Surf Forecasts:
Kawaihae Breakwater surf forecast from 11 Jul 2026:
- Best quality surf: Tuesday 14 Jul, 11AM (local time) - 2ft (0.6m), 19s period, W swell with offshore winds.
- Most powerful swell: Wednesday 15 Jul, 8AM (local time) - 2.5ft (0.8m), 16s period, W swell with 314 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Saturday 11 Jul, 2PM (local time) - 1.5ft (0.4m), 14s 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 Saturday (Jul 11) at 2PM. The primary swell is predicted to be 0.4m and 14s period. 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 0.8m 16s and forecast to arrive on Wednesday (Jul 15) at 8AM. Winds are predicted to be cross-offshore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 1.1m 7s period and expected on Saturday (Jul 11) at 5PM.
| Wave Type | Time (HST) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 2PM (Sat 11th Jul) | 1.5ft (0.4m) 14s |
| Best Surf | 11AM (Tue 14th Jul) | 2ft (0.6m) 19s |
| Most Powerful | 8AM (Wed 15th Jul) | 2.5ft (0.8m) 16s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Kawaihae Breakwater over the next 16 days.
Alright, this is Rusty. Let's take a look at what's on the table for this stretch.
It's a bit of a slow start here, but we've got a solid run of small, clean, reefy waves coming up once the wind settles. The first few days are pretty ordinary – small and weak, but the wind is offshore so it's not a total write-off. The real story begins Tuesday the 14th and runs through to Friday the 17th. That's the window.
The standout is Kawaihae Breakwater on the Big Island. The best of it is from Tuesday the 14th morning through to Thursday the 16th. We're looking at waist to chest-high swell, 2.0ft to 2.6ft, coming from the west. The swell energy will be moderate, hitting around 298 to 354 (moderate wave energy). The key here is the wind – it goes glassy or very light offshore on the 14th, 15th, and 16th, which means the reef will be smoothing out. Tuesday afternoon is glassy, Wednesday morning is glassy with a calm wind, and Thursday morning is glassy too. The water temp is 80.1°, which is about normal for this time of year.
The swell period is around 15 to 19 seconds, which is a long-period groundswell. That's classic for a reef like this – it'll hold up, wrap around, and give you some proper shape. Expect longer lulls between sets, but the waves that come through will have more push. The optimum direction is west, and it's hitting that dead on. The break is fairly consistent, but it's a reef so it works best on the right swell. Crowds are sometimes a factor, so don't be surprised if there's a few others out.
The Wednesday the 15th morning is my pick – glassy, clear skies, 2.6ft of west swell, and a calm wind. That's about as clean as it gets for this spot.
From Friday the 17th afternoon, the swell drops off and the energy fades. By Saturday the 18th, it's back to knee-high and weak. Then from Sunday the 19th all the way through to Sunday the 26th, it's mostly poor to flat conditions with tiny, weak swell or no swell at all. That's a long, dry gap of about 8 days with nothing worth paddling out for.
So, get it while you can. The 14th through the 17th is the go.
