Waipio Valley
Surf spot · United States
Is it worth the trip?
59Fair out of 100 for your dates
Best on Tue 3: 4 ft swell at 9 s
Tue 3 · 76 out of 100
- Swell
- 4 ft9 scrumbling
- Energy
- 264kJ
- Wind
- ESE 7 kn
- Temp
- 24°C
Wed 4 · 39 out of 100
- Swell
- 4 ft7 smushy
- Energy
- 129kJ
- Wind
- E 12 kn
- Temp
- 25°C
Thu 5 · 35 out of 100
- Swell
- 5 ft10 scrumbling
- Energy
- 407kJ
- Wind
- E 12 kn
- Temp
- 24°C
Fri 6 · 0 out of 100
- Swell
- 7 ft7 smushy
- Energy
- 403kJ
- Wind
- ESE 7 kn
- Temp
- 24°C
Sat 7 · 64 out of 100
- Swell
- 4 ft11 shollow
- Energy
- 305kJ
- Wind
- ESE 7 kn
- Temp
- 23°C
Sun 8 · 64 out of 100
- Swell
- 5 ft11 scrumbling
- Energy
- 448kJ
- Wind
- E 8 kn
- Temp
- 23°C
Mon 9 · 68 out of 100
- Swell
- 4 ft9 scrumbling
- Energy
- 261kJ
- Wind
- E 9 kn
- Temp
- 22°C
Tap a day for waves, wind and the temperature. Full forecast
Forecast: next 9 days
Full forecast- Mon 255, fair
- Tue 376, good
- Wed 439, poor
- Thu 535, poor
- Fri 60, too big
- Sat 764, good
- Sun 864, good
- Mon 968, good
- Tue 1063, good
The spot in five facts
- Faces Ntakes swell from the N
- Offshore: Swind from the land
- Intermediate +who it suits
- Works 2–9 ftof swell
- Water 27 °Cno wetsuit
Full forecast
every day, every number
The score doesn't know rips, currents, rocks or your skill.
Waipio Valley does not suit beginners. This is the forecast for intermediates, so you can see what it does.
| Day | Scorefor Intermediate | Swell | Energy | Wind | Temp |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mon 2Nov | 55, fair | 4 ft8 scrumbling5 ft at break (est.) | 199kJ | wind from the south-south-east, 6 knots | 24°C |
| Tue 3Nov | 76, good | 4 ft9 scrumbling6 ft at break (est.) | 264kJ | wind from the east-south-east, 7 knots | 24°C |
| Wed 4Nov | 39, poor | 4 ft7 smushy5 ft at break (est.) | 129kJ | wind from the east, 12 knots | 25°C |
| Thu 5Nov | 35, poor | 5 ft10 scrumbling6 ft at break (est.) | 407kJ | wind from the east, 12 knots | 24°C |
| Fri 6Nov | 0, too big | 7 ft7 smushy5 ft at break (est.) | 403kJ | wind from the east-south-east, 7 knots | 24°C |
| Sat 7Nov | 64, good | 4 ft11 shollow5 ft at break (est.) | 305kJ | wind from the east-south-east, 7 knots | 23°C |
| Sun 8Nov | 64, good | 5 ft11 scrumbling6 ft at break (est.) | 448kJ | wind from the east, 8 knots | 23°C |
| Mon 9Nov | 68, good | 4 ft9 scrumbling6 ft at break (est.) | 261kJ | wind from the east, 9 knots | 22°C |
| Tue 10Nov | 63, good | 4 ft9 scrumbling5 ft at break (est.) | 220kJ | wind from the east-south-east, 9 knots | 24°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 −0.2 mHigh 09:52 +0.3 mLow 17:15 −0.2 mHigh 23:05 +0.0 m
- Tue 3 NovLow 04:02 −0.1 mHigh 10:51 +0.3 mLow 17:44 −0.3 m
- Wed 4 NovHigh 00:02 +0.2 mLow 05:29 −0.1 mHigh 11:39 +0.3 mLow 18:12 −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).
- Jan2of 7: a trip from Sat 2 Jan
- Feb2of 7: a trip from Sat 6 Feb
- Mar2of 7: a trip from Sat 6 Mar
- Apr2of 7: a trip from Sat 3 Apr
- May2of 7: a trip from Sat 1 May
- Jun1of 7: a trip from Sat 5 Jun
- Jul0of 7: a trip from Sat 3 Jul
- Aug1of 7: a trip from Sat 7 Aug
- Sep1of 7: a trip from Sat 4 Sept
- Oct2of 7: a trip from Sat 2 Oct
- Nov2of 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
Waipio Valley 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.
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Photos of Waipio Valley
More surf near here
5 places
- Pololu Valley 18.1 km away
- Keokea beach park 20.2 km away
- Kapaniah 20.9 km away
- Swimming Pools 23.1 km away
- Kohala lighthouse 23.5 km away
About
the place in full, sources, credits
About Waipio Valley
Facing, offshore wind, exposure, level and swell range are estimated.
The spot faces N (14°), so it takes swell from the N. The wind blows offshore from the S (194°). 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 250 m out (1 in 23). 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). The town to stay in is Kapaau.
Water about 27°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: 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 45 min by car
about US$114/nightcountry average
About Halaula its beds, food and every spot near it
- Beds in Kapaau on Booking.com
about 45 min by car · 4 places to stay
- Beds in Kawaihae on Booking.com
about 50 min by car
Nearest beds: Kapaau, 26 km (about 45 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 55m
About 12h 55m door to door from Chicago
Fly ORD → KOA, direct, then 1h 25m by road
Flights ORD → KOA on your dates · AviasalesAd
An estimate, one way; the journey never changes the score.