Lanikai Reef
Surf spot · United States
Is it worth the trip?
19Poor out of 100 for your dates
Best on Tue 3: 4 ft swell at 10 s, onshore wind, 15 kn (27 km/h)
Mon 2 · 20 out of 100
- Swell
- 4 ft11 smushy
- Energy
- 325kJ
- Wind
- ENE 19 kn
- Temp
- 25°C
Tue 3 · 21 out of 100
- Swell
- 4 ft10 smushy
- Energy
- 235kJ
- Wind
- ENE 15 kn
- Temp
- 25°C
Wed 4 · 18 out of 100
- Swell
- 4 ft7 smushy
- Energy
- 158kJ
- Wind
- ENE 16 kn
- Temp
- 26°C
Thu 5 · 8 out of 100
- Swell
- 3 ft12 smushy
- Energy
- 318kJ
- Wind
- ENE 17 kn
- Temp
- 26°C
Fri 6 · 20 out of 100
- Swell
- 4 ft7 smushy
- Energy
- 145kJ
- Wind
- ENE 15 kn
- Temp
- 26°C
Sat 7 · 20 out of 100
- Swell
- 4 ft7 smushy
- Energy
- 132kJ
- Wind
- ENE 16 kn
- Temp
- 25°C
Sun 8 · 18 out of 100
- Swell
- 4 ft10 smushy
- Energy
- 240kJ
- Wind
- ENE 15 kn
- Temp
- 25°C
Tap a day for waves, wind and the temperature. Full forecast
Forecast: next 10 days
Full forecast- Sun 134, poor
- Mon 220, poor
- Tue 321, poor
- Wed 418, poor
- Thu 58, poor
- Fri 620, poor
- Sat 720, poor
- Sun 818, poor
- Mon 918, poor
- Tue 1021, poor
The spot in five facts
- Faces NEtakes swell from the NE
- Offshore: SWwind from the land
- Intermediate +who it suits
- Works 2–9 ftof swell
- Water 26 °Cno wetsuit
Full forecast
every day, every number
| Day | Score for intermediates | Swell | Energy | Wind | Temp |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sun 1Nov | 34, poor | 3 ft9 smushy4 ft at break (est.) | 140kJ | wind from the north, 6 knots | 26°C |
| Mon 2Nov | 20, poor | 4 ft11 smushy3 ft at break (est.) | 325kJ | wind from the east-north-east, 19 knots | 25°C |
| Tue 3Nov | 21, poor | 4 ft10 smushy4 ft at break (est.) | 235kJ | wind from the east-north-east, 15 knots | 25°C |
| Wed 4Nov | 18, poor | 4 ft7 smushy5 ft at break (est.) | 158kJ | wind from the east-north-east, 16 knots | 26°C |
| Thu 5Nov | 8, poor | 3 ft12 smushy3 ft at break (est.) | 318kJ | wind from the east-north-east, 17 knots | 26°C |
| Fri 6Nov | 20, poor | 4 ft7 smushy5 ft at break (est.) | 145kJ | wind from the east-north-east, 15 knots | 26°C |
| Sat 7Nov | 20, poor | 4 ft7 smushy5 ft at break (est.) | 132kJ | wind from the east-north-east, 16 knots | 25°C |
| Sun 8Nov | 18, poor | 4 ft10 smushy3 ft at break (est.) | 240kJ | wind from the east-north-east, 15 knots | 25°C |
| Mon 9Nov | 18, poor | 4 ft7 smushy4 ft at break (est.) | 109kJ | wind from the east-north-east, 15 knots | 25°C |
| Tue 10Nov | 21, poor | 4 ft7 smushy5 ft at break (est.) | 149kJ | wind from the east-north-east, 14 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 08:33 +0.3 mLow 16:58 −0.1 mHigh 21:13 −0.1 m
- Mon 2 NovLow 01:36 −0.1 mHigh 09:39 +0.3 mLow 17:17 −0.2 mHigh 23:08 +0.0 m
- Tue 3 NovLow 03:45 −0.1 mHigh 10:36 +0.3 mLow 17:41 −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
- Mar1of 7: a trip from Sat 6 Mar
- Apr1of 7: a trip from Sat 3 Apr
- May1of 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
- 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
Lanikai Reef 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 Lanikai Reef
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More surf near here
5 places
- Popoia Island 1.5 km away
- Kalama 3 km away
- Dune Circle 3.1 km away
- Shorebreaks 3.1 km away
- Bellows 3.8 km away
About
the place in full, sources, credits
About Lanikai Reef
Facing, offshore wind, exposure, level and swell range are estimated.
The spot faces NE (58°), so it takes swell from the NE. The wind blows offshore from the SW (238°). It is exposed to the open swell. It suits intermediate surfers and up. It works in 2–9 ft of swell. The sea floor shelves very gently: 10 m deep about 1.2 km out (1 in 120). On a typical 5 ft, 11 s swell the waves here would spill softly. The sea is about 24°C in March, its coldest month (no wetsuit), and 27°C in August, its warmest (no wetsuit). The town to stay in is Kailua, 3.4 km away (about 10 min by car). Within 5 km we also list 5 surf spots and 2 wind sports spots.
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$1,310–US$2,450 each
about US$1,310–US$2,450 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$47–US$80 |
| 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$1,310–US$2,450 |
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
6 min by car · 15 places to stay
about US$114/nightcountry average
About Kailua its beds, food and every spot near it
- Beds in Waimanalo on Booking.com
10 min by car · 3 places to stay
- Beds in Kaneohe on Booking.com
16 min by car · 7 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 15m
About 12h 15m door to door from Chicago
Fly ORD → HNL, direct, then 40 min by road
Flights ORD → HNL on your dates · Skyscanner
An estimate, one way; the journey never changes the score.