Kolekole Surf Guide

Kolekole in Big Island is an exposed river break that has reasonably consistent surf. Winter is the favoured time of year for surfing here. Offshore winds are from the west southwest. Groundswells more frequent than windswells and the optimum swell angle is from the east northeast. Good surf at all stages of the tide. Sometimes crowded. Hazards include - Rips / undertow - Rocks - Man-made danger (buoys etc.) - Pollution - Sharks.

Kolekole Spot Info

Type:Rating:Reliability:Todays Sea Temp*:
River2fairly consistent
25.2°C*ocean temperature recorded from satellite

Surfing Kolekole:

The best conditions reported for surf at Kolekole occur when a East-northeast swell combines with an offshore wind direction from the West-southwest.

What's the best time of year to surf Kolekole (for consistent clean waves)?

julyBest Season: summer
The best time of year for surfing Kolekole with consistent clean waves (rideable swell with light / offshore winds) is during Summer  and most often the month of July. Clean surfable waves are typically found 12% of the time in July while 84% of the time it tends to be blown out. For the remaining 4% of the time it is considered too small by most surfers but may still be OK for beginners and groms at times.
clean
12%
Surfable waves that hold up well for longer rides in prevailing cross-offshore, offshore or light wind conditions.
blown out
84%
Surfable sized waves that are of poorer quality due to prevailing onshore, cross-onshore or windy conditions (may be preferable for kitesurfing).
too small
4%
Waves usually considered too small for good surf. Some wave-magnet breaks may still work though if conditions are right (on occasion).

Explore Kolekole Location Map

Interactive Kolekole surf break location map. View information about nearby surf breaks, their wave consistency and rating compared to other spots in the region. Current swell conditions from local buoys are shown along with live wind speed and direction from nearby weather stations. Click icons on the map for more detail. The closest passenger airport to Kolekole is Hilo International Airport (ITO) in Usa Hawaii Isl., 20 km (12 miles) away (directly). The second nearest airport to Kolekole is Bradshaw Aaf Airport (BSF), also in Usa Hawaii Isl., 47 km (29 miles) away.

  • 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
Please note that some surf spot locations are approximate to protect their exact location while others are not shown at close zoom level.
Kolekole Surf Forecasts:
Todays Surf Summary
Monday, 4 May 2026, 15:30 Local Time
Monday 04
11AM2PM5PM8PM
Wave (m)
1.3
ENE
1.3
ENE
1.3
ENE
1.1
ESE
Period (s) 7 7 7 9
Wind (km/h)
20
20
20
15
Wind State cross-
on
cross-
on
cross-
on
cross-
on

Swell History at Kolekole

Surf stats for Kolekole, see the swell variation by month or season on the history page here.

Wind History at Kolekole

Wind stats for Kolekole, see the variation in direction and stength by month or season on the history page here.


Nearest locationNearest
Nearest locationNearest
Nearest locationNearest