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Backdoor
Surf spot · United States
Is it worth the trip?
35Poor out of 100 for your dates
Best on Sat 7: 4 ft swell at 9 s, onshore wind, 12 kn (23 km/h), sheltered (estimated): holds up in a blow
Tue 3 · 45 out of 100
- Swell
- 4 ft6 smushy
- Energy
- 106kJ
- Wind
- ENE 14 kn
- Temp
- 25°C
Wed 4 · 43 out of 100
- Swell
- 4 ft9 scrumbling
- Energy
- 210kJ
- Wind
- ENE 16 kn
- Temp
- 26°C
Thu 5 · 0 out of 100
- Swell
- 7 ft14 scrumbling
- Energy
- 1,430kJ
- Wind
- E 16 kn
- Temp
- 26°C
Fri 6 · 32 out of 100
- Swell
- 6 ft11 scrumbling
- Energy
- 754kJ
- Wind
- ENE 14 kn
- Temp
- 26°C
Sat 7 · 52 out of 100
- Swell
- 4 ft9 ssoft
- Energy
- 293kJ
- Wind
- ENE 12 kn
- Temp
- 25°C
Sun 8 · 11 out of 100
- Swell
- 4 ft8 ssoft
- Energy
- 246kJ
- Wind
- ENE 16 kn
- Temp
- 25°C
Mon 9 · 0 out of 100
- Swell
- 7 ft9 ssoft
- Energy
- 668kJ
- Wind
- E 15 kn
- Temp
- 26°C
Tap a day for waves, wind and the temperature. Full forecast
Forecast: next 9 days
Full forecast- Mon 20, too big
- Tue 345, fair
- Wed 443, poor
- Thu 50, too big
- Fri 632, poor
- Sat 752, fair
- Sun 811, poor
- Mon 90, too big
- Tue 1044, poor
The spot in five facts
- Faces NWtakes swell from the NW
- Offshore: SEwind from the land
- Intermediate +who it suits
- Works 2–10 ftof swell
- Water 26 °Cno wetsuit
Full forecast
every day, every number
| Day | Score for intermediates | Swell | Energy | Wind | Temp |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mon 2Nov | 0, too big | 8 ft11 ssoft11 ft at break (est.) | 1,387kJ | wind from the east-north-east, 18 knots | 25°C |
| Tue 3Nov | 45, fair | 4 ft6 smushy4 ft at break (est.) | 106kJ | wind from the east-north-east, 14 knots | 25°C |
| Wed 4Nov | 43, poor | 4 ft9 scrumbling5 ft at break (est.) | 210kJ | wind from the east-north-east, 16 knots | 26°C |
| Thu 5Nov | 0, too big | 7 ft14 scrumbling10 ft at break (est.) | 1,430kJ | wind from the east, 16 knots | 26°C |
| Fri 6Nov | 32, poor | 6 ft11 scrumbling8 ft at break (est.) | 754kJ | wind from the east-north-east, 14 knots | 26°C |
| Sat 7Nov | 52, fair | 4 ft9 ssoft6 ft at break (est.) | 293kJ | wind from the east-north-east, 12 knots | 25°C |
| Sun 8Nov | 11, poor | 4 ft8 ssoft6 ft at break (est.) | 246kJ | wind from the east-north-east, 16 knots | 25°C |
| Mon 9Nov | 0, too big | 7 ft9 ssoft8 ft at break (est.) | 668kJ | wind from the east, 15 knots | 26°C |
| Tue 10Nov | 44, poor | 5 ft10 ssoft7 ft at break (est.) | 510kJ | wind from the east, 13 knots | 26°C |
Energy is the swell's power, in kJ per metre of wave. Wind is in knots, the arrow where it blows to; green is offshore. More
Tide
- Mon 2 NovHigh 00:00 −0.1 mLow 00:36 −0.1 mHigh 09:43 +0.3 mLow 17:36 −0.2 mHigh 23:59 +0.0 m
- Tue 3 NovLow 03:49 −0.1 mHigh 10:35 +0.2 mLow 17:50 −0.2 m
- Wed 4 NovHigh 00:29 +0.1 mLow 05:28 −0.0 mHigh 11:17 +0.2 mLow 18:09 −0.2 m
Local clock times; heights about mean sea level. On open coasts the times are usually within a quarter of an hour; in bays, estuaries and on the Gulf of Mexico they can be an hour or more out. Tide: EOT20 global ocean tide model, Hart-Davis et al. 2021, DGFI-TUM (doi:10.17882/79489), CC BY 4.0. Times and heights computed by us. A model, not a tide table: check a local table before you go.
