
Surf Forecasts:
Kawaihae Breakwater surf forecast from 5 Aug 2026:
- Most powerful swell: Saturday 8 Aug, 8AM (local time) - 0.5ft (0.2m), 19s period, SSW swell with 35 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 0.2m 19s and forecast to arrive on Saturday (Aug 08) at 8AM. Winds are predicted to be cross-offshore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 1.0m 7s period and expected on Sunday (Aug 09) at 2PM.
| Wave Type | Time (HST) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | - | - |
| Best Surf | - | - |
| Most Powerful | 8AM (Sat 8th Aug) | 0.5ft (0.2m) 19s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Kawaihae Breakwater over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
Alright folks, Rusty here. Let's have a look at what's cookin' for the Kawaihae Breakwater stretch over the next couple of weeks. Gotta be straight with you – this ain't a blockbuster forecast. The first week and a half is gonna test your patience, but there's a little light at the end of the tunnel.
The story starts off quiet. Real quiet. We're looking at a long dry spell with no real surf to speak of from now all the way through to around Wednesday the 13th. That's a solid eight days of pretty much flat or junk conditions. The swell energy is tiny, mostly sitting below 50 (weak energy), with winds that are clean and sometimes glassy, but there's just nothing to ride.
Then, things start to stir on Thursday the 13th. The afternoon brings a pulse of 1ft swell from the west-northwest with a period of 15 seconds. The energy jumps to 71 (moderate), and we get clean conditions with a light offshore breeze. It's surfable, but it's just "very ordinary" – a word from the data I can't ignore. Not the kind of thing to get you out of bed early, but it's a start.
Now, Friday the 14th is where it gets a bit more interesting. The morning shows a 2ft west swell with a 14-second period, and the combined energy hits 185 (moderate). Winds are a steady 9 mph offshore from the northeast, keeping things clean. This is the first real standout of the period. The water temp is sitting around 81°, which is about 1° warmer than average for the time of year – feels nice, nothing crazy. The Kawaihae Breakwater (Big Island) is a reef setup, so that long-period west swell is going to wrap in nicely, giving you some shape. It's fairly consistent, but be warned, it can get crowded here sometimes. This is the one to pencil in if you can swing it.
The surf hangs in there through the weekend and into the next week. Saturday the 15th and Sunday the 16th both offer 2ft west swell with moderate energy (around 150-175) and clean, offshore conditions. The period stays in the 14-15 second range, so the quality holds up. It's not epic, it's not going to blow your mind, but after the flat spell, it'll feel like a gift.
As we head into the second week, the consistency continues but the energy dips a bit. Monday the 17th through Thursday the 20th keeps offering those 2-2ft west swells with periods around 11-13 seconds and clean offshore winds. The energy is moderate, hanging around the 100-125 mark. It's surfable every day, but nothing is screaming "drop everything and go." The long-range stuff is promising but a little less certain.
So, bottom line: suffer through the first week. Your best bet is Friday the 14th for the best combo of size, period, and wind. After that, you've got a solid run of small but clean waves right through to the end of the outlook.
