Kawaihae Breakwater Surf Break

Lat Long: 20.05° N 155.84° W

Kawaihae Breakwater Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Issued: 1 pm 28 Aug 2026 (local time)

Forecast update in  hr  min

Today's Kawaihae Breakwater sea temperature is
27.7°C
1.0° 

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 29 Aug 2026:

  • Most powerful swell: Sunday 30 Aug, 2AM (local time) - 1ft (0.3m), 17s period, SW swell with 44 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 0.3m 17s and forecast to arrive on Sunday (Aug 30) at 2AM. 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 Monday (Aug 31) at 2PM.

Wave TypeTime (HST) & Date Wave Height & Period
Next good surf (1 star+)--
Best Surf--
Most Powerful 2AM (Sun 30th Aug)1ft (0.3m) 17s

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


The Lowdown

Alright, let me lay it out plain. This whole 16-day stretch is flat and pretty lifeless. There’s no real swell to get your heart pumping – just small, weak waves and mostly poor conditions. The best you can hope for is a tiny bump in size, but it’s still ordinary. You might get wet on a longboard if you’re patient.

The first surf worth mentioning comes on Friday morning, August 28th. It’s tiny – 0.2m of SSW groundswell with a 13-second period. The combined wave energy is a measly 18 (combined energy of all swells directed here). The wind is offshore NE at 10 km/h, so it’s clean, but the size is so small you’re barely floating. Water temp is around 28°, which is about normal for this time of year with a +1.0° anomaly – nothing unusual, just typical warm Hawaiian water.

The weekend and start of September don’t change much. Saturday and Sunday have the same 0.2m SSW swell, periods between 15 and 17 seconds. Wind stays light offshore, so surfaces are clean, but the energy is weak – numbers like 16, 36, 43, 22 (combined energy of all swells directed here). Monday the 31st sees a slight bump to 0.3m from the SW, period 15 seconds, but only 44 on the energy meter. Wind is offshore NE at 20 km/h in the morning, so it’s clean but the waves are poor – just a ripple.

From September 1st through the 7th, it’s the same story. Swell heights mostly 0.2m, sometimes 0.3m, from SSW and SW. Periods range from 9 to 18 seconds, but energy stays in the low single and double digits. The 7th shows a small lift to 0.3m from the SW with a 15-second period and 66 (combined energy of all swells directed here) – still poor. Wind is offshore, but it doesn’t matter when the waves are that small.

The only real improvement comes on Tuesday, September 8th. The swell rises to 0.4m from the SSW, period 16 seconds, and the combined energy ticks into the moderate range: 106 in the morning and 114 in the afternoon (combined energy of all swells directed here). This is the best on offer, but it’s still “surfable waves but very ordinary conditions.” The wind is offshore NE at 15 to 20 km/h, so it’s clean. Kawaihae Breakwater (Big Island) is a reef, and that long period (16 seconds) will give it better shape and longer sets. But 0.4m is still tiny – this is for the log rider.

After that, the surf drops back into weak stuff from the 9th through the 12th. The 11th shows a bit more size (0.6m to 0.7m) from the west with periods of 14-15 seconds and energy up to 200 (combined energy of all swells directed here), but the wind turns cross-onshore on Friday, so it gets messy. Saturday the 12th is glassy with E wind 0 km/h and a light offshore from the NNW in the morning, and the swell is still around 0.6m to 0.7m from the west. Clean, but very ordinary.

So there’s no true standout here. The best day is Tuesday, September 8th for the slight bump in size and cleaner conditions, but it’s still small and weak. If you’re a beginner, 0.4m is fine – no worries about being too big. For the experienced crew, it’s a long wait. The gap of poor surf from August 28th right through to September 12th is a long one, with only tiny improvements. Don’t hold your breath.

Rusty.

Short Range Forecast

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

Days 5-7 Weather Summary

Mostly dry. Warm (max 28°C on Mon afternoon, min 25°C on Mon night). Wind will be generally light.

Fri
28
Saturday
29
Sunday
30
Monday
31
Tuesday
1
Wednesday
2
Thursday
3
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
Rating
(10 max)
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
Swell
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Wave
Height (m)
Direction
Period (s)
0.2
SSW
13
0.2
W
10
0.2
SSW
13
0.2
SSW
17
0.3
SW
17
0.2
SSW
16
0.2
SSW
15
0.3
SW
15
0.3
SW
15
0.2
SSW
14
0.2
SSW
14
0.2
SSW
18
0.2
SSW
18
0.2
W
11
0.2
W
11
0.2
W
10
0.2
W
10
0.2
W
9
0.2
SSW
14
0.2
SSW
13
Wave Graph
Metric surfscale
Energy kJ
18
8
16
28
44
25
22
36
33
20
20
31
31
10
9
8
8
7
19
18
Wind (km/h)
10
NE
10
ENE
15
NE
15
ENE
20
ENE
15
NE
10
ENE
15
ENE
20
NE
10
NE
15
NE
20
NE
5
NE
15
ENE
10
NNE
5
NE
10
ENE
15
NE
20
NE
15
ENE
Wind State
off
cross-off
off
off
off
off
off
cross-off
off
off
off
off
off
off
cross-off
off
off
off
off
off
High Tide
4:24PM0.68m
4:50AM0.48m
4:52PM0.63m
5:31AM0.53m
5:21PM0.56m
6:15AM0.57m
5:51PM0.48m
7:06AM0.60m
6:23PM0.39m
8:06AM0.61m
6:59PM0.30m
9:20AM0.63m
7:55PM0.22m
Low Tide
10:57PM0.01m
10:34AM0.05m
11:20PM-0.01m
11:21AM0.09m
11:45PM-0.02m
12:16PM0.14m
00:12AM-0.02m
1:23PM0.19m
00:44AM-0.01m
2:57PM0.22m
1:24AM0.00m
5:16PM0.20m
2:19AM0.02m
clear
clear
clear
part cloud
part cloud
clear
part cloud
clear
clear
clear
clear
clear
clear
clear
clear
part cloud
part cloud
clear
clear
clear
<span class="translation_missing" title="translation missing: en.weather_tables.sunrise">Sunrise</span>
6:05
6:07
6:07
6:07
6:07
6:07
<span class="translation_missing" title="translation missing: en.weather_tables.sunset">Sunset</span>
6:42
6:40
6:39
6:38
6:37
6:37
6:37
 mm
Temp °C
27
26
27
27
26
27
28
25
27
28
26
28
28
26
28
28
26
27
28
26
Feels °C
29
28
28
28
28
28
29
25
27
28
28
29
29
28
31
31
29
27
27
26
  • 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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