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Kua Bay beach Big island Hawaii
Kua Bay. Photo: dronepicr, CC BY 2.0, Wikimedia Commons

Kua Bay

Surf spot · United States

Is it worth the trip?

40Poor out of 100 for your dates

Stay home

Best on Thu 5: too small (2 ft swell at 13 s), 3 hours of offshore wind, sheltered (estimated): holds up in a blow

Each day of your trip, out of 100

Tue 3 · 31 out of 100

Swell
2 ft11 shollow
Energy
55kJ
Wind
NE 2 kn
Temp
25°C

Wed 4 · 13 out of 100

Swell
1 ft15 shollow
Energy
63kJ
Wind
WSW 4 kn
Temp
25°C

Thu 5 · 51 out of 100

Swell
2 ft13 shollow
Energy
119kJ
Wind
E 2 kn
Temp
26°C

Fri 6 · 36 out of 100

Swell
2 ft12 shollow
Energy
90kJ
Wind
WSW 3 kn
Temp
26°C

Sat 7 · 34 out of 100

Swell
3 ft7 smushy
Energy
60kJ
Wind
SW 1 kn
Temp
28°C

Sun 8 · 49 out of 100

Swell
2 ft9 shollow
Energy
75kJ
Wind
ENE 6 kn
Temp
27°C

Mon 9 · 39 out of 100

Swell
2 ft9 shollow
Energy
62kJ
Wind
SSW 3 kn
Temp
26°C

Tap a day for waves, wind and the temperature. Full forecast

Forecast: next 9 days

Full forecast
  1. Tue 331, too small
  2. Wed 413, too small
  3. Thu 551, fair
  4. Fri 636, too small
  5. Sat 734, poor
  6. Sun 849, fair
  7. Mon 939, too small
  8. Tue 1028, too small
  9. Wed 1140, too small

The spot in five facts

  • Faces NWtakes swell from the NW
  • Offshore: SEwind from the land
  • Beginner +who it suits
  • Works 2–10 ftof swell
  • Water 27 °Cno wetsuit

Full forecast

every day, every number
Forecast and score for beginner surfers at Kua Bay, each day
DayScore for beginnersSwellEnergyWindTemp
Tue 3Nov31, too small2 ft11 shollow3 ft at break (est.)55kJwind from the north-east, 2 knots25°C
Wed 4Nov13, too small1 ft15 shollowunder 1 ft at break (est.)63kJwind from the west-south-west, 4 knots25°C
Thu 5Nov51, fair2 ft13 shollow4 ft at break (est.)119kJwind from the east, 2 knots26°C
Fri 6Nov36, too small2 ft12 shollow3 ft at break (est.)90kJwind from the west-south-west, 3 knots26°C
Sat 7Nov34, poor3 ft7 smushy2 ft at break (est.)60kJwind from the south-west, 1 knot28°C
Sun 8Nov49, fair2 ft9 shollowunder 1 ft at break (est.)75kJwind from the east-north-east, 6 knots27°C
Mon 9Nov39, too small2 ft9 shollowunder 1 ft at break (est.)62kJwind from the south-south-west, 3 knots26°C
Tue 10Nov28, too small1 ft14 shollowunder 1 ft at break (est.)63kJwind from the north-east, 1 knot25°C
Wed 11Nov40, too small2 ft11 shollowunder 1 ft at break (est.)78kJwind from the south-west, 4 knots25°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

  • Tue 3 NovLow 04:56 −0.1 mHigh 11:29 +0.3 mLow 18:19 −0.3 m
  • Wed 4 NovHigh 00:50 +0.2 mLow 06:28 −0.1 mHigh 12:26 +0.2 mLow 18:51 −0.3 m
  • Thu 5 NovHigh 01:33 +0.3 mLow 07:37 −0.1 mHigh 13:15 +0.2 mLow 19:21 −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.

Map

the spot, its town, photos

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 Kua Bay

Kua Bay Manini'owali white sand beach Big island Hawaii
Photo: dronepicr, CC BY 2.0, Wikimedia Commons

More surf near here

5 places

About

the place in full, sources, credits

About Kua Bay

Facing, offshore wind, exposure, level and swell range are estimated.

The spot faces NW (310°), so it takes swell from the NW. The wind blows offshore from the SE (130°). It is sheltered to the open swell. It suits beginners and up. It works in 2–10 ft of swell. The sea floor shelves moderately: 10 m deep about 200 m out (1 in 21). On a typical 5 ft, 11 s swell the waves here would break hollow. The sea is about 25°C in January, its coldest month (no wetsuit), and 27°C in July, its warmest (no wetsuit). The town to stay in is Kailua-Kona. Within 5 km we also list 1 surf spot and 1 climbing area.

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$1,280–US$2,400 each

about US$1,280–US$2,400 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 2 November 2026.

How we worked it out 
Rough cost per person for this trip
WhatHow we worked it outEach
Flightsreturn ORD to KOA, estimated from distance and season, 1 airline on the route, with a hold bagabout US$470–US$980
Taxiairport and back, sharedabout US$20–US$34
Stay6 nights, a mid-range double, sharedabout US$302–US$503
Food7 days eating outabout US$342–US$637
Board and wetsuit5 days, or about US$114 to fly your ownabout US$148–US$242
Totalabout US$1,280–US$2,400

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

Closest

Kailua-Kona

26 min by car · 45 places to stay

about US$114/nightcountry average

See 45 places to stay in Kailua-Kona · Booking.com

About Kailua-Kona its beds, food and every spot near it

Nearest beds: Kailua-Kona, 19 km (26 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 2 November 2026.

Getting there: about 11h 55m

About 11h 55m door to door from Chicago

Fly ORD → KOA, direct, then 30 min by road

An estimate, one way; the journey never changes the score.

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