Ripps Reef
Surf spot · United States
Is it worth the trip?
27Poor out of 100 for your dates
Best on Sat 7: 3 ft swell at 9 s, onshore wind, 11 kn (21 km/h)
Tue 3 · 30 out of 100
- Swell
- 4 ft10 s
- Energy
- 229kJ
- Wind
- ENE 13 kn
- Temp
- 26°C
Wed 4 · 14 out of 100
- Swell
- 5 ft7 s
- Energy
- 175kJ
- Wind
- ENE 17 kn
- Temp
- 25°C
Thu 5 · 21 out of 100
- Swell
- 4 ft11 s
- Energy
- 451kJ
- Wind
- ENE 14 kn
- Temp
- 25°C
Fri 6 · 26 out of 100
- Swell
- 4 ft11 s
- Energy
- 297kJ
- Wind
- ENE 14 kn
- Temp
- 25°C
Sat 7 · 33 out of 100
- Swell
- 3 ft9 s
- Energy
- 174kJ
- Wind
- ENE 11 kn
- Temp
- 25°C
Sun 8 · 26 out of 100
- Swell
- 4 ft10 s
- Energy
- 374kJ
- Wind
- ENE 13 kn
- Temp
- 25°C
Mon 9 · 24 out of 100
- Swell
- 4 ft9 s
- Energy
- 221kJ
- 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 216, poor
- Tue 330, poor
- Wed 414, poor
- Thu 521, poor
- Fri 626, poor
- Sat 733, poor
- Sun 826, poor
- Mon 924, poor
- Tue 1023, poor
The spot in five facts
- Faces Ntakes swell from the N
- Offshore: Swind from the land
- Intermediate +who it suits
- Works 3–11 ftof swell
- Water 26 °Cno wetsuit
Full forecast
every day, every number
| Day | Score for intermediates | Swell | Energy | Wind | Temp |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mon 2Nov | 16, poor | 4 ft11 s6 ft at break (est.) | 376kJ | wind from the east-north-east, 17 knots | 25°C |
| Tue 3Nov | 30, poor | 4 ft10 s5 ft at break (est.) | 229kJ | wind from the east-north-east, 13 knots | 26°C |
| Wed 4Nov | 14, poor | 5 ft7 s5 ft at break (est.) | 175kJ | wind from the east-north-east, 17 knots | 25°C |
| Thu 5Nov | 21, poor | 4 ft11 s6 ft at break (est.) | 451kJ | wind from the east-north-east, 14 knots | 25°C |
| Fri 6Nov | 26, poor | 4 ft11 s5 ft at break (est.) | 297kJ | wind from the east-north-east, 14 knots | 25°C |
| Sat 7Nov | 33, poor | 3 ft9 s5 ft at break (est.) | 174kJ | wind from the east-north-east, 11 knots | 25°C |
| Sun 8Nov | 26, poor | 4 ft10 s6 ft at break (est.) | 374kJ | wind from the east-north-east, 13 knots | 25°C |
| Mon 9Nov | 24, poor | 4 ft9 s5 ft at break (est.) | 221kJ | wind from the east-north-east, 15 knots | 25°C |
| Tue 10Nov | 23, poor | 3 ft10 s5 ft at break (est.) | 208kJ | wind from the east-north-east, 14 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 01:15 −0.1 mHigh 09:28 +0.3 mLow 17:10 −0.2 mHigh 22:52 +0.0 m
- Tue 3 NovLow 03:31 −0.1 mHigh 10:23 +0.3 mLow 17:31 −0.2 mHigh 23:50 +0.1 m
- Wed 4 NovLow 05:08 −0.1 mHigh 11:08 +0.2 mLow 17:54 −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
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
- Sep0of 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 and its town
Ripps Reef 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
- Zombies 2.4 km away
- Pyramid Rock 3 km away
- North Beach Pyramid Rock 4.4 km away
- Fort Hase's 6.8 km away
- Dune Circle 7.3 km away
About
the place in full, sources, credits
About Ripps Reef
Facing, offshore wind, exposure, level and swell range are estimated.
The spot faces N (18°), so it takes swell from the N. The wind blows offshore from the S (198°). It is exposed to the open swell. It suits intermediate surfers and up. It works in 3–11 ft of swell. The sea is about 24°C in February, its coldest month (no wetsuit), and 27°C in August, its warmest (no wetsuit). The town to stay in is Kaneohe, 5.2 km away (about 10 min by car). Within 5 km we also list 3 surf spots, 1 wind sports spot and 1 dive site.
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$1,310–US$2,450 each
about US$1,310–US$2,450 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$47–US$80 |
| 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$1,310–US$2,450 |
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
9 min by car · 7 places to stay
about US$114/nightcountry average
About Kaneohe its beds, food and every spot near it
- Beds in Kailua on Booking.com
14 min by car · 15 places to stay
- Beds in Waimanalo on Booking.com
24 min by car · 3 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 15m
About 12h 15m door to door from Chicago
Fly ORD → HNL, direct, then 40 min by road
Flights ORD → HNL on your dates · Skyscanner
An estimate, one way; the journey never changes the score.