Surf Forecasts:
Kawaihae Breakwater surf forecast from 10 Aug 2026:
- Most powerful swell: Monday 17 Aug, 2AM (local time) - 4.5ft (1.3m), 5s period, SSW swell with 73 kJ wave energy.
Best Forecast Surf Conditions for Kawaihae Breakwater this week:
The most powerful waves expected at Kawaihae Breakwater in the next 16 days are 1.3m 5s and forecast to arrive on Monday (Aug 17) at 2AM. Winds are predicted to be cross-onshore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 3.0m 13s period and expected on Sunday (Aug 16) at 2PM.
| Wave Type | Time (HST) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | - | - |
| Best Surf | - | - |
| Most Powerful | 2AM (Mon 17th Aug) | 4.5ft (1.3m) 5s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Kawaihae Breakwater over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
Alright folks, Rusty here. Let’s get into it for this stretch on the Big Island.
Right off the bat, I gotta be straight with you – the next week and a half is looking real flat. We’ve got a long stretch of tiny, weak swell that’s barely gonna wet your board. The first few days are just a tease with nothing to ride. The energy is way down, with combined swell readings sitting in the low double digits (21 to 33) – that’s basically nothing. Winds are light and offshore from the NE, which would be sweet if there was any wave to blow on, but there isn’t. It’s a frustrating start.
We finally see a little pulse around the 17th of August. Monday morning clocks in a 5ft swell from the SW, but the period is a short, bumpy 6 seconds and the wind is cross-on, making it a messy, blown-out affair. The combined energy jumps to 198 (moderate) but it’s just not clean. Monday afternoon cleans up with glassy conditions, but the swell drops to 3ft. It’s surfable, but barely worth the paddle – I’d call it a very ordinary option.
The real standout, and the only one I’d get excited about, happens around the 20th and 21st of August. We’re looking at a long-period groundswell filling in from the SW. The period jumps to 15-18 seconds – that’s proper energy. The combined energy climbs into the 80s and 90s (moderate) and the wind goes glassy or calm. At Kawaihae Breakwater (Big Island) , this long-period SW swell will wrap in nicely. The break is a reef setup, which is exactly what you want for a long-period groundswell; it’ll hold shape and not just close out. The wave heights are only 1ft, but with that 18-second period, it’ll have more push than the number suggests. Glassy conditions on the 20th afternoon and the 21st will make it clean as a whistle. Just keep in mind, this is a fairly consistent spot, but it can get crowded sometimes, so be ready for company.
After that, the swell fades back into the tiny stuff from the 23rd onwards, with combined energy dropping back to 26-53 and wave heights at 0.7ft to 1ft. Not much to write home about. The long-range promise of the 20th-21st is the only real window in this 16-day stretch, and even it is on the small side. Still, glassy conditions and a long-period groundswell at a reef break? That’s the call.
Rusty.
Short Range ForecastLight rain (total 2mm), mostly falling on Sun night. Warm (max 29°C on Mon morning, min 24°C on Tue night). Wind will be generally light. | Days 5-7 Weather SummaryMostly dry. Warm (max 28°C on Thu afternoon, min 25°C on Wed night). Mainly fresh winds. | ||||||||||||||||||
Monday 10 | Tuesday 11 | Wednesday 12 | Thursday 13 | Friday 14 | Saturday 15 | ||||||||||||||
