Surf-Forecast | Tunnels Surf Guide

Tunnels Surf Guide

Tunnels in Kauai is an exposed reef break that has reliable surf. Winter is the best time of year for surfing here. The best wind direction is from the south southeast. Tends to receive distant groundswells and the optimum swell angle is from the north. There are left and right breaking reefs. Surfable at all stages of the tide. It's sometimes crowded here. Beware of rips, sharks and rocks.

Tunnels Spot Info

Type:	Rating:	Reliability:	Todays Sea Temp*:
Reef	4	consistent	25.7°C*ocean temperature recorded from satellite

Surfing Tunnels:

The best conditions reported for surf at Tunnels occur when a North swell combines with an offshore wind direction from the South-southeast.

Hourly Forecast

16 Day Forecast

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

januaryBest Season: winter

The best time of year for surfing Tunnels with consistent clean waves (rideable swell with light / offshore winds) is during Winter and most often the month of January. Clean surfable waves are typically found 31% of the time in January while 52% of the time it tends to be blown out. For the remaining 17% of the time it is considered too small by most surfers but may still be OK for beginners and groms at times.

clean

31%

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

blown out

52%

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

too small

17%

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

Explore Tunnels Location Map

Interactive Tunnels 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 Tunnels is Barking Sands Pmrf Airport (BKH) in Usa Kauai Isl., 32 km (20 miles) away (directly). The second nearest airport to Tunnels is Lihue Airport (LIH), also in Usa Kauai Isl., 36 km (22 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.

Tunnels Surf Forecasts:

Hourly Forecast

16 Day Forecast

Todays Surf Summary
Thursday, 18 June 2026, 10:19 Local Time

m, °C	Thursday 18
ft, °F	11AM	2PM	5PM	8PM
Wave (m)	NW	NW	NW	NW
Period (s)	10	9	9	9
Wind (km/h)
Wind State	cross	cross	cross	cross- off

What does Tunnels look like?

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

Credit: Brian Estevez Credit: Rob Davies Credit: Rob Davies

Tides at Tunnels

Current tide and informaton

For Hanalei Bay, Kauai Island, Hawaii, 7 km from Tunnels.

Next High Water: 06:00pm | 0.69m

Next Low Water: 01:12am | 0.06m

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

Tunnels Sea Temperature

Sunny with very warm air temperatures, feeling like 26.0 °C once we account for any wind. Sea temperatures (25.7 °C) very warm too. Staying comfortable in the water at Tunnels won't be a problem, but wear at least a rash-vest to keep the UV off.

Today, many surfers would wear a rashvest wetsuit.

Current Temp*: 25.7°C*ocean temperature recorded from satellite