Hanalei Bay
Surf spot · United States
Is it worth the trip?
47Fair out of 100 for your dates
2 days tie for best
Mon 2 · 0 out of 100
- Swell
- 8 ft11 ssoft
- Energy
- 1,426kJ
- Wind
- ENE 9 kn
- Temp
- 21°C
Tue 3 · 65 out of 100
- Swell
- 4 ft8 ssoft
- Energy
- 190kJ
- Wind
- E 7 kn
- Temp
- 21°C
Wed 4 · 51 out of 100
- Swell
- 3 ft9 ssoft
- Energy
- 173kJ
- Wind
- E 9 kn
- Temp
- 22°C
Thu 5 · 0 out of 100
- Swell
- 7 ft13 ssoft
- Energy
- 1,594kJ
- Wind
- E 7 kn
- Temp
- 21°C
Fri 6 · 56 out of 100
- Swell
- 4 ft8 smushy
- Energy
- 187kJ
- Wind
- ENE 6 kn
- Temp
- 22°C
Sat 7 · 65 out of 100
- Swell
- 4 ft9 ssoft
- Energy
- 211kJ
- Wind
- E 8 kn
- Temp
- 23°C
Sun 8 · 0 out of 100
- Swell
- 6 ft10 ssoft
- Energy
- 657kJ
- Wind
- E 6 kn
- Temp
- 22°C
Tap a day for waves, wind and the temperature. Full forecast
Forecast: next 10 days
Full forecast- Sun 10, too big
- Mon 20, too big
- Tue 365, good
- Wed 451, fair
- Thu 50, too big
- Fri 656, fair
- Sat 765, good
- Sun 80, too big
- Mon 961, good
- Tue 1064, good
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.
Hanalei Bay does not suit beginners. This is the forecast for intermediates, so you can see what it does.
| Day | Scorefor Intermediate | Swell | Energy | Wind | Temp |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sun 1Nov | 0, too big | 6 ft15 ssoft10 ft at break (est.) | 1,628kJ | wind from the north-east, 4 knots | 22°C |
| Mon 2Nov | 0, too big | 8 ft11 ssoft11 ft at break (est.) | 1,426kJ | wind from the east-north-east, 9 knots | 21°C |
| Tue 3Nov | 65, good | 4 ft8 ssoft5 ft at break (est.) | 190kJ | wind from the east, 7 knots | 21°C |
| Wed 4Nov | 51, fair | 3 ft9 ssoft5 ft at break (est.) | 173kJ | wind from the east, 9 knots | 22°C |
| Thu 5Nov | 0, too big | 7 ft13 ssoft10 ft at break (est.) | 1,594kJ | wind from the east, 7 knots | 21°C |
| Fri 6Nov | 56, fair | 4 ft8 smushy2 ft at break (est.) | 187kJ | wind from the east-north-east, 6 knots | 22°C |
| Sat 7Nov | 65, good | 4 ft9 ssoft5 ft at break (est.) | 211kJ | wind from the east, 8 knots | 23°C |
| Sun 8Nov | 0, too big | 6 ft10 ssoft8 ft at break (est.) | 657kJ | wind from the east, 6 knots | 22°C |
| Mon 9Nov | 61, good | 5 ft9 ssoft6 ft at break (est.) | 316kJ | wind from the east, 8 knots | 23°C |
| Tue 10Nov | 64, good | 5 ft9 ssoft7 ft at break (est.) | 356kJ | wind from the east, 6 knots | 22°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 08:52 +0.3 mLow 17:38 −0.1 mHigh 21:46 −0.1 m
- 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
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 Mon 2 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 beginners: green good, amber fair, pale red poor, as the key says.
The map needs JavaScript. Every place on it is listed on this page, and each place's page links to Google Maps.
One finger scrolls the page; two fingers move the map. Pins are our own positions. Map OpenFreeMap, © OpenMapTiles, data © OpenStreetMap contributors.
Photos of Hanalei Bay
.jpg){kind=link}
.jpg){kind=link}
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
3 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
5 min by car · 47 places to stay
- Beds in Kilauea on Booking.com
18 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 · Skyscanner
An estimate, one way; the journey never changes the score.