Pohoiki
Surf spot · United States
Is it worth the trip?
37Poor out of 100 for your dates
Best on Tue 3: 4 ft swell at 6 s, sheltered (estimated): holds up in a blow
Tue 3 · 49 out of 100
- Swell
- 4 ft6 smushy
- Energy
- 93kJ
- Wind
- NNE 8 kn
- Temp
- 25°C
Wed 4 · 42 out of 100
- Swell
- 5 ft6 smushy
- Energy
- 147kJ
- Wind
- NNW 11 kn
- Temp
- 25°C
Thu 5 · 38 out of 100
- Swell
- 4 ft8 shollow
- Energy
- 161kJ
- Wind
- N 9 kn
- Temp
- 25°C
Fri 6 · 0 out of 100
- Swell
- 8 ft7 smushy
- Energy
- 594kJ
- Wind
- N 9 kn
- Temp
- 26°C
Sat 7 · 0 out of 100
- Swell
- 6 ft7 smushy
- Energy
- 329kJ
- Wind
- ENE 13 kn
- Temp
- 25°C
Sun 8 · 44 out of 100
- Swell
- 5 ft7 smushy
- Energy
- 172kJ
- Wind
- NE 11 kn
- Temp
- 25°C
Mon 9 · 40 out of 100
- Swell
- 4 ft7 shollow
- Energy
- 141kJ
- Wind
- NE 13 kn
- Temp
- 25°C
Tap a day for waves, wind and the temperature. Full forecast
Forecast: next 9 days
Full forecast- Mon 234, too small
- Tue 349, fair
- Wed 442, poor
- Thu 538, poor
- Fri 60, too big
- Sat 70, too big
- Sun 844, poor
- Mon 940, poor
- Tue 1030, poor
The spot in six facts
- Faces SEtakes swell from the SE
- Offshore: NWwind from the land
- Intermediate +who it suits
- Works 2–9 ftof swell
- Water 26 °Cno wetsuit
- Best Apr, Sep–Oct1 good days in 7
Full forecast
every day, every number
| Day | Score for intermediates | Swell | Energy | Wind | Temp |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mon 2Nov | 34, too small | 3 ft10 shollow4 ft at break (est.) | 150kJ | wind from the north-east, 12 knots | 26°C |
| Tue 3Nov | 49, fair | 4 ft6 smushyunder 1 ft at break (est.) | 93kJ | wind from the north-north-east, 8 knots | 25°C |
| Wed 4Nov | 42, poor | 5 ft6 smushy5 ft at break (est.) | 147kJ | offshorewind from the north-north-west, 11 knots, offshore | 25°C |
| Thu 5Nov | 38, poor | 4 ft8 shollow5 ft at break (est.) | 161kJ | offshorewind from the north, 9 knots, offshore | 25°C |
| Fri 6Nov | 0, too big | 8 ft7 smushy7 ft at break (est.) | 594kJ | wind from the north, 9 knots | 26°C |
| Sat 7Nov | 0, too big | 6 ft7 smushy6 ft at break (est.) | 329kJ | wind from the east-north-east, 13 knots | 25°C |
| Sun 8Nov | 44, poor | 5 ft7 smushy5 ft at break (est.) | 172kJ | wind from the north-east, 11 knots | 25°C |
| Mon 9Nov | 40, poor | 4 ft7 shollow5 ft at break (est.) | 141kJ | wind from the north-east, 13 knots | 25°C |
| Tue 10Nov | 30, poor | 6 ft6 smushy6 ft at break (est.) | 232kJ | wind from the east-north-east, 13 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 02:42 −0.2 mHigh 10:02 +0.4 mLow 17:17 −0.3 mHigh 23:20 +0.1 m
- Tue 3 NovLow 04:33 −0.1 mHigh 11:08 +0.3 mLow 17:56 −0.3 m
- Wed 4 NovHigh 00:17 +0.2 mLow 05:58 −0.2 mHigh 12:02 +0.3 mLow 18:30 −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.
Best time to go
best Apr, Sep–Oct
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
- Mar0of 7: a trip from Sat 6 Mar
- Apr1of 7: a trip from Sat 3 Apr
- May0of 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 and its town
Pohoiki 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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More surf near here
5 places
- Richardsons 35.9 km away
- 4 Miles 36.5 km away
- Chocks 37.5 km away
- Bayfront 38.6 km away
- Hilo Breakwall 40 km away
About
the place in full, sources, credits
About Pohoiki
Facing, offshore wind, exposure, level and swell range are estimated.
The spot faces SE (144°), so it takes swell from the SE. The wind blows offshore from the NW (324°). It is sheltered to the open swell. It suits intermediate surfers and up. It works in 2–9 ft of swell. The sea floor shelves steeply: 10 m deep about 150 m out (1 in 15). 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). For intermediate surfers the best months are usually April, September and October, with about 1 good days in 7. From the weather of past years. The town to stay in is Hilo.
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$1,410–US$2,610 each
about US$1,410–US$2,610 each · 6 nights, 2 sharing: flights, hire car, 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 |
| Hire car | 6 days, shared | about US$154–US$255 |
| 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$1,410–US$2,610 |
For 2 people sharing a room. Lessons, lift-pass deals and insurance are extra. Prices from public sources, checked in 2026.
Where to stay: Hilo
about 1h 10m by car · 13 places to stay
about US$114/nightcountry average
About Hilo its beds, food and every spot near it
Nearest beds: Hilo, 37 km (about 1h 10m 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 14h
About 14h door to door from Chicago
Fly ORD → KOA, direct, then 2h 35m by road
Flights ORD → KOA on your dates · Skyscanner
An estimate, one way; the journey never changes the score.