Hawaii Ocean & Surf Report
Where you can surf in Hawaii today, island by island, and whether it suits you.
Some surf on the north shore
Big surf on the north shore
Big surf on the north shore
Big surf on the north shore
Surf spots today
West shore
light wind5 mph, tonight
East shore
onshore, choppynortheast 5-10 mph, tonight
Water 81°F·Heights are the wave face, trough to crest, the way the National Weather Service measures them. Locals often call the same wave half that. What we show as 6 ft, someone at the beach may call 3 ft. What each height means on a person
The full forecast
A short period north northwest swell will gradually lower over the next couple of days. An overlapping, moderate, mid-period northwest swell is expected to build through the day Monday, with surf reaching near advisory along north and west facing shores through Wednesday. The leeward Kona side is usually calmest, the windward Hilo side livelier. Check lifeguards and posted signs before you get in.
· NWS · NDBC · NOAA Tides · Hawaii DOH
Surf by shore
North
5-7 ft
East
4-6 ft
South
4-6 ft
West
2-4 ft
Forecast surf face heights from the National Weather Service, by the direction a shore faces. Which way a coast points decides what swell reaches it.
North
6-8 ft
East
3-5 ft
South
5-7 ft
West
3-5 ft
Tomorrow is the furthest ahead the Weather Service publishes surf figures for. This panel is the only part of the page that moves with it: the alert above, the beach advisories and the spot cards all stay on today, and no alert has been issued for tomorrow yet.
How big is that, on a person?
Today's biggest shore, drawn to scale against someone standing in it. Waist high is about 3 ft, head high about 5 ft, and overhead starts at 6 ft.
At this size: Barrels and carving, with real consequences attached.
The full surf height guide: skill levels, boards, the Hawaiian scale
Tides today
Hilo tide station. High and low times are HST.
Beach advisories
Puako Boat Ramp
Oct 23, 2026
Beach Advisory
Bacteria Threshold Exceedance Advisory at Puako Boat Ramp, Hawai‘i
Ninole beach area
Sep 18, 2026
Brown Water Advisory
Brown Water Advisory at Ninole beach area, Hawai‘i
Posted by the Hawaii Department of Health. Stay out of water that looks brown or murky, especially after heavy rain, whether or not an advisory is posted.
Rentals and lessons
Kailua-Kona
Board rental
- Kahaluʻu Bay Surf & Sea boards, right by the beach park
- Kona Boys boards, SUPs and kayaks
- Hulakai Hawaii surf shop, Kona and Waikoloa
Lessons
- Hawaii Lifeguard Surf Instructors teaches at Kahaluʻu, running since 1998
- Kona Mike's Surf Adventures lessons at Kahaluʻu Bay, book online
- Kahaluʻu Bay Surf & Sea lessons and board rental at the bay
- FBI Surf School group and private lessons
- Kona Boys lessons and rentals, Kailua Bay and Kealakekua
Hilo
Board rental
- Hilo Ocean Adventures surfboard rental, book online
- Hulakai Hawaii surf shop on the Hilo side
Lessons
- The Surf Cottage lessons at Honoliʻi, book by phone
Surf spots today
West shore
offshore, cleaner facesnortheast 5-10 mph, tonight
North shore
In seasonnorth swell, roughly October to April
onshore, choppynortheast 5-10 mph, tonight
Water 80°F·Heights are the wave face, trough to crest, the way the National Weather Service measures them. Locals often call the same wave half that. What we show as 6 ft, someone at the beach may call 3 ft. What each height means on a person
The full forecast
A short period north northwest swell will gradually lower over the next couple of days. An overlapping, moderate, mid-period northwest swell is expected to build through the day Monday, with surf reaching near advisory along north and west facing shores through Wednesday. West Maui sits in the wind shadow and stays the calmer side; the north shore is where winter swell lands. Check lifeguards and posted signs before you get in.
· NWS · NDBC · NOAA Tides · Hawaii DOH
Surf by shore
North
7-10 ft
East
4-6 ft
South
4-6 ft
West
2-4 ft
Forecast surf face heights from the National Weather Service, by the direction a shore faces. Which way a coast points decides what swell reaches it.
North
10-14 ft
East
3-5 ft
South
5-7 ft
West
3-5 ft
Tomorrow is the furthest ahead the Weather Service publishes surf figures for. This panel is the only part of the page that moves with it: the alert above, the beach advisories and the spot cards all stay on today, and no alert has been issued for tomorrow yet.
How big is that, on a person?
Today's biggest shore, drawn to scale against someone standing in it. Waist high is about 3 ft, head high about 5 ft, and overhead starts at 6 ft.
At this size: Barrels and carving, with real consequences attached.
The full surf height guide: skill levels, boards, the Hawaiian scale
Tides today
Hilo tide station. High and low times are HST. · Water 80°F
Beach advisories
No open beach advisories on Maui right now.
Posted by the Hawaii Department of Health. Stay out of water that looks brown or murky, especially after heavy rain, whether or not an advisory is posted.
Surf spots today
North shore
In seasonnorth swell, roughly October to April
onshore, choppynortheast 5-10 mph, tonight
South shore
In seasonsouth swell, roughly April to October
offshore, cleaner facesnortheast 5-10 mph, tonight
Water 83°F·Heights are the wave face, trough to crest, the way the National Weather Service measures them. Locals often call the same wave half that. What we show as 6 ft, someone at the beach may call 3 ft. What each height means on a person
The full forecast
A short period north northwest swell will gradually lower over the next couple of days. An overlapping, moderate, mid-period northwest swell is expected to build through the day Monday, with surf reaching near advisory along north and west facing shores through Wednesday. The south shore is the summer side and the north shore belongs to winter, which is why Waikīkī and Pipeline are almost never good on the same day. Check lifeguards and posted signs before you get in.
