Makaha
Surf spot · United States
Is it worth the trip?
48Fair out of 100 for your dates
Best on Fri 6: 5 ft swell at 11 s, 4 hours of offshore wind, sheltered (estimated): holds up in a blow
Mon 2 · 0 out of 100
- Swell
- 8 ft10 ssoft
- Energy
- 1,092kJ
- Wind
- NE 8 kn
- Temp
- 26°C
Tue 3 · 60 out of 100
- Swell
- 5 ft9 ssoft
- Energy
- 320kJ
- Wind
- NE 9 kn
- Temp
- 27°C
Wed 4 · 30 out of 100
- Swell
- 4 ft7 smushy
- Energy
- 196kJ
- Wind
- ENE 6 kn
- Temp
- 27°C
Thu 5 · 18 out of 100
- Swell
- 6 ft14 scrumbling
- Energy
- 1,064kJ
- Wind
- ENE 6 kn
- Temp
- 26°C
Fri 6 · 70 out of 100
- Swell
- 5 ft11 scrumbling
- Energy
- 491kJ
- Wind
- ENE 2 kn
- Temp
- 27°C
Sat 7 · 30 out of 100
- Swell
- 4 ft10 scrumbling
- Energy
- 251kJ
- Wind
- NE 7 kn
- Temp
- 26°C
Sun 8 · 68 out of 100
- Swell
- 5 ft10 scrumbling
- Energy
- 403kJ
- Wind
- NE 8 kn
- Temp
- 26°C
Tap a day for waves, wind and the temperature. Full forecast
Forecast: next 10 days
Full forecast- Sun 174, good
- Mon 20, too big
- Tue 360, good
- Wed 430, poor
- Thu 518, poor
- Fri 670, good
- Sat 730, too small
- Sun 868, good
- Mon 953, fair
- Tue 1050, fair
The spot in six facts
- Faces SWtakes swell from the SW
- Offshore: NEwind from the land
- Intermediate +who it suits
- Works 4–18 ftof swell
- Water 27 °Cno wetsuit
- Best May–Jun, Sep2 good days in 7
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 | 74, good | 4 ft15 scrumbling3 ft at break (est.) | 782kJ | offshorewind from the north-east, 4 knots, offshore | 27°C |
| Mon 2Nov | 0, too big | 8 ft10 ssoftunder 1 ft at break (est.) | 1,092kJ | wind from the north-east, 8 knots | 26°C |
| Tue 3Nov | 60, good | 5 ft9 ssoftunder 1 ft at break (est.) | 320kJ | offshorewind from the north-east, 9 knots, offshore | 27°C |
| Wed 4Nov | 30, poor | 4 ft7 smushyunder 1 ft at break (est.) | 196kJ | offshorewind from the east-north-east, 6 knots, offshore | 27°C |
| Thu 5Nov | 18, poor | 6 ft14 scrumblingunder 1 ft at break (est.) | 1,064kJ | offshorewind from the east-north-east, 6 knots, offshore | 26°C |
| Fri 6Nov | 70, good | 5 ft11 scrumblingunder 1 ft at break (est.) | 491kJ | offshorewind from the east-north-east, 2 knots, offshore | 27°C |
| Sat 7Nov | 30, too small | 4 ft10 scrumblingunder 1 ft at break (est.) | 251kJ | offshorewind from the north-east, 7 knots, offshore | 26°C |
| Sun 8Nov | 68, good | 5 ft10 scrumblingunder 1 ft at break (est.) | 403kJ | offshorewind from the north-east, 8 knots, offshore | 26°C |
| Mon 9Nov | 53, fair | 4 ft9 ssoftunder 1 ft at break (est.) | 241kJ | offshorewind from the east-north-east, 9 knots, offshore | 26°C |
| Tue 10Nov | 50, fair | 4 ft9 scrumblingunder 1 ft at break (est.) | 252kJ | offshorewind from the east, 6 knots, offshore | 26°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 00:22 −0.1 mHigh 09:07 +0.3 mLow 17:22 −0.2 mHigh 23:20 −0.1 m
- Mon 2 NovLow 02:31 −0.1 mHigh 10:12 +0.3 mLow 17:50 −0.2 m
- Tue 3 NovHigh 00:15 +0.0 mLow 04:40 −0.1 mHigh 11:12 +0.2 mLow 18:16 −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
best May–Jun, Sep
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
- May2of 7: a trip from Sat 1 May
- Jun2of 7: a trip from Sat 5 Jun
- Jul1of 7: a trip from Sat 3 Jul
- Aug1of 7: a trip from Sat 7 Aug
- Sep2of 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
Makaha 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 Makaha
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More surf near here
5 places
- Lahilahi Point 0.4 km away
- Kabanas 0.5 km away
- Rec. Center - Pokai Bay 3.2 km away
- Keaau Beach 3.7 km away
- Green Lanterns 4.2 km away
About
the place in full, sources, credits
About Makaha
Facing, offshore wind, exposure, level and swell range are estimated.
The spot faces SW (241°), so it takes swell from the SW. The wind blows offshore from the NE (61°). It is sheltered to the open swell. It suits intermediate surfers and up. It works in 4–18 ft of swell. The sea floor shelves gently: 10 m deep about 400 m out (1 in 41). On a typical 5 ft, 11 s swell the waves here would crumble. The sea is about 25°C in January, its coldest month (no wetsuit), and 28°C in September, its warmest (no wetsuit). For intermediate surfers the best months are usually May, June and September, with about 2 good days in 7. From the weather of past years. The town to stay in is Mākaha, 0.7 km away (about 5 min by car). Within 5 km we also list 5 surf spots, 1 wind sports spot and 1 dive site.
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$1,350–US$2,490 each
about US$1,350–US$2,490 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$80–US$127 |
| 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$1,350–US$2,490 |
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
1 min by car · 6 places to stay
about US$114/nightcountry average
About Mākaha its beds, food and every spot near it
- Beds in Waianae on Booking.com
6 min by car · 2 places to stay
- Beds in Waialua on Booking.com
24 min by car · 2 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 25m
About 12h 25m door to door from Chicago
Fly ORD → HNL, direct, then 55 min by road
Flights ORD → HNL on your dates · Skyscanner
An estimate, one way; the journey never changes the score.