Short Range ForecastMostly dry. Warm (max 27°C on Sat morning, min 24°C on Sat night). Wind will be generally light. | Days 4-6 Weather SummaryLight rain (total 4mm), mostly falling on Tue night. Warm (max 28°C on Thu afternoon, min 24°C on Tue night). Wind will be generally light. | ||||||||||||||||||||
Saturday 11 | Sunday 12 | Monday 13 | Tuesday 14 | Wednesday 15 | Thursday 16 | Friday 17 | |||||||||||||||
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) | W 14 | SW 18 | SW 17 | SW 16 | SW 16 | SW 16 | SW 15 | SW 14 | W 18 | W 19 | W 16 | W 17 | W 16 | W 15 | W 15 | W 15 | W 15 | W 14 | W 14 | W 14 | W 14 |
Wave Graph  | |||||||||||||||||||||
 kJ | 61 | 79 | 77 | 66 | 64 | 62 | 57 | 54 | 162 | 251 | 267 | 270 | 310 | 302 | 291 | 275 | 272 | 206 | 203 | 146 | 140 |
Wind (km/h) | |||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | off | off | cross-off | off | off | off | off | off | cross-off | off | glassy | cross-off | glassy | glassy | glassy | glassy | off | off | off | off | off |
High Tide | 2:20PM0.83m | 1:57AM0.20m | 3:08PM0.87m | 2:58AM0.21m | 3:55PM0.89m | 3:53AM0.23m | 4:39PM0.88m | 4:46AM0.27m | 5:20PM0.84m | 5:38AM0.30m | 6:00PM0.78m | 6:33AM0.35m | 6:36PM0.70m | ||||||||
Low Tide | 9:51PM0.07m | 7:27AM-0.10m | 10:33PM0.03m | 8:21AM-0.11m | 11:13PM0.01m | 9:14AM-0.10m | 11:51PM-0.00m | 10:05AM-0.07m | 00:27AM-0.01m | 10:55AM-0.02m | 1:02AM-0.00m | 11:47AM0.06m | 1:35AM0.00m | ||||||||
 | |  | | | | | | | | |  |  |  | | | | | | | | |
 | 5:50 | — | — | 5:50 | — | — | 5:50 | — | — | 5:52 | — | — | 5:52 | — | — | 5:52 | — | — | 5:52 | — | — |
 | — | 7:06 | — | — | 7:06 | — | — | 7:06 | — | — | 7:06 | — | — | 7:06 | — | — | 7:05 | — | — | 7:05 | — |
mm | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 1 | — | 1 | 2 | — | — | — | — | 1 | — |
Temp °C | 27 | 27 | 26 | 27 | 27 | 25 | 25 | 26 | 25 | 26 | 27 | 25 | 27 | 27 | 25 | 27 | 28 | 26 | 27 | 27 | 26 |
Feels °C | 26 | 27 | 26 | 28 | 28 | 25 | 24 | 27 | 26 | 27 | 30 | 28 | 30 | 30 | 29 | 30 | 32 | 29 | 30 | 30 | 29 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | NNE 7 | NE 7 | NNE 7 | NNE 7 | NNE 7 | SW 16 | NNE 7 | SW 14 | NNE 7 | NNE 8 | NNE 8 | NNE 8 | W 16 | W 15 | W 15 | W 15 | NNE 7 | NNE 7 | NNE 7 | NNE 6 | NNE 7 |
| kJ | 99 | 103 | 61 | 111 | 114 | 62 | 99 | 54 | 53 | 66 | 83 | 64 | 310 | 302 | 291 | 275 | 61 | 59 | 59 | 60 | 54 |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | W 14 | W 14 | SW 17 | SW 16 | SW 16 | W 12 | SW 15 | W 12 | W 18 | W 19 | W 16 | W 17 | NNE 7 | NE 7 | NNE 7 | NE 7 | W 15 | W 14 | W 14 | W 14 | W 14 |
| kJ | 61 | 64 | 77 | 66 | 64 | 26 | 57 | 26 | 162 | 251 | 267 | 270 | 47 | 54 | 61 | 56 | 272 | 206 | 203 | 146 | 140 |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SW 18 | SW 18 | W 13 | W 13 | W 13 | ENE 8 | W 12 | W 19 | SW 14 | SW 14 | SW 13 | SW 13 | SW 13 | NNE 8 | SW 16 | SW 13 | SW 13 | SW 15 | SSW 16 | SSW 11 | SSW 10 |
| kJ | 51 | 79 | 55 | 30 | 28 | 6 | 26 | 29 | 51 | 47 | 46 | 44 | 44 | 19 | 64 | 42 | 26 | 56 | 25 | 12 | 10 |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | — | — | — | — | NNE 8 | — | NNE 7 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| kJ | — | — | — | — | — | 107 | — | 75 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 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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