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Mahai'ula Bay
Surf spot · United States
Is it worth the trip?
31Poor out of 100 for your dates
Best on Thu 5: too small (2 ft swell at 13 s), sheltered (estimated): holds up in a blow
Tue 3 · 32 out of 100
- Swell
- 2 ft10 ssoft
- Energy
- 72kJ
- Wind
- E 2 kn
- Temp
- 25°C
Wed 4 · 29 out of 100
- Swell
- 3 ft6 smushy
- Energy
- 58kJ
- Wind
- SSW 2 kn
- Temp
- 26°C
Thu 5 · 35 out of 100
- Swell
- 2 ft13 ssoft
- Energy
- 121kJ
- Wind
- S 4 kn
- Temp
- 26°C
Fri 6 · 34 out of 100
- Swell
- 2 ft12 ssoft
- Energy
- 92kJ
- Wind
- SSE 5 kn
- Temp
- 26°C
Sat 7 · 25 out of 100
- Swell
- 2 ft11 ssoft
- Energy
- 47kJ
- Wind
- S 5 kn
- Temp
- 26°C
Sun 8 · 26 out of 100
- Swell
- 2 ft11 ssoft
- Energy
- 53kJ
- Wind
- SE 2 kn
- Temp
- 25°C
Mon 9 · 21 out of 100
- Swell
- 2 ft11 ssoft
- Energy
- 50kJ
- Wind
- SSW 5 kn
- Temp
- 25°C
Tap a day for waves, wind and the temperature. Full forecast
Forecast: next 9 days
Full forecast- Mon 260, good
- Tue 332, too small
- Wed 429, poor
- Thu 535, too small
- Fri 634, too small
- Sat 725, too small
- Sun 826, too small
- Mon 921, too small
- Tue 1019, too small
The spot in five facts
- Faces NWtakes swell from the NW
- Offshore: SEwind from the land
- Beginner +who it suits
- Works 2–9 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mon 2Nov | 60, good | 4 ft5 smushy2 ft at break (est.) | 73kJ | offshorewind from the south-south-east, 6 knots, offshore | 26°C |
| Tue 3Nov | 32, too small | 2 ft10 ssoft3 ft at break (est.) | 72kJ | offshorewind from the east, 2 knots, offshore | 25°C |
| Wed 4Nov | 29, poor | 3 ft6 smushy2 ft at break (est.) | 58kJ | wind from the south-south-west, 2 knots | 26°C |
| Thu 5Nov | 35, too small | 2 ft13 ssoft4 ft at break (est.) | 121kJ | wind from the south, 4 knots | 26°C |
| Fri 6Nov | 34, too small | 2 ft12 ssoft3 ft at break (est.) | 92kJ | wind from the south-south-east, 5 knots | 26°C |
| Sat 7Nov | 25, too small | 2 ft11 ssoft3 ft at break (est.) | 47kJ | wind from the south, 5 knots | 26°C |
| Sun 8Nov | 26, too small | 2 ft11 ssoft3 ft at break (est.) | 53kJ | offshorewind from the south-east, 2 knots, offshore | 25°C |
| Mon 9Nov | 21, too small | 2 ft11 ssoftunder 1 ft at break (est.) | 50kJ | wind from the south-south-west, 5 knots | 25°C |
| Tue 10Nov | 19, too small | 1 ft14 scrumblingunder 1 ft at break (est.) | 53kJ | wind from the west, 3 knots | 24°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 03:08 −0.1 mHigh 10:25 +0.3 mLow 17:43 −0.3 m
- Tue 3 NovHigh 00:01 +0.1 mLow 05:02 −0.1 mHigh 11:33 +0.3 mLow 18:22 −0.3 m
- Wed 4 NovHigh 00:54 +0.2 mLow 06:34 −0.1 mHigh 12:31 +0.2 mLow 18:56 −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
Mahai'ula 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.
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 Mahai'ula Bay
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More surf near here
5 places
- Kua Bay 4.5 km away
- Pine Trees 9.1 km away
- Kona Inn 16.7 km away
- Honls 17.8 km away
- Kona Tiki 18.4 km away
About
the place in full, sources, credits
About Mahai'ula Bay
Facing, offshore wind, exposure, level and swell range are estimated.
The spot faces NW (302°), so it takes swell from the NW. The wind blows offshore from the SE (122°). It is sheltered to the open swell. It suits beginners and up. It works in 2–9 ft of swell. The sea floor shelves gently: 10 m deep about 900 m out (1 in 89). On a typical 5 ft, 11 s swell the waves here would spill softly. 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: 2 towns
about 30 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
about 55 min by car · 3 places to stay
Nearest beds: Kailua-Kona, 16 km (about 30 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 25 min by road
Flights ORD → KOA on your dates · Skyscanner
An estimate, one way; the journey never changes the score.