Kua Bay Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Mate, I'm Rusty, and I've been pouring over the charts for your stretch of coast, and I gotta level with you—it’s a grim opening. We’re staring down a long stretch of nearly flat, messy surf until we hit the second week of July. That’s a solid ten days of nothing worth talking about.

Let’s focus on Kua Bay (Big Island). From Thursday the 2nd all the way through the 9th, it’s a total bust. You’ve got waves barely pushing 0.7ft to 1ft, with swell periods that are all over the shop—some long-period groundswell at 13 to 17 seconds, but the energy is pathetic, like a whisper (combined energy in the 20 to 50 range). The wind is mostly light and glassy or cross, but there’s nothing for it to shape. The water is sitting around 81°, which is a touch warmer than normal for this time of year, but you won't be riding anything.

The first real chance to wet your wetsuit comes on Saturday the 11th of July. The morning still looks sad, but by the afternoon, the surface goes glassy clean with a small 2ft swell pushing in from the west. The period is a solid 14 seconds, so it’s got some life for its size, and the combined energy climbs to a moderate 148. It’s not going to get your heart racing, but it’s surfable. If you’ve got a longboard or a foamie, you might snag a few clean little runners.

Sunday the 12th keeps the same vibe with a 1ft to 2ft west swell, still with decent 13 to 14 second intervals. Both sessions are glassy, but the energy slips to around 97 to 106. It’s ordinary, but it’s clean. Monday the 13th bumps up a bit to 2ft with a 15-second period, but the wind turns cross-onshore in the morning and cross-shore in the afternoon, so the surface gets bumpy and it’s not worth the hassle.

Now, this is where it gets interesting. Tuesday the 14th of July is your standout in this whole forecast. The swell firms up to a consistent 2ft from the west, with a long 16-second period—that’s real groundswell with some heft. The combined energy hits a strong 257, so those waves have punch. The morning is still a little scratchy with light cross-onshore wind, but the afternoon? That’s the money. The wind goes light cross-offshore from the SSW, cleaning everything right up. The forecast calls it “expect good surf conditions.” For a spot that’s fairly consistent and exposed to WNW swell, this is the day to mark on your calendar. The crowd factor says “sometimes,” so you might have company, but with these clean, waist-to-chest high waves (around 3ft faces), it’s worth the paddle. Just keep in mind, with that very long period, the sets will have longer lulls and could break a bit straight at a beach break, but Kua Bay handles it alright.

Wednesday the 15th is a carbon copy of Tuesday’s size and energy, with the afternoon again cleaning up under a cross-offshore breeze. Thursday the 16th fades to 2ft to 2ft, energy dropping to 155-212, and the wind goes more cross-shore, so quality dips. After that, Friday the 17th drops back to 2ft and the energy plummets, so we’re back to ordinary.

So, mate, don’t even think about it until Saturday the 11th. It’s small and clean but nothing special. The real standout is Tuesday the 14th of July in the afternoon—that’s your session. The second week has some consistent, moderate swell, but it’s not massive, so intermediate surfers will have a blast. Beginners should be fine on the 11th and 12th, but the 14th might be a bit much for total rookies.

Hang tight, the ocean will come good.

Rusty.

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