Forecast updated . It refreshes every three hours. Forecast data: ECMWF, DWD, Météo-France and NOAA, served by Open-Meteo.com (CC BY 4.0). Changed by us. Generated using E.U. Copernicus Marine Service Information.
Best time to go
No month stands out
Good days in a typical week, each month, for intermediate surfers, from 2016 on (history scored the same way).
- Jan1of 7: a trip from Sat 2 Jan
- Feb1of 7: a trip from Sat 6 Feb
- Mar1of 7: a trip from Sat 6 Mar
- Apr1of 7: a trip from Sat 3 Apr
- May1of 7: a trip from Sat 1 May
- Jun1of 7: a trip from Sat 5 Jun
- Jul0of 7: a trip from Sat 3 Jul
- Aug0of 7: a trip from Sat 7 Aug
- Sep1of 7: a trip from Sat 4 Sept
- Oct1of 7: a trip from Sat 2 Oct
- Nov1of 7: a trip from Tue 3 Nov
- Dec1of 7: a trip from Sat 5 Dec
Tap a month to see this spot for a trip then.
Typical, not a forecast.
Map
the spot, its town, photos
Backdoor on Google Maps · Directions
Each place wears its best day on these dates, a surf spot for intermediates: green good, amber fair, pale red poor, as the key says.
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One finger scrolls the page; two fingers move the map. Pins are our own positions. Map OpenFreeMap, © OpenMapTiles, data © OpenStreetMap contributors.
Photos of Backdoor
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More surf near here
5 places
- Ehukai 0.2 km away
- Banzai Pipeline 0.4 km away
- Rocky lefts 0.5 km away
- Off the Wall 0.7 km away
- Rockpiles 0.7 km away
About
the place in full, sources, credits
About Backdoor
Facing, offshore wind, exposure, level and swell range are estimated.
The spot faces NW (322°), so it takes swell from the NW. The wind blows offshore from the SE (142°). It is sheltered to the open swell. It suits intermediate surfers and up. It works in 2–10 ft of swell. The sea floor shelves gently: 10 m deep about 450 m out (1 in 43). On a typical 5 ft, 11 s swell the waves here would crumble. The sea is about 24°C in March, its coldest month (no wetsuit), and 27°C in August, its warmest (no wetsuit). The town to stay in is Waiale E, 3.7 km away (about 10 min by car). Within 5 km we also list 14 surf spots, 3 wind sports spots and 2 dive sites.
Water about 26°C: no wetsuit. Typical sea temperature for the time of year, not a forecast.
The score is the conditions only: the journey, the price and the partners never change it (how we score, how we earn).
Rough cost (estimate): about US$1,360–US$2,520 each
about US$1,360–US$2,520 each · 6 nights, 2 sharing: flights, taxi, stay, food, board and wetsuit.
Our estimate from typical public prices, not a quote: check the real prices before you book (where they come from). Prices are about, in US Dollar (USD): our pound figures at the European Central Bank's rate of 30 October 2026.
How we worked it out
| What | How we worked it out | Each |
|---|---|---|
| Flights | return ORD to HNL, estimated from distance and season, 2 airlines on the route, with a hold bag | about US$476–US$985 |
| Taxi | airport and back, shared | about US$94–US$154 |
| Stay | 6 nights, a mid-range double, shared | about US$301–US$502 |
| Food | 7 days eating out | about US$342–US$636 |
| Board and wetsuit | 5 days, or about US$114 to fly your own | about US$147–US$241 |
| Total | about US$1,360–US$2,520 |
For 2 people sharing a room. Lessons, lift-pass deals and insurance are extra. Prices from public sources, checked in 2026.
Where to stay: 3 towns
Ad Links marked Ad may pay us if you book. You pay the same, and they never change a score. How we earn
about 10 min by car
about US$114/nightcountry average
About Waiale E its beds, food and every spot near it
- Beds in Kahuku on Booking.com
about 15 min by car
- Beds in Laie on Booking.com
about 25 min by car · 9 places to stay
About US$114 a night is our estimate of the country's average 2-star double room that month: not each town's price, and not a quote. Drives are estimates. Prices are about, in US Dollar (USD): our pound figures at the European Central Bank's rate of 30 October 2026.
Getting there: about 12h 35m
About 12h 35m door to door from Chicago
Fly ORD → HNL, direct, then 1h by road
Flights ORD → HNL on your dates · AviasalesAd
An estimate, one way; the journey never changes the score.