Kawaihae Breakwater Surf Break

Lat Long: 20.05° N 155.84° W

Kawaihae Breakwater Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Issued: 1 am 04 Sep 2026 (local time)

Forecast update in  hr  min

Today's Kawaihae Breakwater sea temperature is
27.5°C
0.8° 

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 4 Sep 2026:

  • Best quality surf: Monday 7 Sep, 11AM (local time) - 6ft (1.9m), 15s period, SW swell with glassy winds.
  • Most powerful swell: Monday 7 Sep, 5PM (local time) - 7.5ft (2.3m), 14s period, WSW swell with 2,089 kJ wave energy.
  • Next surfable swell (1★+): Friday 4 Sep, 8PM (local time) - 1.5ft (0.5m), 11s 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 Friday (Sep 04) at 8PM. The primary swell is predicted to be 0.5m and 11s 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 2.3m 14s and forecast to arrive on Monday (Sep 07) at 5PM. Winds are predicted to be glassy at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 0.9m 6s period and expected on Friday (Sep 04) at 8AM.

Wave TypeTime (HST) & Date Wave Height & Period
Next good surf (1 star+) 8PM (Fri 4th Sep)1.5ft (0.5m) 11s
Best Surf11AM (Mon 7th Sep)6ft (1.9m) 15s
Most Powerful 5PM (Mon 7th Sep)7.5ft (2.3m) 14s

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


The Lowdown

Alright folks, Rusty here with the look ahead for our local patch. It’s been a bit slow to start, but there’s a real beauty brewing if you can wait.

The first few days are a write-off, but hold tight. The real story is the big pulse of long-period groundswell that arrives on Monday the 7th of September. That’s the standout, and it’s a beauty.

Friday, September 4th and Saturday, September 5th are a total bust. The swell's barely there, or absent. Forget it.

Sunday, September 6th we finally get something to surf. The swell builds from the SW, around 4ft to 4ft and a period of 13 seconds. The combined energy is building into the moderate range (424 to 488). The wind is glassy or light offshore in the morning, so it’ll be clean. The water is sitting at 82°, which is about normal for this time of year. It’s surfable, but it’s just the warm-up act.

Monday, September 7th is the day. This is the one you want to be in the water for. Kawaihae Breakwater (Big Island) switches on. We’ve got a strong SW groundswell, with the morning seeing 6ft and a very long period of 15 seconds, and the afternoon pushing 8ft from the WSW with a 14-second period. The combined energy is pumping into the strong range, hitting 1619 and 2089. This is serious, powerful ocean. The wind is glassy all day. This is excellent surf, but at 8ft, this is for experienced surfers only. The long period will make for clean, powerful lines on this reef setup, but it’s a lot of water moving. The crowds are a possibility here, so get there early.

Tuesday, September 8th is a comedown. The swell drops to 5ft in the morning (period 11 seconds) with a cross-on breeze, making it a bit marginal. The afternoon cleans up though, with a glassy 4ft from the WNW. It’s a fun-sized day, but nothing like Monday.

From Wednesday, September 9th all the way through to Saturday, September 19th, things get small and inconsistent. The swell drops to tiny 1ft to 2ft leftovers. The wind is mostly offshore or glassy, so it’ll be clean, but there’s just no energy to work with. The combined energy stays under 200 (weak) for most of this stretch. There are some small pulses of longer period energy (18-20 seconds) on the 15th and 16th, but with only 1ft and 2ft of height, it’s barely a ripple. You’ll be bobbing around more than surfing.

So, to sum it up: the first couple of days are flat. Sunday the 6th is a bit of fun. Monday the 7th is the absolute standout – a glassy, powerful, long-period groundswell that will have Kawaihae Breakwater firing for the experienced crew. After that, it’s a long, flat stretch of small, clean waves.

Rusty.

Short Range Forecast

Light rain (total 3mm), mostly falling on Sun afternoon. Warm (max 28°C on Fri morning, min 25°C on Fri night). Wind will be generally light.

Days 4-6 Weather Summary

Light rain (total 2mm), mostly falling on Tue afternoon. Warm (max 29°C on Tue morning, min 23°C on Wed night). Wind will be generally light.

Friday
4
Saturday
5
Sunday
6
Monday
7
Tuesday
8
Wednesday
9
Thursday
10
AM
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
1
1
1
2
2
2
2
4
4
2
1
2
1
0
0
0
0
0
1
Swell
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Wave
Height (m)
Direction
Period (s)
0.5
S
12
0.6
SSW
12
0.7
SSW
12
0.8
SSW
12
0.9
SW
12
1
SW
12
1.1
SW
13
1.2
SW
13
1.3
SW
14
1.9
SW
15
2.3
WSW
14
1.9
WSW
12
1.5
W
11
1.2
WNW
10
0.7
WNW
8
0.4
W
6
0.3
SW
7
0.2
SSW
7
0.3
SW
16
0.3
SW
18
0.4
SW
16
Wave Graph
Metric surfscale
Energy kJ
0
0
129
180
212
282
424
488
647
1619
2089
1036
517
306
72
12
8
5
42
49
67
Wind (km/h)
10
NE
20
ENE
15
ENE
5
NNE
5
NE
10
ENE
5
NE
5
NE
5
ENE
5
NW
5
WNW
5
SW
5
WNW
5
NW
5
ESE
10
NNE
10
NE
20
ENE
15
NE
25
NE
15
ENE
Wind State
off
off
cross-off
glassy
off
cross-off
off
glassy
off
glassy
glassy
on
cross-on
glassy
cross-off
off
off
off
off
off
cross-off
High Tide
10:42AM0.65m
10:08PM0.17m
11:57AM0.69m
00:08AM0.19m
12:59PM0.72m
1:17AM0.24m
1:49PM0.75m
2:08AM0.31m
2:32PM0.75m
2:51AM0.39m
3:10PM0.73m
3:32AM0.46m
3:45PM0.69m
4:11AM0.53m
Low Tide
7:06PM0.15m
3:40AM0.04m
7:52PM0.09m
5:12AM0.03m
8:26PM0.06m
6:29AM0.01m
8:55PM0.03m
7:32AM-0.01m
9:22PM0.01m
8:26AM-0.02m
9:48PM-0.01m
9:15AM-0.00m
10:13PM-0.02m
clear
part cloud
clear
clear
part cloud
part cloud
part cloud
thunderstorm
thunderstorm
part cloud
part cloud
clear
clear
thunderstorm
clear
clear
part cloud
clear
clear
clear
clear
<span class="translation_missing" title="translation missing: en.weather_tables.sunrise">Sunrise</span>
6:07
6:07
6:07
6:07
6:09
6:09
6:09
<span class="translation_missing" title="translation missing: en.weather_tables.sunset">Sunset</span>
6:36
6:35
6:34
6:32
6:31
6:30
6:30
 mm
2
1
2
Temp °C
28
27
26
28
27
26
28
27
27
28
28
27
29
28
27
28
28
26
27
28
26
Feels °C
30
28
26
31
30
29
31
31
31
32
32
31
33
32
32
30
31
28
27
28
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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