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 12 | W 11 | W 11 | SSW 15 | SSW 14 | W 10 | W 11 | W 11 | WNW 13 | SSW 16 | WNW 12 | W 12 | W 12 | SSW 14 | W 12 | W 12 | WNW 11 | W 11 | WNW 13 |
Wave Graph  | |||||||||||||||||||
 kJ | 23 | 21 | 21 | 23 | 0 | 8 | 23 | 22 | 33 | 0 | 28 | 25 | 25 | 0 | 25 | 11 | 24 | 22 | 34 |
Wind (km/h) | |||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | cross-off | off | off | cross-off | off | off | off | off | off | off | off | off | off | off | off | off | off | off | off |
High Tide | 2:05AM0.23m | 2:55PM0.83m | 2:57AM0.27m | 3:37PM0.84m | 3:45AM0.33m | 4:16PM0.81m | 4:30AM0.38m | 4:52PM0.76m | 5:16AM0.44m | 5:25PM0.69m | 6:01AM0.48m | 5:56PM0.60m | |||||||
Low Tide | 9:32PM0.05m | 7:27AM-0.07m | 10:05PM0.02m | 8:23AM-0.08m | 10:36PM0.00m | 9:15AM-0.06m | 11:06PM-0.01m | 10:03AM-0.03m | 11:35PM-0.01m | 10:52AM0.02m | 00:02AM-0.01m | 11:41AM0.09m | 00:29AM0.00m | ||||||
 |  |  |  | |  | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
 | — | 6:01 | — | — | 6:01 | — | — | 6:01 | — | — | 6:01 | — | — | 6:01 | — | — | 6:03 | — | — |
 | 6:55 | — | 6:54 | — | — | 6:53 | — | — | 6:53 | — | — | 6:52 | — | — | 6:52 | — | — | 6:52 | — |
mm | 1 | — | 1 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 1 |
Temp °C | 27 | 29 | 29 | 27 | 28 | 28 | 26 | 28 | 28 | 26 | 27 | 28 | 25 | 27 | 28 | 26 | 27 | 28 | 26 |
Feels °C | 30 | 32 | 32 | 29 | 30 | 31 | 28 | 29 | 29 | 28 | 26 | 26 | 25 | 26 | 28 | 27 | 28 | 28 | 26 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | NE 5 | NE 6 | NE 6 | NE 5 | NE 5 | NE 6 | SSW 13 | NNE 5 | NE 6 | NE 5 | SSW 16 | NNE 6 | SSW 14 | NNE 6 | NNE 6 | SSW 14 | WNW 11 | SSW 13 | E 12 |
| kJ | 28 | 31 | 40 | 30 | 12 | 37 | 35 | 15 | 46 | 23 | 48 | 55 | 70 | 51 | 61 | 36 | 24 | 34 | 104 |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | W 12 | W 11 | SSW 15 | W 10 | NE 6 | SSW 14 | W 11 | SSW 13 | SSW 13 | SSW 13 | WNW 12 | SSW 15 | W 12 | NE 8 | SSW 14 | W 12 | SSW 13 | W 11 | WNW 13 |
| kJ | 23 | 21 | 47 | 18 | 14 | 40 | 23 | 32 | 32 | 32 | 28 | 44 | 25 | 16 | 40 | 11 | 35 | 22 | 34 |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SSW 12 | NE 8 | W 11 | SSW 15 | SSW 14 | W 10 | W 14 | W 11 | WNW 13 | SSW 16 | SSW 12 | W 12 | S 18 | SSW 14 | W 12 | W 15 | W 15 | E 11 | SSW 13 |
| kJ | 14 | 10 | 21 | 23 | 41 | 8 | 15 | 22 | 33 | 51 | 28 | 25 | 6 | 69 | 25 | 4 | 4 | 23 | 17 |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | — | — | — | — | — | NNE 5 | — | — | — | NE 6 | — | NNE 6 | — | — | NE 8 | NE 8 | NNE 9 | NNE 8 |
| kJ | — | — | — | — | — | — | 15 | — | — | — | 44 | — | 53 | — | — | 176 | 158 | 247 | 326 |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 50 | 88 | 50 | 46 | 91 | 65 | 46 | 88 | 88 | 50 | 46 | 46 | 49 | 46 | 35 | 35 | 86 | 86 | 23 |
Best forecast wave conditions in Big Island | |||||||||||||||||||
Best forecast wave conditions in United States | |||||||||||||||||||
Header Global | |||||||||||||||||||
- Map Icons:
Break
Live Wave Height (m)
Live Wind Speed (km/h)
Surf Rating (10 Max)
Ocean Swells (m)- Wind Speed (km/h)
Latest Updates
FREE! Surf-Forecast.com widget for your website
The surf report / weather widget below is available to embed on third party websites free of charge and provides a summary of our Kawaihae Breakwater surf forecast. Simply grab the html code snippet that we provide and paste it into your own site. You can choose your preferred language and metric/imperial units for the surf forecast feed to suit users of your site. Click here to get the code.
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.
Nearest