Papaikou Mill Surf Forecast and Surf Reports

(Big Island, USA)

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- Hourly Forecast
- 16 Day Forecast
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Spot Information

Papaikou Mill Surf Guide

Papaikou Mill in Big Island is an exposed reef break that has very consistent surf. Winter is the best time of year for surfing here. The best wind direction is from the west northwest. Tends to receive distant groundswells and the ideal swell angle is from the east. Relatively few surfers here, even on good days. Beware of - Rips / undertow - Rocks.

Papaikou Mill Spot Info

Type:	Rating:	Reliability:	Todays Sea Temp*:
Reef	3	very consistent	25.4°C*ocean temperature recorded from satellite

Surfing Papaikou Mill:

The best conditions reported for surf at Papaikou Mill occur when a East swell combines with an offshore wind direction from the West-northwest.

Hourly Forecast

16 Day Forecast

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

julyBest Season: summer

The best time of year for surfing Papaikou Mill 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 15% of the time in July while 80% of the time it tends to be blown out. For the remaining 5% of the time it is considered too small by most surfers but may still be OK for beginners and groms at times.

clean

15%

Surfable waves that hold up well for longer rides in prevailing cross-offshore, offshore or light wind conditions.

blown out

80%

Surfable sized waves that are of poorer quality due to prevailing onshore, cross-onshore or windy conditions (may be preferable for kitesurfing).

too small

Waves usually considered too small for good surf. Some wave-magnet breaks may still work though if conditions are right (on occasion).

Explore Papaikou Mill Location Map

Interactive Papaikou Mill 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 Papaikou Mill is Hilo International Airport (ITO) in Usa Hawaii Isl., 8 km (5 miles) away (directly). The second nearest airport to Papaikou Mill is Bradshaw Aaf Airport (BSF), also in Usa Hawaii Isl., 49 km (30 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)

Please note that some surf spot locations are approximate to protect their exact location while others are not shown at close zoom level.

Papaikou Mill Surf Forecasts:

Hourly Forecast

16 Day Forecast

Todays Surf Summary
Tuesday, 5 May 2026, 10:32 Local Time

m, °C	Tuesday 05
ft, °F	11AM	2PM	5PM	8PM
Wave (m)	E	ESE	ESE	ESE
Period (s)	8	8	8	8
Wind (km/h)
Wind State	on	on	on	on

What does Papaikou Mill look like?

Latest photos from Papaikou Mill. Upload your own or view all photos on the gallery page.

Credit: jason lewi jr

Tides at Papaikou Mill

Current tide and informaton

For Hilo, Hilo Bay, Hawaii, 6 km from Papaikou Mill.

Next High Water: 06:03pm | 0.7m

Next Low Water: 01:19am | 0.24m

NEXT	IS AT (local time)	remaining
high tide
low tide

Papaikou Mill Sea Temperature

Very warm in and out of the water temperature at Papaikou Mill today, but forecast to be overcast. With sea temperatures of 25.4 °C and a wind chill of 24.0 °C, most surfers will choose a shorty, boardshorts or a summer suit.

Today, many surfers would wear a shorty.

Current Temp*: 25.4°C*ocean temperature recorded from satellite