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Waimea Bay
Surf spot · United States
Is it worth the trip?
49Fair out of 100 for your dates
Best on Thu 5: 7 ft swell at 14 s, sheltered (estimated): holds up in a blow
Tue 3 · 38 out of 100
- Swell
- 6 ft10 scrumbling
- Energy
- 567kJ
- Wind
- ENE 11 kn
- Temp
- 25°C
Wed 4 · 20 out of 100
- Swell
- 4 ft9 scrumbling
- Energy
- 210kJ
- Wind
- E 11 kn
- Temp
- 25°C
Thu 5 · 69 out of 100
- Swell
- 7 ft14 scrumbling
- Energy
- 1,430kJ
- Wind
- ENE 10 kn
- Temp
- 25°C
Fri 6 · 48 out of 100
- Swell
- 6 ft11 scrumbling
- Energy
- 751kJ
- Wind
- ENE 10 kn
- Temp
- 25°C
Sat 7 · 33 out of 100
- Swell
- 5 ft10 scrumbling
- Energy
- 471kJ
- Wind
- ENE 10 kn
- Temp
- 25°C
Sun 8 · 54 out of 100
- Swell
- 7 ft10 scrumbling
- Energy
- 962kJ
- Wind
- ENE 10 kn
- Temp
- 25°C
Mon 9 · 47 out of 100
- Swell
- 7 ft9 scrumbling
- Energy
- 668kJ
- Wind
- ENE 11 kn
- Temp
- 24°C
Tap a day for waves, wind and the temperature. Full forecast
Forecast: next 9 days
Full forecast- Mon 258, fair
- Tue 338, too small
- Wed 420, too small
- Thu 569, good
- Fri 648, fair
- Sat 733, too small
- Sun 854, fair
- Mon 947, fair
- Tue 1044, too small
The spot in six facts
- Faces NWtakes swell from the NW
- Offshore: SEwind from the land
- Expertwho it suits
- Works 3–11 ftof swell
- Water 26 °Cno wetsuit
- Best in Jan3 good days in 7
Full forecast
every day, every number
The score doesn't know rips, currents, rocks or your skill.
Waimea Bay does not suit beginners. This is the forecast for experts, so you can see what it does.
| Day | Scorefor Expert | Swell | Energy | Wind | Temp |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mon 2Nov | 58, fair | 8 ft11 scrumbling10 ft at break (est.) | 1,387kJ | wind from the east-north-east, 13 knots | 24°C |
| Tue 3Nov | 38, too small | 6 ft10 scrumbling7 ft at break (est.) | 567kJ | wind from the east-north-east, 11 knots | 25°C |
| Wed 4Nov | 20, too small | 4 ft9 scrumbling5 ft at break (est.) | 210kJ | wind from the east, 11 knots | 25°C |
| Thu 5Nov | 69, good | 7 ft14 scrumbling10 ft at break (est.) | 1,430kJ | wind from the east-north-east, 10 knots | 25°C |
| Fri 6Nov | 48, fair | 6 ft11 scrumbling8 ft at break (est.) | 751kJ | wind from the east-north-east, 10 knots | 25°C |
| Sat 7Nov | 33, too small | 5 ft10 scrumbling7 ft at break (est.) | 471kJ | wind from the east-north-east, 10 knots | 25°C |
| Sun 8Nov | 54, fair | 7 ft10 scrumbling9 ft at break (est.) | 962kJ | wind from the east-north-east, 10 knots | 25°C |
| Mon 9Nov | 47, fair | 7 ft9 scrumbling8 ft at break (est.) | 668kJ | wind from the east-north-east, 11 knots | 24°C |
| Tue 10Nov | 44, too small | 5 ft10 scrumbling7 ft at break (est.) | 510kJ | wind from the east, 10 knots | 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
- Mon 2 NovHigh 00:00 −0.1 mLow 00:36 −0.1 mHigh 09:43 +0.3 mLow 17:36 −0.2 mHigh 23:59 +0.0 m
- Tue 3 NovLow 03:49 −0.1 mHigh 10:35 +0.2 mLow 17:50 −0.2 m
- Wed 4 NovHigh 00:29 +0.1 mLow 05:28 −0.0 mHigh 11:17 +0.2 mLow 18:09 −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 in Jan
Good days in a typical week, each month, for expert surfers, from 2016 on (history scored the same way).
- Jan3of 7: a trip from Sat 2 Jan
- Feb2of 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
- Nov2of 7: a trip from Tue 3 Nov
- Dec2of 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
Waimea Bay on Google Maps · Directions
Each place wears its best day on these dates, a surf spot for beginners: green good, amber fair, pale red poor, as the key says.
The map needs JavaScript. Every place on it is listed on this page, and each place's page links to Google Maps.
One finger scrolls the page; two fingers move the map. Pins are our own positions. Map OpenFreeMap, © OpenMapTiles, data © OpenStreetMap contributors.
Photos of Waimea Bay
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More surf near here
5 places
- Uppers 0.9 km away
- Log Cabins 1.3 km away
- Aligator Rock 1.4 km away
- Pupukea 1.6 km away
- Leftovers 1.7 km away
About
the place in full, sources, credits
About Waimea Bay
Facing, offshore wind, exposure and swell range are estimated.
The spot faces NW (308°), so it takes swell from the NW. The wind blows offshore from the SE (128°). It is sheltered to the open swell. It suits expert surfers. It works in 3–11 ft of swell. The sea floor shelves moderately: 10 m deep about 250 m out (1 in 25). On a typical 5 ft, 11 s swell the waves here would crumble. The sea is about 24°C in March, its coldest month (no wetsuit), and 27°C in August, its warmest (no wetsuit). For expert surfers the best month is usually January, with about 3 good days in 7. From the weather of past years. The town to stay in is Waiale E, 6.8 km away (about 15 min by car). Within 5 km we also list 18 surf spots, 2 wind sports spots 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$1,360–US$2,520 each
about US$1,360–US$2,520 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$94–US$154 |
| 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$1,360–US$2,520 |
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
Ad Links marked Ad may pay us if you book. You pay the same, and they never change a score. How we earn
about 15 min by car
about US$114/nightcountry average
About Waiale E its beds, food and every spot near it
- Beds in Kahuku on Booking.com
about 20 min by car
- Beds in Waialua on Booking.com
about 20 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 35m
About 12h 35m door to door from Chicago
Fly ORD → HNL, direct, then 1h by road
Flights ORD → HNL on your dates · AviasalesAd
An estimate, one way; the journey never changes the score.