Surf Forecasts:
Kawaihae Breakwater surf forecast from 5 Sep 2026:
- Best quality surf: Monday 7 Sep, 8PM (local time) - 6ft (1.9m), 14s period, WSW swell with glassy winds.
- Most powerful swell: Monday 7 Sep, 8PM (local time) - 6ft (1.9m), 14s period, WSW swell with 1,484 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Friday 4 Sep, 8PM (local time) - 1.5ft (0.5m), 11s period with SSW 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 (Sep 04) at 8PM. The primary swell is predicted to be 0.5m and 11s 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 1.9m 14s and forecast to arrive on Monday (Sep 07) 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 0.9m 6s period and expected on Saturday (Sep 05) at 8PM.
| Wave Type | Time (HST) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 8PM (Fri 4th Sep) | 1.5ft (0.5m) 11s |
| Best Surf | 8PM (Mon 7th Sep) | 6ft (1.9m) 14s |
| Most Powerful | 8PM (Mon 7th Sep) | 6ft (1.9m) 14s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Kawaihae Breakwater over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
Alright folks, Rusty here with a look at the Kawaihae Breakwater (Big Island) forecast.
Right now, the surf is pretty much flat. We’re looking at a stretch of very small, weak energy through the first few days. Honestly, from Friday the 4th through to the end of the first week, it’s a waiting game. There’s a big gap of tiny, poor-condition surf until we finally see some life.
The real standout, and the only one worth circling on your calendar, is Monday the 7th. That morning, we’ve got a new 4.3ft SW groundswell rolling in with a period of 14 seconds. The energy jumps up to a solid (586), and with the wind glassy out of the NNW, it’s going to be clean. It’s a reef break, so that long-period swell will wrap in nicely. By Monday afternoon, it gets even better. The swell bumps up to 5.6ft from the WSW, the energy rockets to (1111), and it’s still glassy. That’s a proper session for intermediates, though it might be pushing it for beginners. The water temp is sitting at 81.5°, which is pretty much normal for this time of year, so no surprises there.
Tuesday the 8th holds onto some size, with 5.2ft WSW swell, but the wind goes a bit cross-shore in the morning. The afternoon cleans up with a cross-offshore breeze. It’s still a good option, but it’s not quite the magic of Monday.
After that, we drop off hard again. From Wednesday the 9th onwards, we’re back to tiny, weak swell with energy readings in the double digits. The wind stays offshore and clean, but there’s just no power. There are a few moments around the 15th of September where the swell gets a little longer period, but the height is only 1.3ft to 1.6ft. It’s surfable, but very ordinary. The crowd situation here is described as "sometimes," so on those good Monday sessions, expect a few other locals to have the same idea.
To sum it up: the whole 16-day run is pretty bleak, save for that one killer day. Monday the 7th is the call. Get on it, because it’s going to be a long wait for the next one.
Short Range ForecastSome drizzle, heaviest during Sun night. Warm (max 28°C on Sat morning, min 25°C on Fri night). Wind will be generally light. | Days 5-7 Weather SummaryLight rain (total 2mm), mostly falling on Mon night. Warm (max 29°C on Tue morning, min 24°C on Wed night). Wind will be generally light. | |||||||||||||||||||
Fri 4 | Saturday 5 | Sunday 6 | Monday 7 | Tuesday 8 | Wednesday 9 | Thursday 10 | ||||||||||||||
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) | SSW 12 | SSW 12 | SSW 12 | SSW 12 | SW 11 | SW 11 | SW 11 | SW 12 | SW 14 | WSW 14 | WSW 13 | WSW 11 | W 11 | WNW 9 | SW 8 | SW 8 | SW 8 | SW 16 | SW 18 | SW 16 |
Wave Graph  | ||||||||||||||||||||
 kJ | 0 | 0 | 180 | 177 | 126 | 147 | 174 | 281 | 586 | 1111 | 1152 | 582 | 584 | 144 | 29 | 15 | 15 | 42 | 49 | 67 |
Wind (km/h) | ||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | off | cross-off | off | glassy | off | glassy | cross-off | glassy | glassy | glassy | cross-on | cross | cross-off | glassy | off | off | off | off | off | cross-off |
High Tide | 10:08PM0.17m | 11:57AM0.69m | 00:08AM0.19m | 12:59PM0.72m | 1:17AM0.24m | 1:49PM0.75m | 2:08AM0.31m | 2:32PM0.75m | 2:51AM0.39m | 3:10PM0.73m | 3:32AM0.46m | 3:45PM0.69m | 4:11AM0.53m | |||||||
Low Tide | 7:06PM0.15m | 3:40AM0.04m | 7:52PM0.09m | 5:12AM0.03m | 8:26PM0.06m | 6:29AM0.01m | 8:55PM0.03m | 7:32AM-0.01m | 9:22PM0.01m | 8:26AM-0.02m | 9:48PM-0.01m | 9:15AM-0.00m | 10:13PM-0.02m | |||||||
 |  |  | |  | | |  | | |  | |  | | | | | | | | |
 | — | — | 6:07 | — | — | 6:07 | — | — | 6:07 | — | — | 6:09 | — | — | 6:09 | — | — | 6:09 | — | — |
 | 6:36 | — | — | 6:35 | — | — | 6:34 | — | — | 6:32 | — | — | 6:31 | — | — | 6:30 | — | — | 6:30 | — |
mm | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 1 | — | — | 1 | — | 1 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Temp °C | 27 | 26 | 28 | 28 | 26 | 27 | 28 | 26 | 28 | 28 | 28 | 29 | 28 | 27 | 29 | 29 | 26 | 27 | 27 | 25 |
Feels °C | 28 | 26 | 30 | 32 | 30 | 31 | 32 | 29 | 33 | 32 | 33 | 33 | 32 | 32 | 32 | 32 | 29 | 27 | 29 | 27 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SSW 12 | NNE 5 | SSW 12 | NNE 6 | SW 11 | SW 11 | SW 11 | SW 12 | SW 14 | WSW 14 | WSW 13 | WSW 11 | W 11 | WNW 9 | NE 8 | NE 6 | NE 7 | NE 7 | NE 6 | NNE 7 |
| kJ | 115 | 24 | 180 | 47 | 126 | 147 | 174 | 281 | 586 | 1111 | 1152 | 582 | 584 | 144 | 29 | 66 | 62 | 71 | 31 | 29 |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | E 14 | SSW 12 | NNE 6 | SSW 12 | NNE 6 | NNE 6 | NE 6 | ENE 12 | ENE 12 | ENE 12 | NE 12 | NE 10 | NE 9 | NE 8 | SW 8 | SW 8 | SW 8 | SW 16 | NE 7 | NE 8 |
| kJ | 16 | 111 | 37 | 177 | 33 | 32 | 25 | 113 | 133 | 167 | 224 | 184 | 101 | 55 | 29 | 15 | 15 | 42 | 18 | 16 |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | N 8 | ENE 14 | ENE 13 | ENE 14 | E 13 | E 12 | E 12 | NNE 6 | NNE 6 | NNE 6 | SSW 15 | SSW 15 | SSW 14 | SW 8 | WNW 8 | SSW 13 | SSW 13 | SSW 8 | SW 18 | SW 16 |
| kJ | 1 | 63 | 57 | 61 | 86 | 75 | 75 | 15 | 23 | 26 | 89 | 85 | 82 | 38 | 28 | 34 | 33 | 6 | 49 | 67 |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | NE 6 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| kJ | 52 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | ||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 46 | 50 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 6 | 24 | 0 | 0 | 88 | 54 | 50 | 88 | 91 | 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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