Pounders
Surf spot · United States
Is it worth the trip?
17Poor out of 100 for your dates
Best on Thu 5: 6 ft swell at 11 s, onshore wind, 13 kn (24 km/h), sheltered (estimated): holds up in a blow
Tue 3 · 17 out of 100
- Swell
- 5 ft7 smushy
- Energy
- 240kJ
- Wind
- ENE 13 kn
- Temp
- 24°C
Wed 4 · 13 out of 100
- Swell
- 6 ft7 smushy
- Energy
- 285kJ
- Wind
- E 14 kn
- Temp
- 25°C
Thu 5 · 20 out of 100
- Swell
- 6 ft11 smushy
- Energy
- 732kJ
- Wind
- E 13 kn
- Temp
- 25°C
Fri 6 · 16 out of 100
- Swell
- 6 ft7 smushy
- Energy
- 300kJ
- Wind
- ENE 13 kn
- Temp
- 25°C
Sat 7 · 19 out of 100
- Swell
- 5 ft7 smushy
- Energy
- 216kJ
- Wind
- ENE 10 kn
- Temp
- 24°C
Sun 8 · 14 out of 100
- Swell
- 6 ft10 smushy
- Energy
- 593kJ
- Wind
- ENE 13 kn
- Temp
- 24°C
Mon 9 · 9 out of 100
- Swell
- 5 ft9 smushy
- Energy
- 418kJ
- Wind
- ENE 15 kn
- Temp
- 25°C
Tap a day for waves, wind and the temperature. Full forecast
Forecast: next 9 days
Full forecast- Mon 214, poor
- Tue 317, too small
- Wed 413, poor
- Thu 520, poor
- Fri 616, too small
- Sat 719, too small
- Sun 814, too small
- Mon 99, too small
- Tue 1011, too small
The spot in six facts
- Faces Etakes swell from the E
- Offshore: Wwind from the land
- Intermediate +who it suits
- Works 3–13 ftof swell
- Water 26 °Cno wetsuit
- Best Mar–Apr, Oct1 good days in 7
Full forecast
every day, every number
| Day | Score for experts | Swell | Energy | Wind | Temp |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mon 2Nov | 14, poor | 7 ft8 smushy5 ft at break (est.) | 516kJ | wind from the east-north-east, 17 knots | 24°C |
| Tue 3Nov | 17, too small | 5 ft7 smushy6 ft at break (est.) | 240kJ | wind from the east-north-east, 13 knots | 24°C |
| Wed 4Nov | 13, poor | 6 ft7 smushy6 ft at break (est.) | 285kJ | wind from the east, 14 knots | 25°C |
| Thu 5Nov | 20, poor | 6 ft11 smushy7 ft at break (est.) | 732kJ | wind from the east, 13 knots | 25°C |
| Fri 6Nov | 16, too small | 6 ft7 smushy7 ft at break (est.) | 300kJ | wind from the east-north-east, 13 knots | 25°C |
| Sat 7Nov | 19, too small | 5 ft7 smushy6 ft at break (est.) | 216kJ | wind from the east-north-east, 10 knots | 24°C |
| Sun 8Nov | 14, too small | 6 ft10 smushyunder 1 ft at break (est.) | 593kJ | wind from the east-north-east, 13 knots | 24°C |
| Mon 9Nov | 9, too small | 5 ft9 smushyunder 1 ft at break (est.) | 418kJ | wind from the east-north-east, 15 knots | 25°C |
| Tue 10Nov | 11, too small | 5 ft9 smushy5 ft at break (est.) | 313kJ | wind from the east, 15 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 01:03 −0.1 mHigh 09:26 +0.3 mLow 17:12 −0.2 mHigh 22:51 +0.0 m
- Tue 3 NovLow 03:26 −0.1 mHigh 10:21 +0.3 mLow 17:30 −0.2 mHigh 23:48 +0.1 m
- Wed 4 NovLow 05:04 −0.1 mHigh 11:05 +0.2 mLow 17:52 −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 Mar–Apr, 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
- Mar1of 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
- Sep0of 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
Pounders 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 Pounders
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More surf near here
5 places
- Goat Island 3.5 km away
- Malaekahana7 4.7 km away
- Seventh Hole 6.1 km away
- Graters 11 km away
- Turtle Bay 11.4 km away
About
the place in full, sources, credits
About Pounders
Facing, offshore wind, exposure, level and swell range are estimated.
The spot faces E (81°), so it takes swell from the E. The wind blows offshore from the W (261°). It is sheltered to the open swell. It suits intermediate surfers and up. It works in 3–13 ft of swell. The sea floor shelves very gently: 10 m deep about 1.3 km out (1 in 133). On a typical 5 ft, 11 s swell the waves here would spill softly. The sea is about 24°C in February, its coldest month (no wetsuit), and 27°C in August, its warmest (no wetsuit). For intermediate surfers the best months are usually March, April and October, with about 1 good days in 7. From the weather of past years. The town to stay in is Laie, 1.6 km away (about 5 min by car). Within 5 km we also list 2 surf spots.
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$1,350–US$2,500 each
about US$1,350–US$2,500 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$134 |
| 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$2,500 |
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
3 min by car · 9 places to stay
about US$114/nightcountry average
About Laie its beds, food and every spot near it
- Beds in Kahuku on Booking.com
15 min by car
- Beds in Waiale E on Booking.com
21 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 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.