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Banzai Pipeline
Surf spot · United States
Is it worth the trip?
38Poor out of 100 for your dates
Best on Thu 5: 7 ft swell at 13 s, onshore wind, 15 kn (27 km/h), sheltered (estimated): holds up in a blow
Mon 2 · 43 out of 100
- Swell
- 7 ft11 ssoft
- Energy
- 999kJ
- Wind
- ENE 16 kn
- Temp
- 25°C
Tue 3 · 35 out of 100
- Swell
- 6 ft10 ssoft
- Energy
- 592kJ
- Wind
- ENE 14 kn
- Temp
- 25°C
Wed 4 · 17 out of 100
- Swell
- 4 ft9 scrumbling
- Energy
- 190kJ
- Wind
- E 12 kn
- Temp
- 25°C
Thu 5 · 49 out of 100
- Swell
- 7 ft13 scrumbling
- Energy
- 1,412kJ
- Wind
- E 15 kn
- Temp
- 26°C
Fri 6 · 35 out of 100
- Swell
- 5 ft11 scrumbling
- Energy
- 668kJ
- Wind
- E 15 kn
- Temp
- 26°C
Sat 7 · 23 out of 100
- Swell
- 4 ft10 scrumbling
- Energy
- 338kJ
- Wind
- ENE 15 kn
- Temp
- 25°C
Sun 8 · 40 out of 100
- Swell
- 6 ft10 scrumbling
- Energy
- 619kJ
- Wind
- ENE 13 kn
- Temp
- 25°C
Tap a day for waves, wind and the temperature. Full forecast
Forecast: next 10 days
Full forecast- Sun 152, fair
- Mon 243, poor
- Tue 335, too small
- Wed 417, too small
- Thu 549, fair
- Fri 635, too small
- Sat 723, too small
- Sun 840, too small
- Mon 927, too small
- Tue 1033, too small
The spot in six facts
- Faces NWtakes swell from the NW
- Offshore: SEwind from the land
- Expertwho it suits
- Works 2–10 ftof swell
- Water 26 °Cno wetsuit
- Best in Jan3 good days in 7
Full forecast
every day, every number
| Day | Score for experts | Swell | Energy | Wind | Temp |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sun 1Nov | 52, fair | 5 ft15 scrumbling9 ft at break (est.) | 1,205kJ | wind from the east-north-east, 8 knots | 25°C |
| Mon 2Nov | 43, poor | 7 ft11 ssoft9 ft at break (est.) | 999kJ | wind from the east-north-east, 16 knots | 25°C |
| Tue 3Nov | 35, too small | 6 ft10 ssoft8 ft at break (est.) | 592kJ | wind from the east-north-east, 14 knots | 25°C |
| Wed 4Nov | 17, too small | 4 ft9 scrumbling5 ft at break (est.) | 190kJ | wind from the east, 12 knots | 25°C |
| Thu 5Nov | 49, fair | 7 ft13 scrumbling10 ft at break (est.) | 1,412kJ | wind from the east, 15 knots | 26°C |
| Fri 6Nov | 35, too small | 5 ft11 scrumbling8 ft at break (est.) | 668kJ | wind from the east, 15 knots | 26°C |
| Sat 7Nov | 23, too small | 4 ft10 scrumbling6 ft at break (est.) | 338kJ | wind from the east-north-east, 15 knots | 25°C |
| Sun 8Nov | 40, too small | 6 ft10 scrumbling8 ft at break (est.) | 619kJ | wind from the east-north-east, 13 knots | 25°C |
| Mon 9Nov | 27, too small | 5 ft8 ssoft6 ft at break (est.) | 298kJ | wind from the east-north-east, 14 knots | 25°C |
| Tue 10Nov | 33, too small | 5 ft10 scrumbling6 ft at break (est.) | 341kJ | wind from the east-north-east, 12 knots | 25°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
- Sun 1 NovHigh 08:41 +0.3 mLow 17:36 −0.1 m
- 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
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
best in Jan
Good days in a typical week, each month, for expert surfers, from 2016 on (history scored the same way).
- Jan3of 7: a trip from Sat 2 Jan
- Feb2of 7: a trip from Sat 6 Feb
- Mar1of 7: a trip from Sat 6 Mar
- Apr0of 7: a trip from Sat 3 Apr
- May0of 7: a trip from Sat 1 May
- Jun0of 7: a trip from Sat 5 Jun
- Jul0of 7: a trip from Sat 3 Jul
- Aug0of 7: a trip from Sat 7 Aug
- Sep0of 7: a trip from Sat 4 Sept
- Oct1of 7: a trip from Sat 2 Oct
- Nov1of 7: a trip from Mon 2 Nov
- Dec2of 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
Banzai Pipeline on Google Maps · Directions
Each place wears its best day on these dates, a surf spot for experts: 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 Banzai Pipeline
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More surf near here
5 places
- Off the Wall 0.2 km away
- Rockpiles 0.3 km away
- Backdoor 0.4 km away
- Ehukai 0.4 km away
- Rocky lefts 1 km away
About
the place in full, sources, credits
About Banzai Pipeline
Facing, offshore wind, exposure 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 expert surfers. It works in 2–10 ft of swell. The sea floor shelves moderately: 10 m deep about 400 m out (1 in 39). 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). For expert surfers the best month is usually January, with about 3 good days in 7. From the weather of past years. The town to stay in is Waiale E, 4.1 km away (about 10 min by car). Within 5 km we also list 15 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
7 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
16 min by car
- Beds in Laie on Booking.com
24 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 · Skyscanner
An estimate, one way; the journey never changes the score.