
Surf Forecasts:
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 offshore winds.
- Most powerful swell: Wednesday 16 Sep, 5PM (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 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 5PM. Winds are predicted to be offshore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 1.0m 8s period and expected on Thursday (Sep 17) at 2PM.
| Wave Type | Time (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 | 5PM (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 be straight with you—this stretch of coast is looking pretty flat for the foreseeable future. We’ve got a 16-day window, but there’s not a lot to get excited about. You’re gonna have to be patient.
Right off the bat, the first few days are a no-go. From Thursday through most of next week, Kawaihae Breakwater (Big Island) is looking at tiny, weak swell. We’re talking 0.7ft to 1ft of swell, which is barely a ripple. The energy is weak too, with combined swell energy values mostly in the 20s to 70s range. Not exactly firing. The wind is mostly light and offshore though, so the surface will be clean, but that doesn't matter when there's nothing to ride.
There are a couple of afternoons around the 11th and 12th where it gets glassy, but the waves are still too small and weak to bother with. It's just flat and quiet.
We finally see a slight pulse around the 15th and 16th, with the swell bumping up to a still-tiny 1ft and the energy creeping into the low 100s. That means *moderate* energy, but for this spot, it's still pretty weak. The period is around 18-19 seconds, which is long-period groundswell, but the height is just too small. The direction is from the SW, which is okay for this break, but it's just not enough.
The water temp on the 10th is 82°, which is about 1° warmer than average for this time of year. So, not a big deal, just a touch warm.
Honestly, the best of a bad bunch looks like the afternoon of the 18th of September. You’ve got a 2ft SW swell with a 17-second period and a moderate energy reading of 151. The wind will be a gentle offshore from the NE, so it should be clean. Still, that's not a wave you're going to write home about. It’s just about surfable, but it will be very weak and lacking any punch.
After that, it tapers back off again. The second week is even more of a write-off, with tiny 0.7ft to 1ft swells and weak energy. There's a bit of a bump on the 24th, with energy at 107 and clean offshore winds, but the swell height is still a marginal 1ft. It's just more of the same.
This is a classic case of a drawn-out flat spell. There’s nothing here for anyone, even a longboarder would be struggling. If the wind picks up, it might look more interesting for the kite crew, but for surfers, it’s a blank run. We just have to hope the forecasts change because it usually doesn't stay this poor for long.
Keep it salty, keep it patient.
Rusty.
Short Range ForecastLight rain (total 2mm), mostly falling on Thu afternoon. Warm (max 28°C on Thu morning, min 25°C on Thu night). Wind will be generally light. | Days 4-6 Weather SummaryMostly dry. Warm (max 28°C on Sun afternoon, min 25°C on Sun night). Wind will be generally light. | ||||||||||||||||||||
Thursday 10 | Friday 11 | Saturday 12 | Sunday 13 | Monday 14 | Tuesday 15 | Wednesday 16 | |||||||||||||||
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) | SW 16 | SW 18 | SW 16 | SW 10 | SW 15 | SW 15 | SW 15 | SW 14 | SW 14 | SSW 15 | SSW 15 | SSW 14 | W 10 | SSW 22 | SSW 21 | SW 20 | SW 19 | SW 19 | SW 18 | SW 18 | SW 17 |
Wave Graph | |||||||||||||||||||||
42 | 49 | 67 | 14 | 57 | 57 | 60 | 29 | 29 | 22 | 21 | 20 | 8 | 46 | 45 | 98 | 96 | 94 | 79 | 152 | 75 | |
Wind (km/h) | |||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | off | cross-off | off | off | glassy | glassy | glassy | glassy | off | off | off | off | cross-off | glassy | glassy | glassy | glassy | off | off | off | off |
High Tide | 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 | 7:39AM0.59m | 6:37PM0.25m | ||||||||
Low Tide | 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 | 3:00PM0.20m | 00:37AM0.07m | |||||||
6:09 | — | — | 6:09 | — | — | 6:09 | — | — | 6:09 | — | — | 6:09 | — | — | 6:09 | — | — | 6:09 | — | — | |
— | 6:30 | — | — | 6:29 | — | — | 6:28 | — | — | 6:28 | — | — | 6:27 | — | — | 6:25 | — | — | 6:24 | — | |
mm | — | 2 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Temp °C | 28 | 27 | 26 | 27 | 28 | 25 | 27 | 26 | 26 | 27 | 28 | 26 | 28 | 28 | 26 | 28 | 28 | 27 | 28 | 28 | 27 |
Feels °C | 30 | 30 | 29 | 29 | 31 | 28 | 31 | 30 | 30 | 29 | 30 | 28 | 31 | 31 | 30 | 32 | 33 | 31 | 32 | 32 | 30 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | NE 7 | NE 7 | NNE 8 | NE 5 | NNE 8 | NNE 8 | NNE 8 | NE 9 | NNE 9 | NNE 9 | NNE 9 | NNE 8 | NNE 8 | NNE 4 | NNE 8 | SW 20 | NNE 8 | NNE 7 | NE 7 | NNE 7 | NE 7 |
57 | 47 | 13 | 10 | 51 | 50 | 44 | 77 | 68 | 99 | 50 | 64 | 61 | 10 | 54 | 98 | 50 | 36 | 56 | 57 | 47 | |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SW 16 | SW 18 | SW 16 | NNE 8 | SW 15 | SW 15 | SW 15 | SW 14 | NE 5 | SSW 12 | SSW 15 | SSW 14 | SW 14 | NNE 8 | SSW 21 | WSW 9 | SW 19 | SW 19 | SW 18 | SW 18 | SW 17 |
42 | 49 | 67 | 13 | 57 | 57 | 60 | 29 | 7 | 15 | 21 | 20 | 7 | 26 | 45 | 8 | 96 | 94 | 79 | 152 | 75 | |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SSW 13 | SSW 13 | SW 10 | SW 10 | SW 9 | ENE 10 | ENE 10 | WSW 8 | SW 14 | SSW 15 | W 11 | W 11 | W 10 | SSW 22 | SSW 13 | SW 13 | WSW 9 | WSW 8 | N 9 | ENE 9 | ENE 9 |
16 | 16 | 16 | 14 | 13 | 20 | 9 | 7 | 29 | 22 | 9 | 9 | 8 | 46 | 17 | 7 | 7 | 7 | 7 | 15 | 17 | |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | — | NE 4 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | NNE 4 | — | — | — | — | NNE 8 | — | — | — | — | — |
— | — | 10 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 12 | — | — | — | — | 50 | — | — | — | — | — | |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 35 | 88 | 0 | 86 | 0 | 76 | 86 | 53 | 35 | 35 | 88 | 54 | 113 | 88 | 46 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
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.










