
Surf Forecasts:
Kua Bay surf forecast from 13 Jul 2026:
- Best quality surf: Tuesday 14 Jul, 5PM (local time) - 2.5ft (0.7m), 16s period, W swell with cross-offshore winds.
- Most powerful swell: Wednesday 15 Jul, 8AM (local time) - 2.5ft (0.8m), 16s period, W swell with 314 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Sunday 12 Jul, 11PM (local time) - 1.5ft (0.4m), 16s 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 (Jul 12) at 11PM. The primary swell is predicted to be 0.4m and 16s period with a secondary swell of 0.3m and 12s. The wind is predicted to be glassy as the swell arrives.
The most powerful waves expected at Kua Bay in the next 16 days are 0.8m 16s and forecast to arrive on Wednesday (Jul 15) at 8AM. Winds are predicted to be cross-onshore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 1.0m 8s period and expected on Sunday (Jul 12) at 11PM.
| Wave Type | Time (HST) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 11PM (Sun 12th Jul) | 1.5ft (0.4m) 16s |
| Best Surf | 5PM (Tue 14th Jul) | 2.5ft (0.7m) 16s |
| Most Powerful | 8AM (Wed 15th Jul) | 2.5ft (0.8m) 16s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Kua Bay over the next 16 days.
Alright folks, Rusty here. Let's have a look at what's on the table for Kua Bay.
This is a real tease of a forecast. We’ve got a couple of windows where it looks promising, but for the most part the surf is tiny or non-existent. The standout is definitely Tuesday the 14th, with a smaller but clean option on Thursday the 16th. There’s a huge gap of quiet conditions after that, so don't get your hopes up for the second week.
The water temp is sitting at 80°, which is about 2° warmer than average for this time of year – nice and balmy for a dip.
Sunday afternoon, July 12th kicks things off. We’re looking at tiny 1ft swell from the SW, with a very long period of 16 seconds. That’s a proper groundswell, but it’s lacking any push. The combined energy is only moderate (117). The absolute saving grace here is that the wind is glass. Absolutely dead flat calm. If you’ve got a log, you might find a few crumbly little lines. It’s surfable, but very ordinary.
Monday the 13th is a write-off. The swell stays tiny, but the wind gets messy, going cross-onshore in the morning and cross-off in the afternoon. Not worth paddling out.
Now, Tuesday the 14th is where it gets interesting. The morning is still a bit shaky with a cross-shore wind, but by the Tuesday afternoon, things line up perfectly. The swell bumps up to 2ft from the W, with a 16-second period – nice energy there. The combined energy hits a moderate 267. The wind goes cross-off and clean, promising some nice, open faces. This is the best bet of the whole outlook. Kua Bay (Big Island) will be your best friend. The swell direction is WNW, which matches the optimum. Keep in mind it’s a fairly consistent spot, but crowds are possible, so get out there.
Wednesday the 15th is a step back. The swell holds around 3ft from the W, with a period of 15-16 seconds (energy at 302-310), but the wind is a cross-shore all day. It'll be lumpy and not worth the effort.
Thursday the 16th is our other chance. The Thursday afternoon session looks clean. Swell holds at 3ft from the W, 15-second period (energy 272), and the wind swings cross-off again. It’s not as good as Tuesday, but it’s still a decent option.
From Friday the 17th onwards, the energy just drains away. The swell drops under 2ft, and the combined energy falls into weak territory (below 100). By the 19th, we’re looking at 1.0ft or less. And from Monday the 21st of July for over a week, there’s basically no swell to speak of. The combined energy reads zero for multiple days. A small blip of 2ft on the 23rd from the NNE is a windswell with a terrible 5-second period and onshore wind – don't even bother.
Bottom line: If you want waves, you’ve got two windows: Tuesday the 14th afternoon and Thursday the 16th afternoon. After that, it’s a long, flat spell.
Rusty.
