | off | off | off | off | off | off | off | off | off | off | off | off | off | off |
High Tide | 10:37AM0.50m | 9:01PM0.41m | 11:40AM0.59m | 10:02PM0.32m | 12:37PM0.68m | 11:22PM0.25m | 1:30PM0.77m | 00:46AM0.21m | 2:20PM0.83m | 1:57AM0.20m | 3:08PM0.87m | 2:58AM0.21m | 3:55PM0.89m | 3:53AM0.23m | |||||||
Low Tide | 4:17PM0.29m | 4:03AM-0.02m | 6:20PM0.26m | 4:47AM-0.04m | 7:57PM0.20m | 5:37AM-0.06m | 9:02PM0.12m | 6:31AM-0.08m | 9:51PM0.07m | 7:27AM-0.10m | 10:33PM0.03m | 8:21AM-0.11m | 11:13PM0.01m | ||||||||
 |  |  | | | | | |  | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
 | 5:48 | — | — | 5:48 | — | — | 5:50 | — | — | 5:50 | — | — | 5:50 | — | — | 5:50 | — | — | 5:50 | — | — |
 | — | 7:07 | — | — | 7:06 | — | — | 7:06 | — | — | 7:06 | — | — | 7:06 | — | — | 7:06 | — | — | 7:06 | — |
mm | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Temp °C | 26 | 26 | 25 | 27 | 27 | 25 | 27 | 27 | 26 | 27 | 27 | 26 | 27 | 27 | 26 | 27 | 27 | 26 | 27 | 27 | 25 |
Feels °C | 25 | 24 | 25 | 27 | 26 | 26 | 28 | 29 | 28 | 30 | 30 | 28 | 27 | 26 | 26 | 29 | 27 | 26 | 27 | 27 | 26 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SSW 14 | NNE 8 | SSW 14 | NE 7 | NE 7 | NE 7 | NE 7 | SSW 13 | NNE 7 | NE 7 | NE 7 | NNE 7 | NNE 7 | NNE 7 | NNE 7 | NNE 7 | NNE 7 | NNE 8 | SW 15 | NNE 7 | NNE 7 |
| kJ | 41 | 117 | 41 | 75 | 99 | 79 | 77 | 16 | 81 | 93 | 103 | 83 | 102 | 96 | 75 | 104 | 134 | 145 | 78 | 108 | 83 |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | SSW 14 | SW 13 | SSW 14 | SSW 14 | SSW 13 | SSW 13 | W 14 | SSW 12 | W 13 | W 14 | W 14 | W 14 | W 14 | SW 17 | SW 16 | SW 16 | SW 16 | W 12 | SW 14 | W 18 |
| kJ | — | 40 | 7 | 38 | 37 | 35 | 16 | 16 | 15 | 31 | 37 | 32 | 61 | 64 | 77 | 66 | 89 | 86 | 26 | 74 | 174 |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | — | — | — | W 16 | W 16 | W 15 | W 18 | W 16 | SSW 12 | SSW 12 | SSW 19 | SW 18 | SW 18 | W 13 | W 13 | W 13 | W 12 | W 16 | W 19 | SW 14 |
| kJ | — | — | — | — | 5 | 5 | 17 | 6 | 20 | 14 | 14 | 37 | 51 | 79 | 55 | 30 | 28 | 26 | 20 | 62 | 51 |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | NNE 8 | — | NNE 7 | — | — | — | — | NE 7 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | NNE 8 | — | — |
| kJ | 154 | — | 93 | — | — | — | — | 106 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 117 | — | — |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 88 | 35 | 35 | 88 | 35 | 35 | 88 | 88 | 50 | 88 | 35 | 0 | 0 | 46 | 0 | 0 | 32 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Best forecast wave conditions in Big Island | |||||||||||||||||||||
Best forecast wave conditions in United States | |||||||||||||||||||||
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Information about the Kawaihae Breakwater Surf forecast
The above surf forecast table for Kawaihae Breakwater provides essential information for determining whether the surfing conditions will be good over the next 16 days. A general guide to surfing at Kawaihae Breakwater can be found by selecting the local surf guide option on the grey menu. Our Kawaihae Breakwater 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 (Kawaihae Breakwater) 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 Kawaihae Breakwater 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.
Kawaihae Breakwater is 87 km (54 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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