Surf Forecasts:
Kawaihae Breakwater surf forecast from 13 Jul 2026:
- Best quality surf: Tuesday 14 Jul, 11AM (local time) - 2ft (0.6m), 19s period, W swell with glassy 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★+): Sunday 12 Jul, 11PM (local time) - 1.5ft (0.4m), 16s period with SW 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 Sunday (Jul 12) at 11PM. The primary swell is predicted to be 0.4m and 16s period with a secondary swell of 0.3m and 12s. 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 offshore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 1.1m 8s period and expected on Sunday (Jul 12) at 11PM.
| Wave Type | Time (HST) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 11PM (Sun 12th Jul) | 1.5ft (0.4m) 16s |
| 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. Looking at the charts for the next couple of weeks, it’s a pretty quiet story for us. The first few days offer some small, rideable waves, but there’s a real standout window mid-week that’s worth getting excited about. After that, the surf dries right up. There’s a long gap from the end of the week through the rest of the outlook with nothing worth paddling out for.
The first real chance to get wet comes this Sunday afternoon at Kawaihae Breakwater. We’re looking at a tiny 1ft swell from the SW, and the combined wave energy is weak at 117. It’s surfable, but you’ll be fighting a moderate offshore breeze, so conditions are just ordinary. The water temp is sitting at a comfortable 80°, which is right on average for this time of year.
Monday stays much the same – small 1ft SW swell again, with the wave energy dropping to 124. Monday afternoon looks a touch cleaner with a light offshore.
Now, here’s the good stuff. Tuesday the 14th through Thursday the 16th is our window. The swell bumps up to 2ft to 3ft from the W. The combined swell energy jumps into the moderate range, peaking at 353 on Wednesday morning. That’s a solid pulse for this spot. The real kicker is the wind: we’re seeing glassy conditions from Tuesday morning right through to Thursday afternoon. That means clean, smooth faces. The swell period is hanging around 15-16 seconds, so it’s a proper groundswell, long lines, and decent shape. For a reef break, that’s a dream scenario. This is the standout for the whole outlook.
Friday the 17th starts to ease off, dropping back to 2ft from the W. The wind is still glassy in the morning, but the energy is fading (237). By Saturday the 18th, the swell is back down to a weak 2ft, and by the afternoon it’s a messy cross-off shore wind. After that, from Sunday the 19th through the end of the forecast period on the 27th of July, the swell fades to nothing – between 0.7ft and flat. The wave energy falls into single and low double digits. Conditions are technically clean with light offshore winds, but there’s just no wave to ride. It’s a long blank run for us.
So, get on it mid-week for the cleanest, most fun waves on offer. Everything else is just a wait.
Rusty.
Short Range ForecastSome drizzle, heaviest during Tue night. Warm (max 27°C on Sun afternoon, min 23°C on Mon night). Wind will be generally light. | Days 5-7 Weather SummaryMostly dry. Warm (max 28°C on Fri morning, min 23°C on Wed night). Wind will be generally light. | ||||||||||||||||||||
Sun 12 | Monday 13 | Tuesday 14 | Wednesday 15 | Thursday 16 | Friday 17 | Saturday 18 | |||||||||||||||
PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | |
Swell Height Map |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | |||||||||||||
Wave Height (m) Direction Period (s) | 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 | W 13 | WNW 13 | WNW 13 | WNW 12 |
Wave Graph  | |||||||||||||||||||||
 kJ | 89 | 86 | 78 | 54 | 162 | 251 | 267 | 270 | 310 | 302 | 291 | 275 | 272 | 206 | 150 | 146 | 140 | 89 | 57 | 57 | 30 |
Wind (km/h) | |||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | off | cross-off | off | off | cross-off | glassy | glassy | glassy | glassy | glassy | cross-off | glassy | glassy | cross-off | glassy | off | cross-off | glassy | cross-off | off | off |
High Tide | 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 | 7:32AM0.39m | 7:10PM0.61m | 8:35AM0.44m | |||||||
Low Tide | 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 | 12:43PM0.14m | 2:07AM0.01m | 1:51PM0.22m | |||||||
 |  | |  |  | | |  | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
 | — | — | 5:50 | — | — | 5:52 | — | — | 5:52 | — | — | 5:52 | — | — | 5:52 | — | — | 5:52 | — | — | 5:52 |
 | 7:06 | — | — | 7:06 | — | — | 7:06 | — | — | 7:06 | — | — | 7:05 | — | — | 7:05 | — | — | 7:05 | — | 7:05 |
mm | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 1 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Temp °C | 27 | 25 | 25 | 26 | 24 | 26 | 27 | 25 | 27 | 26 | 25 | 27 | 27 | 26 | 28 | 28 | 26 | 28 | 28 | 26 | 27 |
Feels °C | 28 | 24 | 24 | 26 | 25 | 28 | 29 | 28 | 29 | 29 | 29 | 30 | 31 | 29 | 32 | 32 | 30 | 31 | 32 | 30 | 28 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | NNE 8 | NNE 8 | SW 15 | NNE 7 | NNE 7 | NNE 7 | NNE 8 | NNE 8 | W 16 | NNE 7 | W 15 | NNE 7 | NE 7 | NNE 7 | NNE 7 | W 14 | NE 7 | NE 7 | NE 7 | NNE 6 | NNE 6 |
| kJ | 117 | 110 | 78 | 75 | 53 | 62 | 64 | 64 | 310 | 83 | 291 | 70 | 69 | 59 | 41 | 146 | 44 | 64 | 75 | 51 | 44 |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SW 16 | SW 16 | W 12 | SW 14 | W 18 | W 19 | W 16 | W 17 | NNE 7 | W 15 | NNE 7 | W 15 | W 15 | SW 11 | W 14 | NE 6 | W 14 | W 13 | WNW 13 | WNW 13 | WNW 12 |
| kJ | 89 | 86 | 26 | 54 | 162 | 251 | 267 | 270 | 47 | 302 | 62 | 275 | 272 | 126 | 150 | 23 | 140 | 89 | 57 | 57 | 30 |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | W 13 | W 12 | W 16 | W 12 | SW 14 | SW 14 | SW 13 | SW 13 | SW 13 | SW 14 | SW 16 | SW 13 | SW 11 | W 14 | SW 10 | N 7 | N 7 | NNE 7 | NNE 8 | ENE 8 | ENE 8 |
| kJ | 28 | 26 | 20 | 26 | 51 | 47 | 46 | 44 | 43 | 50 | 63 | 42 | 29 | 206 | 87 | 27 | 28 | 17 | 11 | 6 | 6 |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | — | NNE 7 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| kJ | — | — | 101 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 0 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 65 | 35 | 88 |
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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