Short Range ForecastModerate rain (total 12mm), heaviest on Mon night. Warm (max 27°C on Sun night, min 24°C on Mon night). Wind will be generally light. | Days 5-7 Weather SummarySome drizzle, heaviest during Wed night. Warm (max 28°C on Fri morning, min 25°C on Wed night). Wind will be generally light. | ||||||||||||||||||||
Monday 13 | Tuesday 14 | Wednesday 15 | Thursday 16 | Friday 17 | Saturday 18 | Sun 19 | |||||||||||||||
Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | |
Swell Height Map | |||||||||||||||||||||
Wave Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SW 16 | SW 15 | W 12 | W 18 | W 19 | W 16 | W 17 | W 16 | W 15 | W 15 | W 15 | W 15 | W 14 | W 14 | W 14 | W 14 | W 13 | W 13 | WNW 13 | WNW 12 | NNE 6 |
Wave Graph | |||||||||||||||||||||
86 | 78 | 26 | 162 | 251 | 267 | 270 | 310 | 302 | 287 | 275 | 272 | 206 | 203 | 146 | 138 | 89 | 87 | 57 | 30 | 44 | |
Wind (km/h) | |||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | cross-off | glassy | glassy | glassy | cross-on | cross-off | glassy | cross | cross-on | glassy | cross-on | cross | cross-on | cross | cross-on | glassy | cross-on | cross | glassy | cross-on | cross-on |
High Tide | 2:43AM0.32m | 3:41PM0.96m | 3:37AM0.34m | 4:24PM0.95m | 4:28AM0.37m | 5:04PM0.91m | 5:19AM0.41m | 5:42PM0.85m | 6:13AM0.45m | 6:17PM0.77m | 7:09AM0.48m | 6:50PM0.67m | 8:11AM0.52m | 7:20PM0.57m | |||||||
Low Tide | 10:14PM0.13m | 8:12AM-0.02m | 10:53PM0.10m | 9:03AM-0.02m | 11:30PM0.09m | 9:53AM0.01m | 00:05AM0.08m | 10:42AM0.06m | 00:39AM0.08m | 11:32AM0.14m | 1:11AM0.09m | 12:27PM0.22m | 1:43AM0.10m | 1:31PM0.30m | |||||||
— | 5:52 | — | — | 5:52 | — | — | 5:52 | — | — | 5:52 | — | — | 5:54 | — | — | 5:54 | — | — | 5:54 | — | |
7:06 | — | 7:06 | — | — | 7:06 | — | — | 7:06 | — | — | 7:06 | — | — | 7:06 | — | — | 7:05 | — | — | 7:05 | |
mm | 1 | — | — | 6 | 1 | — | 3 | — | 1 | 1 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 1 |
Temp °C | 27 | 26 | 26 | 26 | 25 | 26 | 25 | 26 | 26 | 25 | 27 | 27 | 26 | 28 | 28 | 27 | 27 | 27 | 26 | 27 | 27 |
Feels °C | 30 | 29 | 30 | 29 | 28 | 29 | 27 | 28 | 26 | 27 | 29 | 28 | 27 | 30 | 30 | 30 | 30 | 30 | 30 | 30 | 29 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | NNE 8 | NNE 7 | NNE 7 | NNE 7 | NNE 7 | NNE 7 | NNE 8 | W 16 | NNE 7 | W 15 | W 15 | W 15 | NNE 7 | NNE 7 | NE 6 | NNE 7 | NE 6 | NE 7 | NE 7 | NE 6 | WNW 12 |
99 | 101 | 75 | 53 | 62 | 78 | 64 | 310 | 77 | 287 | 275 | 272 | 59 | 57 | 32 | 41 | 38 | 52 | 33 | 39 | 29 | |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SW 16 | SW 15 | SW 14 | W 18 | W 19 | W 16 | W 17 | NNE 7 | W 15 | NNE 7 | NNE 7 | NE 7 | W 14 | W 14 | W 14 | W 14 | W 13 | W 13 | NNE 8 | NNE 7 | NNE 8 |
86 | 78 | 54 | 162 | 251 | 267 | 270 | 47 | 302 | 62 | 70 | 43 | 206 | 203 | 146 | 138 | 89 | 87 | 19 | 18 | 12 | |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | W 12 | W 12 | W 12 | SW 14 | SW 14 | SW 13 | SW 13 | SW 13 | SW 14 | SW 16 | SW 13 | NNE 7 | SSW 11 | SSW 9 | NNE 7 | SSW 10 | NNE 7 | NNE 7 | WNW 13 | WNW 12 | SW 11 |
26 | 26 | 26 | 51 | 47 | 46 | 44 | 43 | 50 | 63 | 26 | 31 | 12 | 17 | 17 | 38 | 17 | 18 | 57 | 30 | 4 | |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | NNE 6 |
— | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 44 | |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 0 | 0 | 16 | 26 | 0 | 30 | 0 | 14 | 30 | 30 | 0 | 32 | 0 | 0 | 30 | 14 | 0 | 21 | 39 | 4 | 100 |
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.











