Kawaihae Breakwater Surf Break

Lat Long: 20.05° N 155.84° W

Issued: 7 pm 06 Jul 2026 (local time)

Forecast update in  hr  min

Today's Kawaihae Breakwater sea temperature is
27.0° C

1.2°C warmer than normal for this time of year

Kawaihae Breakwater surf forecast is for near shore open water. Breaking waves will often be smaller at less exposed spots.


Kawaihae Breakwater surf forecast from 7 Jul 2026:

  • Best quality surf: Friday 10 Jul, 11PM (local time) - 1.5ft (0.4m), 15s period, W swell with offshore winds.
  • Most powerful swell: Sunday 12 Jul, 2PM (local time) - 1.5ft (0.4m), 16s period, SW swell with 89 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. 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 0.4m 16s and forecast to arrive on Sunday (Jul 12) 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 7s period and expected on Tuesday (Jul 07) at 2AM.

Wave TypeTime (HST) & Date Wave Height & Period
Next good surf (1 star+)11PM (Fri 10th Jul)1.5ft (0.4m) 15s
Best Surf11PM (Fri 10th Jul)1.5ft (0.4m) 15s
Most Powerful 2PM (Sun 12th Jul)1.5ft (0.4m) 16s

Table - best surf conditions forecast for Kawaihae Breakwater over the next 16 days.


Updates in  hr  min  s Forecast update imminent

Right, folks, Rusty here. Let's have a look at what we've got on the cards for Kawaihae Breakwater. It's a bit of a quiet start, but there's a window of cleaner, more promising surf coming up.

Right out of the gate, from Tuesday the 7th right through until the end of Friday the 10th, the surf is just too small and weak to bother with. We're talking waves under 1ft and combined swell energy barely ticking over 0 to 51. It's a flat spell to start, so don't even think about paddling out. The water temp is about average for this time of year.

Things finally start to show some life on the morning of Saturday the 11th of July. We get a pulse of 1ft swell from the W, but the period is short at 8 seconds and combined energy is only 112. It's surfable but very ordinary. That trend continues through Sunday and Monday, with the swell holding around 1ft from the SW, but still just not enough push to get excited about.

Now, here's where it gets good. The standout window is Wednesday the 15th and Thursday the 16th of July. We get a cleaner 2ft swell from the W, with a long period of 16 seconds. That’s proper groundswell, boys. The combined energy climbs to 290 and 295 respectively, a moderate energy level that’s got some real oomph. Winds are light – light breeze to slight air – meaning clean, glassy conditions. For a reef break like Kawaihae Breakwater, that long-period W swell is going to shape up beautifully. This is the best we’re going to see in the 16-day run. The consistency is fairly consistent here, but crowds are sometimes a factor, so keep that in mind.

After that little burst, the swell backs off again. Friday the 17th and Saturday the 18th drop to 2ft and 2ft with lower period, and by Sunday the 19th we are right back to flat, poor conditions with energy down to zero.

Then, right at the tail end, on Tuesday the 21st and Wednesday the 22nd of July, we see another small increase. The swell is 1ft to 2ft from the SW with a long period of 17 seconds, and combined energy of 135. It’s not the quality of that mid-month window, and it’s surfable but very ordinary again. The winds are offshore and light, so it’ll be clean, but the size is just too small to call it a proper session.

Overall, the pick of the bunch is Wednesday the 15th and Thursday the 16th of July. That's the time to be in the water. For the rest of the period, it's mostly a flat to marginal run.

Rusty.

Short Range Forecast

Mostly dry. Warm (max 27°C on Wed morning, min 23°C on Tue night). Wind will be generally light.

Days 5-7 Weather Summary

Mostly dry. Warm (max 28°C on Fri morning, min 24°C on Sat night). Wind will be generally light.