· NWS · NDBC · NOAA Tides · Hawaii DOH
Surf by shore
North
7-10 ft
East
4-6 ft
South
4-6 ft
West
4-6 ft
Forecast surf face heights from the National Weather Service, by the direction a shore faces. Which way a coast points decides what swell reaches it.
North
10-14 ft
East
3-5 ft
South
5-7 ft
West
6-8 ft
Tomorrow is the furthest ahead the Weather Service publishes surf figures for. This panel is the only part of the page that moves with it: the alert above, the beach advisories and the spot cards all stay on today, and no alert has been issued for tomorrow yet.
How big is that, on a person?
Today's biggest shore, drawn to scale against someone standing in it. Waist high is about 3 ft, head high about 5 ft, and overhead starts at 6 ft.
At this size: Barrels and carving, with real consequences attached.
The full surf height guide: skill levels, boards, the Hawaiian scale
Tides today
Hilo tide station. High and low times are HST. · Water 83°F
Beach advisories
Three Tables to Ehukai Beach Park
Oct 16, 2026
Brown Water Advisory
Brown Water Advisory at Three Tables to Ehukai Beach Park, O‘ahu
Kapaeloa Beach
Oct 16, 2026
Brown Water Advisory
Brown Water Advisory at Kapaeloa Beach, O‘ahu
Hale'iwa Beach Park to Papa'iloa Beach
Oct 16, 2026
Brown Water Advisory
Brown Water Advisory at Hale'iwa Beach Park to Papa'iloa Beach, O‘ahu
Ka'ena Point to Waialua
Oct 16, 2026
Brown Water Advisory
Brown Water Advisory at Ka'ena Point to Waialua, O‘ahu
Posted by the Hawaii Department of Health. Stay out of water that looks brown or murky, especially after heavy rain, whether or not an advisory is posted.
Surf spots today
North shore
In seasonnorth swell, roughly October to April
onshore, choppynortheast 5-10 mph, tonight
South shore
In seasonsouth swell, roughly April to October
offshore, cleaner facesnortheast 5-10 mph, tonight
Water 81°F·Heights are the wave face, trough to crest, the way the National Weather Service measures them. Locals often call the same wave half that. What we show as 6 ft, someone at the beach may call 3 ft. What each height means on a person
The full forecast
A short period north northwest swell will gradually lower over the next couple of days. An overlapping, moderate, mid-period northwest swell is expected to build through the day Monday, with surf reaching near advisory along north and west facing shores through Wednesday. Poʻipū and the south work through summer, Hanalei and the north through winter. Check lifeguards and posted signs before you get in.
· NWS · NDBC · NOAA Tides · Hawaii DOH
Surf by shore
North
7-10 ft
East
4-6 ft
South
4-6 ft
West
4-6 ft
Forecast surf face heights from the National Weather Service, by the direction a shore faces. Which way a coast points decides what swell reaches it.
North
10-14 ft
East
3-5 ft
South
5-7 ft
West
6-8 ft
Tomorrow is the furthest ahead the Weather Service publishes surf figures for. This panel is the only part of the page that moves with it: the alert above, the beach advisories and the spot cards all stay on today, and no alert has been issued for tomorrow yet.
How big is that, on a person?
Today's biggest shore, drawn to scale against someone standing in it. Waist high is about 3 ft, head high about 5 ft, and overhead starts at 6 ft.
At this size: Barrels and carving, with real consequences attached.
The full surf height guide: skill levels, boards, the Hawaiian scale
Tides today
Hilo tide station. High and low times are HST. · Water 81°F
Beach advisories
Koloa Landing
Oct 14, 2026
Brown Water Advisory
Brown Water Advisory at Koloa Landing, Kaua‘i
Anini Beach
Oct 13, 2026
Brown Water Advisory
Brown Water Advisory at Anini Beach, Kaua‘i
Waimea Bay Landing
Oct 9, 2026
Brown Water Advisory
Brown Water Advisory at Waimea Bay Landing, Kaua‘i
Po'ipu Beach Pavilion
Oct 9, 2026
Brown Water Advisory
Brown Water Advisory at Po'ipu Beach Pavilion, Kaua‘i
Niumalu Beach Park
Oct 9, 2026
Brown Water Advisory
Brown Water Advisory at Niumalu Beach Park, Kaua‘i
Hanama'ulu Beach
Oct 9, 2026
Brown Water Advisory
Brown Water Advisory at Hanama'ulu Beach, Kaua‘i
Posted by the Hawaii Department of Health. Stay out of water that looks brown or murky, especially after heavy rain, whether or not an advisory is posted.
Where to snorkel on the Big Island
Our snorkelling guide covers the Big Island for now, where the leeward Kona coast holds the clearest water and the easiest entries. Pick a spot against the Big Island surf above, and remember snorkelling is the most common way visitors drown in Hawaii.
Box jellyfish
Box jellyfish arrive on south and leeward shores about 8 to 10 days after each full moon. The pattern is best documented at Waikīkī and holds around the islands, so it is worth checking before any south-shore swim.
Humpback season
Humpbacks are in Hawaiian water from November through April, and they are the one thing on this page nobody can measure live. Our season page works out where today falls in that window instead, and says plainly that Maui, not this island, is where the density is.
Before you get in
- Never turn your back on the ocean. The waves that hurt people are the ones they didn't see coming, off a rock or a ledge.
- Swim where there are lifeguards, and ask them about the day. They know the specific break and rip currents you can't read from a forecast.
- If you're caught in a rip current, don't fight it. Float, signal, and let it carry you out until it releases, then swim in at an angle.
- This page is a heads-up, not a green light. Surf and advisories change through the day; the posted conditions at the beach win.