
Surf Forecasts:
Kua Bay surf forecast from 6 Sep 2026:
- Best quality surf: Monday 7 Sep, 11PM (local time) - 6ft (1.9m), 14s period, WSW swell with glassy winds.
- Most powerful swell: Monday 7 Sep, 11PM (local time) - 6ft (1.9m), 14s period, WSW swell with 1,422 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Sunday 6 Sep, 8PM (local time) - 3.5ft (1.0m), 12s period with SW swell.
Best Forecast Surf Conditions for Kua Bay this week:
The surf forecast for Kua Bay over the next 16 days: The first swell (rated 1 star or higher) is forecast to arrive on Sunday (Sep 06) at 8PM. The primary swell is predicted to be 1.0m and 12s period. The wind is predicted to be cross-offshore as the swell arrives.
The most powerful waves expected at Kua Bay in the next 16 days are 1.9m 14s and forecast to arrive on Monday (Sep 07) at 11PM. 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 11s period and expected on Sunday (Sep 06) at 5AM.
| Wave Type | Time (HST) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 8PM (Sun 6th Sep) | 3.5ft (1.0m) 12s |
| Best Surf | 11PM (Mon 7th Sep) | 6ft (1.9m) 14s |
| Most Powerful | 11PM (Mon 7th Sep) | 6ft (1.9m) 14s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Kua Bay over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
Alright, this is Rusty. Let's talk about Kua Bay.
First up, we've got a bit of a slow start. The forecast shows a couple of days with nothing rideable, but things start to get interesting by Monday the 7th.
The standout window is from Monday afternoon, the 7th, through Tuesday afternoon, the 8th. The water is sitting at about 82°, which is a touch warmer than usual for this time of year, so that's a nice bonus. Monday morning sees a 4ft SW swell arriving, but the wind is onshore, so it's a bit messy. The real action kicks off Monday afternoon: a solid 6ft groundswell from the WSW, with a very long period of 15 seconds and a massive combined energy of 1158. The wind goes light cross-shore, making for some pretty good conditions. Tuesday morning continues with a 6ft WSW swell and a 12-second period, but the wind is a bit stronger and cross-shore, so it loses some points. The best of the bunch looks like Tuesday afternoon: 6ft from the west, 11-second period, with a light cross-offshore breeze that’ll keep things clean. The energy is still strong at 726. This is good, solid, intermediate-level surf.
After that, the swell drops off fast. Wednesday the 9th sees a sharp drop to 3ft, and by Thursday the 10th it's tiny 1ft waves with a long period of 16 to 18 seconds—that's a long-period groundswell that's going to be weak and straight at this beach break, so not really worth the paddle. From the 11th onwards, it's pretty much flat or near-flat for the rest of the 16-day window. There's a few days with tiny 0.3ft to 1ft bumps, and a couple of glassy moments, but nothing that qualifies as a real surf session. The forecast shows a long gap of surfable conditions, so if you're looking for waves, make the most of that Monday and Tuesday window.
Best bet: Head to Kua Bay on Tuesday afternoon, the 8th. That 6ft west swell with the light cross-offshore wind will be the cleanest, most powerful waves on offer. Expect some company though, as it can get crowded there.
