
Surf Forecasts:
Kawaihae Breakwater surf forecast from 4 Jul 2026:
- Best quality surf: Saturday 4 Jul, 2AM (local time) - 0.5ft (0.2m), 21s period, SSW swell with offshore winds.
- Most powerful swell: Sunday 5 Jul, 8PM (local time) - 1.5ft (0.4m), 16s period, SSW swell with 104 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Saturday 4 Jul, 2AM (local time) - 0.5ft (0.2m), 21s 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 Saturday (Jul 04) at 2AM. The primary swell is predicted to be 0.2m and 21s period with a secondary swell of 0.2m 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 0.4m 16s and forecast to arrive on Sunday (Jul 05) at 8PM. 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 7s period and expected on Monday (Jul 06) at 8AM.
| Wave Type | Time (HST) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 2AM (Sat 4th Jul) | 0.5ft (0.2m) 21s |
| Best Surf | 2AM (Sat 4th Jul) | 0.5ft (0.2m) 21s |
| Most Powerful | 8PM (Sun 5th 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
Alright, this is Rusty comin' at you from the Big Island. Let's take a look at what's on the menu for Kawaihae Breakwater over the next couple of weeks.
Right off the bat, I gotta be straight with you – we're looking at a pretty flat spell to kick things off. The first real chance to even talk about getting wet doesn't come around until Friday, the 10th of July, and even then, it's a slow start. The week leading up to that is all tiny, weak stuff. We're talkin' waves barely a whisper with periods making it look like a lake, and the combined energy is just a whisper (16) at best. The northeast trade winds are blowing, but they're offshore here, so the water is clean, but there's just no push. Temps are sitting at a warm 81°, which is a touch warmer than normal for this time of year, so you're not freezing on the paddle out, but there's no point getting your board wet.
The first tiny pulses start showing up around the 10th and 11th. We're looking at a 1ft to 2ft west swell, with a period of 14 seconds. That's a long period for such a small wave, and the energy is still weak (93-97). The wind is light and offshore, so it'll be clean, but honestly, it's barely surfable. The 12th of July sees a bump in the combined energy (155) but the swell height stays around 1ft to 2ft, and the wind is near glassy. Still pretty ordinary.
Now, the real standout comes in the second week. The morning of Monday, the 13th of July, the energy starts to build (257) with a 2ft west swell and a 16 second period. The wind goes glassy. That's a good sign. But the highlight for this whole forecast is Tuesday, the 14th, and Wednesday, the 15th. This is when it gets good. The swell jumps to 3ft to 3ft from the west-northwest, with a long period of 16 to 17 seconds. The combined energy is strong (433-454), meaning there's a lot of water moving. The kicker is the wind: glassy in the mornings and light offshore in the afternoons. This is where Kawaihae Breakwater will start to shine. That long period groundswell will wrap perfectly around the breakwater, and with those conditions, it'll be super clean. The crowds are listed as "sometimes", so you might have a few others out, but it won't be a zoo. The swell direction is from the west and west-northwest, which matches the optimum swell direction for this spot. This is the best window of the outlook.
The swell starts to back down a bit from the 16th onward, dropping to 2ft and then 2ft, and the energy fades back into the triple digits. The wind stays good, but the wave size drops off. The 18th of July has a 2ft west swell and glassy conditions, but it's a wrap.
So, to put it simply: the first nine days are a write-off. The action starts on the 13th, but the absolute best days are the 14th and 15th of July. Get on the water then. The 16th is still okay, but the magic fades after that.
