Kua Bay
Surf spot · United States
Is it worth the trip?
51Fair out of 100 for your dates
Best on Mon 2: 4 ft swell at 5 s, 3 hours of offshore wind, sheltered (estimated): holds up in a blow
Mon 2 · 61 out of 100
- Swell
- 4 ft5 smushy
- Energy
- 86kJ
- Wind
- SE 5 kn
- Temp
- 26°C
Tue 3 · 59 out of 100
- Swell
- 3 ft6 smushy
- Energy
- 62kJ
- Wind
- ESE 7 kn
- Temp
- 26°C
Wed 4 · 54 out of 100
- Swell
- 3 ft6 smushy
- Energy
- 65kJ
- Wind
- ENE 3 kn
- Temp
- 26°C
Thu 5 · 56 out of 100
- Swell
- 4 ft6 smushy
- Energy
- 77kJ
- Wind
- SE 3 kn
- Temp
- 26°C
Fri 6 · 29 out of 100
- Swell
- 2 ft12 shollow
- Energy
- 62kJ
- Wind
- SW 4 kn
- Temp
- 26°C
Sat 7 · 36 out of 100
- Swell
- 3 ft6 smushy
- Energy
- 63kJ
- Wind
- SSE 4 kn
- Temp
- 26°C
Sun 8 · 20 out of 100
- Swell
- 2 ft10 shollow
- Energy
- 76kJ
- Wind
- SSE 4 kn
- Temp
- 26°C
Tap a day for waves, wind and the temperature. Full forecast
Forecast: next 10 days
Full forecast- Sun 148, fair
- Mon 261, good
- Tue 359, fair
- Wed 454, fair
- Thu 556, fair
- Fri 629, too small
- Sat 736, poor
- Sun 820, too small
- Mon 924, too small
- Tue 1020, too small
The spot in five facts
- Faces NWtakes swell from the NW
- Offshore: SEwind from the land
- Beginner +who it suits
- Works 2–10 ftof swell
- Water 27 °Cno wetsuit
Full forecast
every day, every number
The score doesn't know rips, currents, rocks or your skill.
| Day | Score for intermediates | Swell | Energy | Wind | Temp |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sun 1Nov | 48, fair | 3 ft10 shollowunder 1 ft at break (est.) | 212kJ | wind from the north-east, 4 knots | 26°C |
| Mon 2Nov | 61, good | 4 ft5 smushy3 ft at break (est.) | 86kJ | offshorewind from the south-east, 5 knots, offshore | 26°C |
| Tue 3Nov | 59, fair | 3 ft6 smushy3 ft at break (est.) | 62kJ | offshorewind from the east-south-east, 7 knots, offshore | 26°C |
| Wed 4Nov | 54, fair | 3 ft6 smushy2 ft at break (est.) | 65kJ | wind from the east-north-east, 3 knots | 26°C |
| Thu 5Nov | 56, fair | 4 ft6 smushy2 ft at break (est.) | 77kJ | offshorewind from the south-east, 3 knots, offshore | 26°C |
| Fri 6Nov | 29, too small | 2 ft12 shollow3 ft at break (est.) | 62kJ | wind from the south-west, 4 knots | 26°C |
| Sat 7Nov | 36, poor | 3 ft6 smushy2 ft at break (est.) | 63kJ | offshorewind from the south-south-east, 4 knots, offshore | 26°C |
| Sun 8Nov | 20, too small | 2 ft10 shollowunder 1 ft at break (est.) | 76kJ | offshorewind from the south-south-east, 4 knots, offshore | 26°C |
| Mon 9Nov | 24, too small | 2 ft11 shollowunder 1 ft at break (est.) | 56kJ | wind from the north-east, 3 knots | 26°C |
| Tue 10Nov | 20, too small | 1 ft14 shollowunder 1 ft at break (est.) | 52kJ | offshorewind from the east, 1 knot, offshore | 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 NovLow 01:17 −0.2 mHigh 09:12 +0.4 mLow 16:58 −0.2 mHigh 22:47 −0.0 m
- Mon 2 NovLow 03:01 −0.1 mHigh 10:23 +0.3 mLow 17:43 −0.2 mHigh 23:59 +0.1 m
- Tue 3 NovLow 04:56 −0.1 mHigh 11:29 +0.3 mLow 18:19 −0.3 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.
Map
the spot, its town, photos
Kua Bay 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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Photos of Kua Bay
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More surf near here
5 places
- Mahai'ula Bay 4.5 km away
- Pine Trees 12.9 km away
- Kona Inn 19.3 km away
- Honls 20.3 km away
- Kona Tiki 20.9 km away
About
the place in full, sources, credits
About Kua Bay
Facing, offshore wind, exposure, level and swell range are estimated.
The spot faces NW (310°), so it takes swell from the NW. The wind blows offshore from the SE (130°). It is sheltered to the open swell. It suits beginners and up. It works in 2–10 ft of swell. The sea floor shelves moderately: 10 m deep about 200 m out (1 in 21). On a typical 5 ft, 11 s swell the waves here would break hollow. The sea is about 25°C in January, its coldest month (no wetsuit), and 27°C in July, its warmest (no wetsuit). The town to stay in is Kailua-Kona. Within 5 km we also list 1 surf spot and 1 climbing area.
Water about 27°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$1,280–US$2,390 each
about US$1,280–US$2,390 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 KOA, estimated from distance and season, 1 airline on the route, with a hold bag | about US$469–US$978 |
| Taxi | airport and back, shared | about US$20–US$33 |
| 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$1,280–US$2,390 |
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
33 min by car · 45 places to stay
about US$114/nightcountry average
About Kailua-Kona its beds, food and every spot near it
- Beds in Puako on Booking.com
44 min by car · 3 places to stay
- Beds in Kawaihae on Booking.com
55 min by car
Nearest beds: Kailua-Kona, 19 km (about 35 min by car)
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 11h 55m
About 11h 55m door to door from Chicago
Fly ORD → KOA, direct, then 30 min by road
Flights ORD → KOA on your dates · Skyscanner
An estimate, one way; the journey never changes the score.