Christmas Swell Expected for Big Island
Alerts (as of 1:00 a.m.)
Small Craft Advisory: North winds 20 to 30 knots in all coastal waters and channels from 6 a.m. Saturday through 6 a.m. Sunday.
**Click directly on the images below to make them larger. Charts include: Big Island projected winds, tides, swell direction & period and expected wave heights.**
Hilo side: Wave heights are forecast to be shoulder high to a few feet overhead today for the best breaks.
Kona side: Wave heights are expected to be knee/thigh high today with sets up to waist high for the best breaks.
South: Wave heights are expected to be knee/thigh high today with sets up to waist high for the best breaks.
Our current NW swell is still showing. This swell should ease through the holiday weekend. Unfortunately, the Kona side will be heavily shadowed from this swell. A new northwest swell is expected to arrive in time for Christmas with fun-size waves forecast from Sunday afternoon into Monday.
A trade wind swell will also continue showing today. Surf, however, is expected to stay below advisory level until maybe late in the upcoming weekend.
Very small south-southwest laps in Friday and into the weekend up to knee/thigh high. Nothing significant is expected out of the SPAC in the near future.
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.