Is it worth the trip?
16Poor out of 100 for your dates
Best on Thu 5: too small (2 ft swell at 11 s), sheltered (estimated): holds up in a blow
Mon 2 · 8 out of 100
- Swell
- 1 ft17 shollow
- Energy
- 60kJ
- Wind
- ESE 9 kn
- Temp
- 28°C
Tue 3 · 16 out of 100
- Swell
- 2 ft15 shollow
- Energy
- 93kJ
- Wind
- SE 7 kn
- Temp
- 28°C
Wed 4 · 17 out of 100
- Swell
- 2 ft10 shollow
- Energy
- 88kJ
- Wind
- SE 9 kn
- Temp
- 26°C
Thu 5 · 19 out of 100
- Swell
- 2 ft11 shollow
- Energy
- 106kJ
- Wind
- SE 7 kn
- Temp
- 26°C
Fri 6 · 18 out of 100
- Swell
- 2 ft10 shollow
- Energy
- 87kJ
- Wind
- SE 7 kn
- Temp
- 27°C
Sat 7 · 16 out of 100
- Swell
- 2 ft10 shollow
- Energy
- 65kJ
- Wind
- SE 7 kn
- Temp
- 26°C
Sun 8 · 12 out of 100
- Swell
- 1 ft13 shollow
- Energy
- 66kJ
- Wind
- ESE 9 kn
- Temp
- 28°C
Tap a day for waves, wind and the temperature. Full forecast
Forecast: next 10 days
Full forecast- Sun 110, too small
- Mon 28, too small
- Tue 316, too small
- Wed 417, too small
- Thu 519, too small
- Fri 618, too small
- Sat 716, too small
- Sun 812, too small
- Mon 913, too small
- Tue 1015, too small
The spot in five facts
- Faces Ntakes swell from the N
- Offshore: Swind from the land
- Intermediate +who it suits
- Works 5–19 ftof swell
- Water 29 °Cno wetsuit
Full forecast
every day, every number
Waterfalls does not suit beginners. This is the forecast for intermediates, so you can see what it does.
| Day | Scorefor Intermediate | Swell | Energy | Wind | Temp |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sun 1Nov | 10, too small | 2 ft8 shollow3 ft at break (est.) | 37kJ | wind from the east-south-east, 8 knots | 27°C |
| Mon 2Nov | 8, too small | 1 ft17 shollow2 ft at break (est.) | 60kJ | wind from the east-south-east, 9 knots | 28°C |
| Tue 3Nov | 16, too small | 2 ft15 shollow3 ft at break (est.) | 93kJ | wind from the south-east, 7 knots | 28°C |
| Wed 4Nov | 17, too small | 2 ft10 shollow3 ft at break (est.) | 88kJ | wind from the south-east, 9 knots | 26°C |
| Thu 5Nov | 19, too small | 2 ft11 shollow4 ft at break (est.) | 106kJ | wind from the south-east, 7 knots | 26°C |
| Fri 6Nov | 18, too small | 2 ft10 shollow4 ft at break (est.) | 87kJ | wind from the south-east, 7 knots | 27°C |
| Sat 7Nov | 16, too small | 2 ft10 shollow3 ft at break (est.) | 65kJ | wind from the south-east, 7 knots | 26°C |
| Sun 8Nov | 12, too small | 1 ft13 shollow3 ft at break (est.) | 66kJ | wind from the east-south-east, 9 knots | 28°C |
| Mon 9Nov | 13, too small | 2 ft12 shollow3 ft at break (est.) | 55kJ | wind from the south-east, 9 knots | 29°C |
| Tue 10Nov | 15, too small | 2 ft8 shollow3 ft at break (est.) | 47kJ | wind from the south-east, 8 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
- Sun 1 NovLow 06:27 −0.4 mHigh 12:46 +0.4 mLow 18:45 −0.4 m
- Mon 2 NovHigh 01:09 +0.5 mLow 07:33 −0.5 mHigh 13:51 +0.4 mLow 19:54 −0.4 m
- Tue 3 NovHigh 02:12 +0.5 mLow 08:32 −0.5 mHigh 14:48 +0.5 mLow 20:54 −0.4 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.
Map
the spot and its town
Waterfalls 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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About
the place in full, sources, credits
About Waterfalls
Facing, offshore wind, exposure, level and swell range are estimated.
The spot faces N (17°), so it takes swell from the N. The wind blows offshore from the S (197°). It is sheltered to the open swell. It suits intermediate surfers and up, because of a steep sea floor. It works in 5–19 ft of swell. The sea floor shelves very steeply: 10 m deep about 50 m out (1 in 2). On a typical 5 ft, 11 s swell the waves here would break hard and thick, like a slab. The sea is about 28°C in August, its coldest month (no wetsuit), and 30°C in March, its warmest (no wetsuit). The town to stay in is Luatuanu U.
Water about 29°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$1,290–US$2,470 each
about US$1,290–US$2,470 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 APW, estimated from distance and season, changing at HNL, full-service airlines, with a hold bag | about US$683–US$1,410 |
| Hire car | 6 days, shared | about US$100–US$174 |
| Stay | 6 nights, a mid-range double, shared | about US$201–US$328 |
| Food | 7 days eating out | about US$221–US$415 |
| Board and wetsuit | 5 days, or about US$114 to fly your own | about US$87–US$141 |
| Total | about US$1,290–US$2,470 |
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
About Luatuanu U its beds, food and every spot near it
- Beds in Salani on Booking.com
35 min by car · 2 places to stay
- Beds in Si Umu on Booking.com
36 min by car · 3 places to stay
Nearest town: Luatuanu U, 1 km (about 5 min by car)
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 22h 45m
About 22h 45m door to door from Chicago
Fly ORD → APW, changing at Daniel K. Inouye International Airport (HNL), then 1h by road
Flights ORD → APW on your dates · Skyscanner
An estimate, one way; the journey never changes the score.