Kawaihae Breakwater Surf Break

Lat Long: 20.05° N 155.84° W

Kawaihae Breakwater Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Issued: 1 pm 09 Sep 2026 (local time)

Forecast update in  hr  min

Today's Kawaihae Breakwater sea temperature is
27.5°C
0.7° 

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 10 Sep 2026:

  • Best quality surf: Friday 11 Sep, 2AM (local time) - 1.5ft (0.4m), 16s period, SW swell with cross-offshore winds.
  • Most powerful swell: Wednesday 16 Sep, 2PM (local time) - 1.5ft (0.5m), 18s period, SW swell with 152 kJ wave energy.
  • Next surfable swell (1★+): Friday 11 Sep, 2AM (local time) - 1.5ft (0.4m), 16s period with SW 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 11) at 2AM. The primary swell is predicted to be 0.4m and 16s period. The wind is predicted to be cross-offshore as the swell arrives.

The most powerful waves expected at Kawaihae Breakwater in the next 16 days are 0.5m 18s and forecast to arrive on Wednesday (Sep 16) at 2PM. Winds are predicted to be glassy at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 0.8m 7s period and expected on Thursday (Sep 10) at 11AM.

Wave TypeTime (HST) & Date Wave Height & Period
Next good surf (1 star+) 2AM (Fri 11th Sep)1.5ft (0.4m) 16s
Best Surf 2AM (Fri 11th Sep)1.5ft (0.4m) 16s
Most Powerful 2PM (Wed 16th Sep)1.5ft (0.5m) 18s

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 next couple of weeks. It’s gonna be a slow burner, so don’t go cancelling your plans just yet. We’ve got one spot on the radar, and it’s going to take a little patience before we see anything worth paddling out for.

Right now, we’re looking at a bit of a flat spell. The first real whisper of surfable energy shows up on the morning of Friday, 11th September. Even then, it’s nothing to write home about—just tiny, weak 1.3ft swell from the southwest, with a pretty short period. The wind is glassy though, which is a nice touch, but the wave energy is low, at only 79 (weak). The water is sitting at a warm 81.5°, which is about average for this time of year, so no surprises there.

The real standout action starts to build around the middle of the following week. On Tuesday, 15th September, we finally get some decent energy moving in. The morning session at Kawaihae Breakwater shows a 1.3ft southwest swell, but the period is starting to get interesting—20 seconds. That’s a proper long-period groundswell pushing through, and the combined energy jumps to 106 (moderate). The wind is glassy, which is a major positive. For a reef break like this, that long period means the waves will have some shape and punch, but it might also mean longer waits between sets. Still, this is the best call of the week.

By Wednesday afternoon, 16th September, the swell bumps up to 1.6ft from the southwest, the period is still solid at 18 seconds, and the energy kicks up to 152 (moderate). Winds stay glassy. This is about as good as it gets in this window. The break is fairly consistent but can get crowded, so keep an eye out for company.

The following week, around Wednesday, 23rd September and Thursday, 24th September, we see another pulse. The swell direction shifts a bit more westerly, with periods around 14-15 seconds. The energy is moderate again, hitting 132 and 160 on the 24th. Winds are calm and glassy. These are promising, but we’re a week and a half out, so take it with a grain of salt. It’s a long-range tease.

Overall, don’t expect much for the first week. The best bet is to pencil in the 15th and 16th of September for the cleanest, most energetic waves. Kawaihae Breakwater is a reef, so treat it with respect. It’s not a beginner spot, and with the longer periods, it’s gonna be a bit more challenging. But for the experienced crew, there’s a bit of gold to be found.

Stay patient, and stay salty.

Short Range Forecast

Light rain (total 6mm), mostly falling on Wed afternoon. Warm (max 28°C on Wed afternoon, min 25°C on Thu night). Wind will be generally light.

Days 5-7 Weather Summary

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

Wed
9
Thursday
10
Friday
11
Saturday
12
Sunday
13
Monday
14
Tuesday
15
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
1
1
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
1
1
1
Swell
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Wave
Height (m)
Direction
Period (s)
0.4
W
6
0.2
SSW
7
0.3
SW
16
0.3
SW
18
0.4
SW
16
0.4
SW
16
0.4
SW
15
0.4
SW
15
0.4
SW
14
0.3
SW
14
0.3
SW
14
0.2
SSW
15
0.2
SSW
15
0.2
SSW
14
0.2
W
10
0.2
SSW
22
0.2
SSW
21
0.4
SW
20
0.4
SW
19
0.4
SW
19
Wave Graph
Metric surfscale
Energy kJ
12
5
42
49
67
65
57
57
49
29
29
22
21
20
8
46
45
98
96
94
Wind (km/h)
0
E
5
E
10
NE
15
ENE
10
ENE
5
NNE
5
NE
5
ENE
5
NNE
0
ENE
10
ENE
10
NE
10
NE
10
ENE
5
NNE
5
NNE
5
NE
5
NW
0
NNE
5
ENE
Wind State
glassy
cross-off
off
off
cross-off
glassy
glassy
glassy
glassy
glassy
cross-off
off
off
cross-off
cross-off
off
glassy
glassy
glassy
glassy
High Tide
3:10PM0.73m
3:32AM0.46m
3:45PM0.69m
4:11AM0.53m
4:16PM0.63m
4:50AM0.58m
4:46PM0.55m
5:28AM0.61m
5:15PM0.47m
6:08AM0.62m
5:43PM0.39m
6:50AM0.62m
6:10PM0.32m
Low Tide
9:48PM-0.01m
9:15AM-0.00m
10:13PM-0.02m
10:03AM0.02m
10:37PM-0.02m
10:50AM0.06m
11:00PM-0.01m
11:39AM0.10m
11:22PM-0.00m
12:31PM0.14m
11:45PM0.02m
1:34PM0.18m
00:09AM0.04m
rain showers
rain showers
part cloud
part cloud
part cloud
part cloud
rain showers
rain showers
part cloud
part cloud
part cloud
clear
part cloud
clear
clear
part cloud
clear
clear
rain showers
part cloud
<span class="translation_missing" title="translation missing: en.weather_tables.sunrise">Sunrise</span>
6:09
6:09
6:09
6:09
6:09
6:09
<span class="translation_missing" title="translation missing: en.weather_tables.sunset">Sunset</span>
6:30
6:30
6:29
6:28
6:28
6:27
6:25
 mm
2
2
1
1
1
Temp °C
28
27
28
27
26
27
27
26
26
26
25
27
27
26
28
28
27
28
28
27
Feels °C
34
32
31
29
28
30
31
29
30
31
28
29
30
27
31
31
31
32
32
32
  • Map Icons:
  • Break
  • Live Wave Height (m)
  • Live Wind Speed (km/h)
  • Surf Rating (10 Max)
  • Ocean Swells (m)
  • Wind Speed (km/h)
Map placeholder
How to use the Wavefinder 
submit an eyeball surf report

Quick surf report for Kawaihae Breakwater:

join our community of surf reporters

FREE! Surf-Forecast.com widget for your website

The surf report / weather widget below is available to embed on third party websites free of charge and provides a summary of our Kawaihae Breakwater surf forecast. Simply grab the html code snippet that we provide and paste it into your own site. You can choose your preferred language and metric/imperial units for the surf forecast feed to suit users of your site. Click here to get the code.


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.

Nearest locationNearest