Tuesday
7
Wednesday
8
Thursday
9
Friday
10
Saturday
11
Sunday
12
Mon
13
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Rating
(10 max)
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
Swell
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Wave
Height (m)
Direction
Period (s)
0.1
W
10
1.1
NNE
8
1.2
NNE
7
0.1
SW
13
0.8
NNE
7
0.1
W
16
0.2
SSW
13
0.2
W
15
0.2
W
14
0.2
W
16
0.3
W
13
0.3
W
14
0.3
W
13
0.4
W
14
0.4
SW
18
0.4
SW
17
0.4
SW
16
0.4
SW
16
0.4
SW
16
0.4
SW
15
0.4
SW
14
Wave Graph
Metric surfscale
Energy kJ
2
0
0
7
0
5
17
17
16
20
31
37
29
61
79
77
66
89
86
78
53
Wind (km/h)
20
ENE
25
NE
20
NE
20
ENE
15
NE
15
NE
15
ENE
10
NE
10
ENE
15
ENE
10
NNE
10
NE
10
ENE
25
NE
20
NE
15
ENE
10
NNE
25
NE
20
NE
15
NE
15
NE
Wind State
off
off
off
cross-off
off
off
cross-off
off
off
cross-off
off
off
off
off
off
off
off
off
off
off
off
High Tide
8:16PM0.51m
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
Low Tide
3:25AM0.00m
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
clear
clear
part cloud
clear
clear
clear
clear
part cloud
part cloud
part cloud
clear
part cloud
clear
clear
part cloud
part cloud
part cloud
part cloud
part cloud
part cloud
part cloud
<span class="translation_missing" title="translation missing: en.weather_tables.sunrise">Sunrise</span>
5:48
5:48
5:50
5:50
5:50
5:50
5:50
<span class="translation_missing" title="translation missing: en.weather_tables.sunset">Sunset</span>
7:07
7:07
7:06
7:06
7:06
7:06
7:06
7:06
 mm
Temp °C
25
26
26
24
27
27
25
27
27
26
28
28
26
27
27
26
27
27
26
26
26
Feels °C
24
24
24
23
27
26
26
29
29
28
31
30
28
27
28
26
29
28
27
27
28
Swell 1
Height (m)
Direction
Period (s)
0.3
SSW
15
1.1
NNE
8
1.2
NNE
7
0.9
NE
7
0.8
NNE
7
1
NE
7
0.9
NE
7
0.9
NE
7
1.1
NE
7
0.9
NE
7
0.9
NE
7
1
NNE
6
0.7
NNE
7
1.1
NNE
7
1.2
NNE
7
0.9
NNE
7
1
NNE
8
1.1
NNE
8
1.1
NNE
8
0.4
SW
15
1
NNE
7
Energy kJ
42
142
146
77
66
99
77
77
106
69
71
82
55
131
131
77
110
145
142
78
108
Swell 2
Height (m)
Direction
Period (s)
0.1
W
10
0.3
SSW
14
0.3
SSW
14
0.3
SSW
14
0.3
SSW
14
0.3
SSW
14
0.2
SSW
13
0.2
SSW
13
0.2
SSW
13
0.2
SSW
12
0.3
NNE
6
0.3
W
14
0.4
NE
8
0.4
W
14
0.4
W
14
0.4
SW
17
0.4
SW
16
0.4
SW
16
0.4
SW
16
0.3
W
12
0.4
SW
14
Energy kJ
2
41
40
41
38
37
17
16
16
15
8
37
20
61
64
77
66
89
86
26
53
Swell 3
Height (m)
Direction
Period (s)
0.1
SW
13
0.1
W
16
0.1
W
16
0.2
W
15
0.2
W
14
0.2
W
16
0.3
W
13
0.2
SSW
12
0.3
W
13
0.3
SW
18
0.4
SW
18
0.4
W
13
0.3
W
13
0.3
W
13
0.3
W
12
0.2
W
16
0.3
W
12
Energy kJ
7
5
5
17
16
20
31
14
29
51
79
55
30
28
26
21
27
Wind waves
Height (m)
Direction
Period (s)
1.2
NNE
7
1
NNE
7
Energy kJ
142
114
Nearest Offshore or Glassy
Rating
(10 max)
1
2
1
1
1
2
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
Distance (km)
35
46
35
35
88
54
35
88
35
50
88
65
35
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
Best forecast wave conditions in Big Island
Rating
(10 max)
3
2
2
2
1
2
1
2
1
1
1
1
1
1
2
1
1
1
1
1
2
Best forecast wave conditions in United States
Rating
(10 max)
4
2
2
4
2
2
4
3
1
4
1
2
3
2
3
3
3
3
3
2
3
Header Global
Rating
(10 max)
5
5
9
8
7
7
7
6
6
6
5
5
5
5
5
6
8
6
5
5
5
  • Map Icons:
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  • Live Wave Height (m)
  • Live Wind Speed (km/h)
  • Surf Rating (10 Max)
  • Ocean Swells (m)
  • Wind Speed (km/h)
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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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