Hanalei Bay
Surf spot · United States
Is it worth the trip?
60Good out of 100 for your dates
Best on Thu 5: 7 ft swell at 13 s
Tue 3 · 46 out of 100
- Swell
- 5 ft10 ssoft
- Energy
- 540kJ
- Wind
- E 7 kn
- Temp
- 22°C
Wed 4 · 22 out of 100
- Swell
- 4 ft7 smushy
- Energy
- 146kJ
- Wind
- E 8 kn
- Temp
- 21°C
Thu 5 · 79 out of 100
- Swell
- 7 ft13 ssoft
- Energy
- 1,641kJ
- Wind
- ESE 7 kn
- Temp
- 22°C
Fri 6 · 57 out of 100
- Swell
- 6 ft11 ssoft
- Energy
- 815kJ
- Wind
- E 6 kn
- Temp
- 23°C
Sat 7 · 45 out of 100
- Swell
- 6 ft11 ssoft
- Energy
- 711kJ
- Wind
- E 5 kn
- Temp
- 23°C
Sun 8 · 74 out of 100
- Swell
- 7 ft10 ssoft
- Energy
- 912kJ
- Wind
- ENE 8 kn
- Temp
- 23°C
Mon 9 · 57 out of 100
- Swell
- 6 ft9 ssoft
- Energy
- 549kJ
- Wind
- ESE 6 kn
- Temp
- 22°C
Tap a day for waves, wind and the temperature. Full forecast
Forecast: next 9 days
Full forecast- Mon 270, good
- Tue 346, fair
- Wed 422, too small
- Thu 579, good
- Fri 657, fair
- Sat 745, fair
- Sun 874, good
- Mon 957, fair
- Tue 1046, fair
The spot in five facts
- Faces Ntakes swell from the N
- Offshore: Swind from the land
- Intermediate +who it suits
- Works 2–10 ftof swell
- Water 26 °Cno wetsuit
Full forecast
every day, every number
The score doesn't know rips, currents, rocks or your skill.
| Day | Score for experts | Swell | Energy | Wind | Temp |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mon 2Nov | 70, good | 7 ft11 ssoft10 ft at break (est.) | 1,066kJ | wind from the east-north-east, 9 knots | 22°C |
| Tue 3Nov | 46, fair | 5 ft10 ssoft8 ft at break (est.) | 540kJ | wind from the east, 7 knots | 22°C |
| Wed 4Nov | 22, too small | 4 ft7 smushy5 ft at break (est.) | 146kJ | wind from the east, 8 knots | 21°C |
| Thu 5Nov | 79, good | 7 ft13 ssoft11 ft at break (est.) | 1,641kJ | wind from the east-south-east, 7 knots | 22°C |
| Fri 6Nov | 57, fair | 6 ft11 ssoft8 ft at break (est.) | 815kJ | wind from the east, 6 knots | 23°C |
| Sat 7Nov | 45, fair | 6 ft11 ssoft8 ft at break (est.) | 711kJ | wind from the east, 5 knots | 23°C |
| Sun 8Nov | 74, good | 7 ft10 ssoft9 ft at break (est.) | 912kJ | wind from the east-north-east, 8 knots | 23°C |
| Mon 9Nov | 57, fair | 6 ft9 ssoft8 ft at break (est.) | 549kJ | wind from the east-south-east, 6 knots | 22°C |
| Tue 10Nov | 46, fair | 6 ft10 ssoft8 ft at break (est.) | 532kJ | wind from the east-south-east, 7 knots | 24°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 NovLow 01:31 −0.1 mHigh 09:50 +0.3 mLow 17:31 −0.2 mHigh 23:23 +0.0 m
- Tue 3 NovLow 03:38 −0.1 mHigh 10:38 +0.3 mLow 17:45 −0.2 m
- Wed 4 NovHigh 00:12 +0.1 mLow 05:14 −0.1 mHigh 11:17 +0.2 mLow 18:04 −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).
- Jan0of 7: a trip from Sat 2 Jan
- Feb0of 7: a trip from Sat 6 Feb
- Mar0of 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
- Nov0of 7: a trip from Tue 3 Nov
- Dec0of 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
Hanalei Bay 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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Photos of Hanalei Bay
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More surf near here
5 places
- Waikokos 1 km away
- Pu`u poa 1.7 km away
- Tunnels 5.6 km away
- Anini Beach- Wires 6.3 km away
- Cannons 6.7 km away
About
the place in full, sources, credits
About Hanalei Bay
Facing, offshore wind, exposure, level and swell range are estimated.
The spot faces N (345°), so it takes swell from the N. The wind blows offshore from the S (165°). It is exposed 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 700 m out (1 in 72). On a typical 5 ft, 11 s swell the waves here would spill softly. The sea is about 24°C in February, its coldest month (no wetsuit), and 27°C in August, its warmest (no wetsuit). The town to stay in is Hanalei, 1.6 km away (about 5 min by car). Within 5 km we also list 2 surf spots and 1 wind sports spot.
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$1,420–US$2,620 each
about US$1,420–US$2,620 each · 6 nights, 2 sharing: flights, hire car, 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 |
| Hire car | 6 days, shared | about US$154–US$255 |
| 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$1,420–US$2,620 |
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 5 min by car · 16 places to stay
about US$114/nightcountry average
About Hanalei its beds, food and every spot near it
- Beds in Princeville on Booking.com
about 5 min by car · 47 places to stay
- Beds in Kilauea on Booking.com
about 20 min by car · 5 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 15h 10m
About 15h 10m door to door from Chicago
Fly ORD → HNL, direct, then 3h 35m by road
Flights ORD → HNL on your dates · AviasalesAd
An estimate, one way; the journey never changes the score.