Lanikai Reef
Surf spot · United States
Is it worth the trip?
11Poor out of 100 for your dates
2 days tie for best
Tue 3 · 13 out of 100
- Swell
- 5 ft7 smushy
- Energy
- 216kJ
- Wind
- ENE 14 kn
- Temp
- 25°C
Wed 4 · 11 out of 100
- Swell
- 5 ft7 smushy
- Energy
- 252kJ
- Wind
- ENE 18 kn
- Temp
- 26°C
Thu 5 · 13 out of 100
- Swell
- 6 ft8 smushy
- Energy
- 430kJ
- Wind
- ENE 15 kn
- Temp
- 26°C
Fri 6 · 12 out of 100
- Swell
- 6 ft7 smushy
- Energy
- 294kJ
- Wind
- NE 16 kn
- Temp
- 25°C
Sat 7 · 9 out of 100
- Swell
- 5 ft6 smushy
- Energy
- 159kJ
- Wind
- ENE 15 kn
- Temp
- 25°C
Sun 8 · 8 out of 100
- Swell
- 4 ft8 smushy
- Energy
- 203kJ
- Wind
- NE 15 kn
- Temp
- 25°C
Mon 9 · 7 out of 100
- Swell
- 4 ft8 smushy
- Energy
- 182kJ
- Wind
- ENE 17 kn
- Temp
- 25°C
Tap a day for waves, wind and the temperature. Full forecast
Forecast: next 10 days
Full forecast- Mon 211, too small
- Tue 313, too small
- Wed 411, too small
- Thu 513, poor
- Fri 612, poor
- Sat 79, too small
- Sun 88, too small
- Mon 97, too small
- Tue 1015, too small
- Wed 1110, too small
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 experts | Swell | Energy | Wind | Temp |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mon 2Nov | 11, too small | 6 ft8 smushy6 ft at break (est.) | 414kJ | wind from the east-north-east, 20 knots | 25°C |
| Tue 3Nov | 13, too small | 5 ft7 smushy6 ft at break (est.) | 216kJ | wind from the east-north-east, 14 knots | 25°C |
| Wed 4Nov | 11, too small | 5 ft7 smushy6 ft at break (est.) | 252kJ | wind from the east-north-east, 18 knots | 26°C |
| Thu 5Nov | 13, poor | 6 ft8 smushy8 ft at break (est.) | 430kJ | wind from the east-north-east, 15 knots | 26°C |
| Fri 6Nov | 12, poor | 6 ft7 smushy7 ft at break (est.) | 294kJ | wind from the north-east, 16 knots | 25°C |
| Sat 7Nov | 9, too small | 5 ft6 smushy6 ft at break (est.) | 159kJ | wind from the east-north-east, 15 knots | 25°C |
| Sun 8Nov | 8, too small | 4 ft8 smushy5 ft at break (est.) | 203kJ | wind from the north-east, 15 knots | 25°C |
| Mon 9Nov | 7, too small | 4 ft8 smushy5 ft at break (est.) | 182kJ | wind from the east-north-east, 17 knots | 25°C |
| Tue 10Nov | 15, too small | 6 ft6 smushy6 ft at break (est.) | 204kJ | wind from the east-north-east, 12 knots | 26°C |
| Wed 11Nov | 10, too small | 4 ft6 smushy5 ft at break (est.) | 110kJ | wind from the east-north-east, 10 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
- 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
- Wed 4 NovHigh 00:04 +0.1 mLow 05:21 −0.1 mHigh 11:22 +0.2 mLow 18:05 −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 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
Lanikai Reef 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 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, 2 wind sports spots and 1 mountain bike area.
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
Ad Links marked Ad may pay us if you book. You pay the same, and they never change a score. How we earn
about 10 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
about 10 min by car · 3 places to stay
- Beds in Kaneohe on Booking.com
about 20 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 · AviasalesAd
An estimate, one way; the journey never changes the score.