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Makapuu
Surf spot · United States
Is it worth the trip?
5Poor out of 100 for your dates
3 days tie for best
Tue 3 · 5 out of 100
- Swell
- 3 ft7 smushy
- Energy
- 92kJ
- Wind
- ENE 17 kn
- Temp
- 26°C
Wed 4 · 6 out of 100
- Swell
- 4 ft7 smushy
- Energy
- 126kJ
- Wind
- ENE 20 kn
- Temp
- 26°C
Thu 5 · 6 out of 100
- Swell
- 4 ft8 smushy
- Energy
- 180kJ
- Wind
- ENE 18 kn
- Temp
- 26°C
Fri 6 · 6 out of 100
- Swell
- 4 ft7 smushy
- Energy
- 133kJ
- Wind
- ENE 19 kn
- Temp
- 26°C
Sat 7 · 4 out of 100
- Swell
- 3 ft7 smushy
- Energy
- 99kJ
- Wind
- NE 16 kn
- Temp
- 25°C
Sun 8 · 4 out of 100
- Swell
- 3 ft11 smushy
- Energy
- 161kJ
- Wind
- NE 18 kn
- Temp
- 25°C
Mon 9 · 3 out of 100
- Swell
- 3 ft10 smushy
- Energy
- 127kJ
- Wind
- ENE 20 kn
- Temp
- 26°C
Tap a day for waves, wind and the temperature. Full forecast
Forecast: next 9 days
Full forecast- Mon 26, too small
- Tue 35, too small
- Wed 46, too small
- Thu 56, too small
- Fri 66, too small
- Sat 74, too small
- Sun 84, too small
- Mon 93, too small
- Tue 102, 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 | 6, too small | 4 ft8 smushy5 ft at break (est.) | 175kJ | wind from the east-north-east, 24 knots | 26°C |
| Tue 3Nov | 5, too small | 3 ft7 smushy4 ft at break (est.) | 92kJ | wind from the east-north-east, 17 knots | 26°C |
| Wed 4Nov | 6, too small | 4 ft7 smushy5 ft at break (est.) | 126kJ | wind from the east-north-east, 20 knots | 26°C |
| Thu 5Nov | 6, too small | 4 ft8 smushy5 ft at break (est.) | 180kJ | wind from the east-north-east, 18 knots | 26°C |
| Fri 6Nov | 6, too small | 4 ft7 smushy5 ft at break (est.) | 133kJ | wind from the east-north-east, 19 knots | 26°C |
| Sat 7Nov | 4, too small | 3 ft7 smushy3 ft at break (est.) | 99kJ | wind from the north-east, 16 knots | 25°C |
| Sun 8Nov | 4, too small | 3 ft11 smushyunder 1 ft at break (est.) | 161kJ | wind from the north-east, 18 knots | 25°C |
| Mon 9Nov | 3, too small | 3 ft10 smushyunder 1 ft at break (est.) | 127kJ | wind from the east-north-east, 20 knots | 26°C |
| Tue 10Nov | 2, too small | 2 ft12 smushyunder 1 ft at break (est.) | 92kJ | wind from the east, 19 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 02:08 −0.1 mHigh 09:56 +0.3 mLow 17:27 −0.2 mHigh 23:30 +0.0 m
- Tue 3 NovLow 04:09 −0.1 mHigh 10:55 +0.3 mLow 17:54 −0.2 m
- Wed 4 NovHigh 00:22 +0.1 mLow 05:43 −0.1 mHigh 11:44 +0.2 mLow 18:20 −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).
- Jan1of 7: a trip from Sat 2 Jan
- Feb1of 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
- Nov1of 7: a trip from Tue 3 Nov
- Dec1of 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
Makapuu 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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One finger scrolls the page; two fingers move the map. Pins are our own positions. Map OpenFreeMap, © OpenMapTiles, data © OpenStreetMap contributors.
Photos of Makapuu
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More surf near here
5 places
- Makapuu Beach 0 km away
- Baby Makapuu 0.8 km away
- Irmas 2.9 km away
- Sandy Beach Oahu 3.1 km away
- Turtles 7.4 km away
About
the place in full, sources, credits
About Makapuu
Facing, offshore wind, exposure, level and swell range are estimated.
The spot faces NE (44°), so it takes swell from the NE. The wind blows offshore from the SW (224°). 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 moderately: 10 m deep about 200 m out (1 in 22). On a typical 5 ft, 11 s swell the waves here would break hollow. 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 Waimanalo, 7.4 km away (about 15 min by car). Within 5 km we also list 4 surf spots, 1 wind sports spot and 2 dive sites.
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$1,330–US$2,470 each
about US$1,330–US$2,470 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$60–US$100 |
| 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$1,330–US$2,470 |
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
about 15 min by car · 3 places to stay
about US$114/nightcountry average
About Waimanalo its beds, food and every spot near it
- Beds in Kailua on Booking.com
about 25 min by car · 15 places to stay
- Beds in Kaneohe on Booking.com
about 35 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 20m
About 12h 20m door to door from Chicago
Fly ORD → HNL, direct, then 50 min by road
Flights ORD → HNL on your dates · Skyscanner
An estimate, one way; the journey never changes the score.