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Kua Bay beach Big island Hawaii
Kua Bay. Photo: dronepicr, CC BY 2.0, Wikimedia Commons

Kua Bay

Surf spot · United States

Is it worth the trip?

30Poor out of 100 for your dates

Stay home

Best on Sun 8: too small (2 ft swell at 10 s), sheltered (estimated): holds up in a blow

Each day of your trip, out of 100

Mon 2 · 15 out of 100

Swell
2 ft12 shollow
Energy
132kJ
Wind
NE 7 kn
Temp
26°C

Tue 3 · 18 out of 100

Swell
2 ft9 shollow
Energy
42kJ
Wind
S 6 kn
Temp
25°C

Wed 4 · 22 out of 100

Swell
1 ft14 shollow
Energy
67kJ
Wind
SW 2 kn
Temp
25°C

Thu 5 · 0 out of 100

Swell
4 ft6 smushy
Energy
77kJ
Wind
SSE 5 kn
Temp
26°C

Fri 6 · 39 out of 100

Swell
2 ft12 shollow
Energy
66kJ
Wind
E 5 kn
Temp
26°C

Sat 7 · 38 out of 100

Swell
3 ft6 smushy
Energy
54kJ
Wind
SSW 7 kn
Temp
26°C

Sun 8 · 43 out of 100

Swell
2 ft10 shollow
Energy
76kJ
Wind
SE 2 kn
Temp
25°C

Tap a day for waves, wind and the temperature. Full forecast

Forecast: next 10 days

Full forecast
  1. Sun 148, fair
  2. Mon 215, too small
  3. Tue 318, too small
  4. Wed 422, too small
  5. Thu 50, too big
  6. Fri 639, too small
  7. Sat 738, poor
  8. Sun 843, too small
  9. Mon 932, too small
  10. Tue 1027, 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
Forecast and score for beginner surfers at Kua Bay, each day
DayScore for beginnersSwellEnergyWindTemp
Sun 1Nov48, fair2 ft14 shollow4 ft at break (est.)177kJwind from the north-east, 4 knots27°C
Mon 2Nov15, too small2 ft12 shollow4 ft at break (est.)132kJwind from the north-east, 7 knots26°C
Tue 3Nov18, too small2 ft9 shollow3 ft at break (est.)42kJwind from the south, 6 knots25°C
Wed 4Nov22, too small1 ft14 shollowunder 1 ft at break (est.)67kJwind from the south-west, 2 knots25°C
Thu 5Nov0, too big4 ft6 smushy2 ft at break (est.)77kJwind from the south-south-east, 5 knots26°C
Fri 6Nov39, too small2 ft12 shollow3 ft at break (est.)66kJwind from the east, 5 knots, offshore26°C
Sat 7Nov38, poor3 ft6 smushy2 ft at break (est.)54kJwind from the south-south-west, 7 knots26°C
Sun 8Nov43, too small2 ft10 shollowunder 1 ft at break (est.)76kJwind from the south-east, 2 knots, offshore25°C
Mon 9Nov32, too small2 ft11 shollowunder 1 ft at break (est.)54kJwind from the south-south-west, 3 knots25°C
Tue 10Nov27, too small1 ft14 shollowunder 1 ft at break (est.)52kJwind from the west, 3 knots24°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

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 Kua Bay

Kua Bay Manini'owali white sand beach Big island Hawaii
Photo: dronepicr, CC BY 2.0, Wikimedia Commons

More surf near here

5 places

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 
Rough cost per person for this trip
WhatHow we worked it outEach
Flightsreturn ORD to KOA, estimated from distance and season, 1 airline on the route, with a hold bagabout US$469–US$978
Taxiairport and back, sharedabout US$20–US$33
Stay6 nights, a mid-range double, sharedabout US$301–US$502
Food7 days eating outabout US$342–US$636
Board and wetsuit5 days, or about US$114 to fly your ownabout US$147–US$241
Totalabout 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

Closest

Kailua-Kona

33 min by car · 45 places to stay

about US$114/nightcountry average

See 45 places to stay in Kailua-Kona · Booking.com

About Kailua-Kona its beds, food and every spot near it

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

An estimate, one way; the journey never changes the score.