Stay salty,
Rusty
Short Range ForecastMostly dry. Warm (max 28°C on Wed morning, min 24°C on Thu night). Wind will be generally light. | Days 4-6 Weather SummaryLight rain (total 2mm), mostly falling on Sun afternoon. Warm (max 28°C on Sat morning, min 25°C on Sat night). Wind will be generally light. | ||||||||||||||||||||
Wednesday 5 | Thursday 6 | Friday 7 | Saturday 8 | Sunday 9 | Monday 10 | Tuesday 11 | |||||||||||||||
AM | 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) | W 13 | W 12 | W 12 | W 12 | W 12 | SSW 14 | SSW 14 | SSW 13 | W 13 | SSW 18 | SSW 18 | SSW 18 | W 13 | W 12 | W 12 | W 11 | W 11 | SSW 15 | W 10 | W 10 | W 12 |
Wave Graph | |||||||||||||||||||||
28 | 11 | 11 | 11 | 12 | 20 | 18 | 18 | 13 | 32 | 31 | 30 | 29 | 25 | 24 | 21 | 21 | 23 | 8 | 8 | 25 | |
Wind (km/h) | |||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | glassy | glassy | cross-off | off | glassy | off | off | glassy | cross-off | off | off | cross-off | glassy | off | off | off | off | cross-off | off | off | cross-off |
High Tide | 9:54AM0.57m | 8:12PM0.32m | 11:08AM0.63m | 9:29PM0.23m | 12:16PM0.69m | 11:28PM0.19m | 1:16PM0.76m | 1:00AM0.19m | 2:08PM0.80m | 2:05AM0.23m | 2:55PM0.83m | 2:57AM0.27m | 3:37PM0.84m | 3:45AM0.33m | |||||||
Low Tide | 4:37PM0.27m | 3:05AM-0.01m | 6:57PM0.22m | 4:04AM-0.01m | 8:13PM0.15m | 5:14AM-0.02m | 8:57PM0.09m | 6:24AM-0.04m | 9:32PM0.05m | 7:27AM-0.07m | 10:05PM0.02m | 8:23AM-0.08m | 10:36PM0.00m | ||||||||
6:00 | — | — | 6:00 | — | — | 6:00 | — | — | 6:01 | — | — | 6:01 | — | — | 6:01 | — | — | 6:01 | — | — | |
— | 6:58 | — | — | 6:57 | — | — | 6:57 | — | — | 6:55 | — | — | 6:55 | — | — | 6:54 | — | — | 6:53 | — | |
mm | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 2 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Temp °C | 28 | 28 | 26 | 28 | 28 | 26 | 28 | 28 | 26 | 28 | 28 | 26 | 28 | 27 | 26 | 28 | 28 | 26 | 28 | 28 | 26 |
Feels °C | 31 | 31 | 30 | 30 | 31 | 30 | 30 | 30 | 29 | 30 | 31 | 27 | 32 | 31 | 29 | 31 | 32 | 28 | 30 | 29 | 28 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | NE 9 | NNE 5 | NNE 5 | NE 5 | NNE 5 | SSW 14 | W 12 | NE 6 | NNE 5 | NE 6 | NE 10 | NE 6 | NE 7 | NE 6 | NNE 6 | NE 6 | NNE 6 | NE 7 | NE 6 | NE 6 | NNE 6 |
22 | 15 | 8 | 22 | 17 | 20 | 11 | 44 | 17 | 31 | 14 | 56 | 69 | 83 | 44 | 43 | 67 | 44 | 42 | 56 | 37 | |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | NE 5 | NE 9 | NE 8 | NE 8 | NE 8 | ENE 7 | SSW 14 | W 12 | NE 11 | NE 10 | SSW 18 | SSW 18 | W 13 | W 12 | W 12 | W 11 | SSW 15 | W 10 | SSW 14 | SSW 14 | SSW 13 |
5 | 20 | 18 | 10 | 9 | 5 | 18 | 11 | 18 | 15 | 31 | 30 | 29 | 25 | 24 | 21 | 47 | 18 | 41 | 40 | 35 | |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | W 13 | W 12 | W 12 | W 12 | W 12 | W 12 | ENE 7 | SSW 13 | W 13 | SSW 18 | SSW 13 | SSW 13 | SSW 16 | SSW 12 | SSW 12 | SSW 12 | W 11 | SSW 15 | W 10 | W 10 | W 12 |
28 | 11 | 11 | 11 | 12 | 11 | 5 | 18 | 13 | 32 | 17 | 17 | 26 | 15 | 14 | 15 | 21 | 23 | 8 | 8 | 25 | |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | — | — | — | — | NNE 5 | NNE 5 | — | — | — | NE 6 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
— | — | — | — | — | 14 | 14 | — | — | — | 56 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 88 | 88 | 50 | 88 | 88 | 46 | 35 | 88 | 46 | 91 | 47 | 35 | 87 | 46 | 46 | 88 | 88 | 54 | 91 | 91 | 84 |
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.











