A High Surf Warning is posted for east facing shores of the Big Island through 6 a.m. Wednesday with wave heights rising to 12 to 18 foot faces in some spots Tuesday. Expect ocean water occasionally sweeping across portions of beaches, very strong breaking waves and strong longshore and rip currents. Breaking waves may occasionally impact harbors making navigating the harbor channel difficult. Large breaking surf, significant shore break and dangerous currents will make entering the water very hazardous. Boaters should be aware of an increased number of surfers in the water.
A Small Craft Advisory is posted for Big Island windward and southeastern waters as well as Alenuihaha channel through 6 a.m. Wednesday for rough seas up to 12 feet. Inexperienced mariners should avoid navigating in these conditions.
**Click directly on the images below to make them larger. Charts include: Big Island projected winds, tides, swell direction & period and expected wave heights.**
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Big Island Surf Forecast
Hilo side: Wave heights are expected overhead to well overhead today. The best breaks could get up to double overhead on the sets.
Kona side: Wave heights knee/thigh high are expected for the best breaks open to the west-northwest swell. Could get a bit bigger on the sets. Waist high waves for spots that are catching the southerly swell.
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South: Wave heights are expected to be knee/waist high today for the best exposures open to the south swell. Spots open to Ignacio swell will be in the overhead to well overhead range at the best breaks.
Our current east swell from hurricane Ignacio peaked Monday and will hold today. We expect a secondary swell from Ignacio with northeast, shifting north-northwest swell to also get pumped out of this system for the first half of next week but this is highly dependent on the track and intensity Ignacio ends up taking.
Hurricane Kilo is expected to generate fun westerly swell to the islands starting Wednesday into Thursday and Friday, then fading over the weekend. Also highly dependent on Kilo’s strength and track.
Hurricane Jimena should deliver a solid shot of east-southeast swell to the islands for the second half of this week. Also highly dependent on future track and strength.
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Swell from typhoon Atsani is fading.
Keep in mind, surf heights are measured on the face of the wave from trough to crest. Heights vary from beach to beach, and at the same beach, from break to break.
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Big Island Surf Forecast
Our current east swell from hurricane Ignacio peaked Monday and will hold today. We expect a secondary swell from Ignacio with northeast, shifting north-northwest swell to also get pumped out of this system for the first half of next week but this is highly dependent on the track and intensity Ignacio ends up taking.