-Rusty
Short Range ForecastLight rain (total 4mm), mostly falling on Sun night. Warm (max 29°C on Tue morning, min 26°C on Sat night). Wind will be generally light. | Days 5-7 Weather SummarySome drizzle, heaviest during Wed night. Warm (max 28°C on Tue afternoon, min 25°C on Thu night). Wind will be generally light. | |||||||||||||||||||
Sat 5 | Sunday 6 | Monday 7 | Tuesday 8 | Wednesday 9 | Thursday 10 | Friday 11 | ||||||||||||||
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) | SSW 12 | SW 11 | SW 11 | SW 12 | SW 12 | SW 14 | WSW 15 | WSW 13 | WSW 12 | W 11 | W 10 | WNW 9 | W 7 | WNW 6 | SW 16 | SW 18 | SW 16 | SW 16 | SW 15 | SW 15 |
Wave Graph | ||||||||||||||||||||
0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 341 | 532 | 1158 | 1283 | 872 | 726 | 250 | 80 | 28 | 8 | 42 | 49 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
Wind (km/h) | ||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | cross-on | glassy | cross-on | cross-on | glassy | on | cross | glassy | cross | cross-off | glassy | cross-on | cross-off | glassy | glassy | cross-off | cross | on | cross-on | cross |
High Tide | 11:54PM0.28m | 12:47PM0.78m | 1:07AM0.33m | 1:36PM0.81m | 1:57AM0.40m | 2:18PM0.82m | 2:40AM0.48m | 2:55PM0.80m | 3:19AM0.56m | 3:28PM0.76m | 3:57AM0.62m | 4:00PM0.70m | 4:35AM0.67m | |||||||
Low Tide | 7:46PM0.20m | 4:58AM0.14m | 8:14PM0.15m | 6:18AM0.11m | 8:41PM0.12m | 7:21AM0.09m | 9:06PM0.09m | 8:14AM0.08m | 9:31PM0.07m | 9:04AM0.09m | 9:55PM0.06m | 9:51AM0.11m | 10:19PM0.05m | |||||||
— | — | 6:09 | — | — | 6:09 | — | — | 6:09 | — | — | 6:09 | — | — | 6:09 | — | — | 6:09 | — | — | |
6:35 | — | — | 6:34 | — | — | 6:34 | — | — | 6:32 | — | — | 6:31 | — | — | 6:30 | — | — | 6:30 | — | |
mm | — | — | — | 2 | 2 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 1 | — | — | — | — | — | 1 |
Temp °C | 27 | 27 | 28 | 28 | 27 | 28 | 28 | 27 | 29 | 28 | 27 | 28 | 28 | 27 | 28 | 27 | 26 | 27 | 27 | 26 |
Feels °C | 30 | 31 | 31 | 31 | 30 | 31 | 31 | 31 | 32 | 30 | 32 | 31 | 31 | 31 | 31 | 29 | 28 | 28 | 30 | 29 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SSW 12 | SW 11 | SW 11 | SW 12 | SW 12 | SW 14 | WSW 15 | WSW 13 | WSW 12 | W 11 | W 10 | WNW 9 | NE 7 | NE 7 | SW 8 | NE 7 | NNE 5 | NNE 8 | NE 5 | NNE 7 |
171 | 126 | 150 | 252 | 341 | 532 | 1158 | 1283 | 872 | 726 | 250 | 80 | 44 | 53 | 9 | 12 | 12 | 23 | 22 | 33 | |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | NNE 6 | NNE 6 | NE 6 | NE 6 | NNE 6 | NE 7 | NE 12 | NE 12 | NE 11 | NE 10 | SW 8 | NE 8 | W 7 | SW 8 | SW 16 | SW 18 | NE 8 | SW 16 | NNE 7 | ENE 11 |
49 | 34 | 38 | 66 | 26 | 52 | 236 | 228 | 165 | 113 | 66 | 50 | 28 | 14 | 42 | 49 | 31 | 65 | 21 | 23 | |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | ENE 14 | E 13 | E 12 | ENE 12 | ENE 12 | ENE 12 | SSW 16 | SSW 15 | SSW 15 | SW 9 | NE 8 | SW 8 | SW 8 | WNW 6 | WNW 10 | SW 8 | SW 16 | ENE 12 | SW 15 | SW 15 |
61 | 86 | 73 | 47 | 82 | 83 | 90 | 78 | 84 | 39 | 57 | 35 | 20 | 8 | 10 | 10 | 67 | 28 | 57 | 57 | |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | NE 7 | NNE 5 | — | — | — | — |
— | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 50 | 23 | — | — | — | — | |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | ||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 28 | 14 | 30 | 19 | 0 | 25 | 30 | 0 | 51 | 0 | 0 | 30 | 39 | 20 | 4 | 0 | 30 | 97 | 100 | 22 |
Best forecast wave conditions in Big Island | ||||||||||||||||||||
Best forecast wave conditions in United States | ||||||||||||||||||||
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Information about the Kua Bay Surf forecast
The above surf forecast table for Kua Bay provides essential information for determining whether the surfing conditions will be good over the next 16 days. A general guide to surfing at Kua Bay can be found by selecting the local surf guide option on the grey menu. Our Kua Bay 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 (Kua Bay) 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 Kua Bay 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.
Kua Bay is 97 km (60 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.