Rusty
Short Range ForecastMostly dry. Warm (max 27°C on Fri afternoon, min 24°C on Fri night). Wind will be generally light. | Days 5-7 Weather SummaryMostly dry. Warm (max 27°C on Tue morning, min 24°C on Mon night). Wind will be generally light. | ||||||||||||||||||||
Fri 3 | Saturday 4 | Sunday 5 | Monday 6 | Tuesday 7 | Wednesday 8 | Thursday 9 | |||||||||||||||
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) | SSW 13 | SSW 21 | SW 16 | SSW 20 | SSW 15 | SSW 14 | SSW 14 | SW 13 | W 10 | W 10 | W 10 | NNE 8 | NE 7 | SW 13 | W 18 | W 18 | SSW 13 | SSW 13 | W 15 | W 14 | W 14 |
Wave Graph | |||||||||||||||||||||
16 | 45 | 38 | 0 | 21 | 20 | 20 | 7 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 7 | 6 | 6 | 17 | 16 | 39 | 36 | 58 | |
Wind (km/h) | |||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | off | off | off | off | cross-off | off | off | off | off | off | off | off | off | off | off | off | cross-off | off | off | cross-off | off |
High Tide | 6:33PM0.70m | 7:19AM0.30m | 7:05PM0.66m | 8:21AM0.35m | 7:39PM0.59m | 9:29AM0.41m | 8:16PM0.51m | 10:37AM0.50m | 9:01PM0.41m | 11:40AM0.59m | 10:02PM0.32m | 12:37PM0.68m | 11:22PM0.25m | 1:30PM0.77m | |||||||
Low Tide | 1:48AM0.04m | 12:07PM0.13m | 2:19AM0.03m | 1:06PM0.20m | 2:50AM0.02m | 2:27PM0.26m | 3:25AM0.00m | 4:17PM0.29m | 4:03AM-0.02m | 6:20PM0.26m | 4:47AM-0.04m | 7:57PM0.20m | 5:37AM-0.06m | ||||||||
— | — | 5:48 | — | — | 5:48 | — | — | 5:48 | — | — | 5:48 | — | — | 5:48 | — | — | 5:50 | — | — | 5:50 | |
7:07 | — | — | 7:07 | — | — | 7:07 | — | — | 7:07 | — | — | 7:07 | — | — | 7:06 | — | — | 7:06 | — | 7:06 | |
mm | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Temp °C | 27 | 25 | 26 | 27 | 25 | 27 | 27 | 25 | 26 | 26 | 24 | 27 | 27 | 25 | 27 | 27 | 25 | 27 | 27 | 25 | 27 |
Feels °C | 28 | 27 | 26 | 27 | 25 | 26 | 26 | 24 | 25 | 25 | 23 | 27 | 26 | 25 | 29 | 28 | 26 | 28 | 28 | 25 | 27 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | NNE 8 | WNW 12 | NNE 8 | NNE 5 | NNE 8 | NNE 8 | NNE 7 | SSW 16 | SSW 16 | SSW 15 | NNE 7 | NNE 8 | NE 7 | NE 7 | NE 7 | NNE 6 | NNE 7 | NE 7 | NE 6 | NNE 7 | NE 7 |
40 | 15 | 78 | 22 | 103 | 74 | 90 | 51 | 82 | 74 | 96 | 98 | 122 | 79 | 73 | 71 | 61 | 45 | 61 | 61 | 47 | |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | NNE 5 | SSW 21 | SW 16 | NNE 8 | SSW 18 | SSW 18 | SSW 17 | SW 13 | W 10 | W 10 | SSW 15 | SSW 14 | SSW 14 | SSW 14 | SSW 14 | SSW 14 | SSW 13 | N 7 | NNE 7 | W 14 | W 14 |
16 | 45 | 38 | 43 | 65 | 61 | 58 | 7 | 2 | 2 | 42 | 41 | 40 | 41 | 38 | 37 | 17 | 27 | 16 | 36 | 58 | |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SSW 13 | SSW 16 | SSW 21 | SSW 20 | SSW 15 | SSW 14 | SSW 14 | NW 11 | — | — | W 10 | — | — | SW 13 | W 18 | W 18 | W 17 | SSW 13 | W 15 | SSW 12 | SSW 12 |
16 | 25 | 85 | 75 | 21 | 20 | 20 | 5 | — | — | 2 | — | — | 7 | 6 | 6 | 5 | 16 | 39 | 15 | 14 | |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | NNE 8 | — | — | — | — | — | NNE 7 | NNE 7 | NNE 7 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
— | 117 | — | — | — | — | — | 84 | 114 | 114 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 88 | 0 | 88 | 35 | 50 | 35 | 35 | 35 | 88 | 35 | 35 | 35 | 35 | 50 | 88 | 35 | 50 | 88 | 35 | 50 | 0 |
Best forecast wave conditions in Big Island | |||||||||||||||||||||
Best forecast wave conditions in United States | |||||||||||||||||||||
Header Global | |||||||||||||||||||||
- Map Icons:
Break
Live Wave Height (m)
Live Wind Speed (km/h)
Surf Rating (10 Max)
Ocean Swells (m)
Wind Speed (km/h)
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.











