Small Craft Advisory Posted, Swell Peaks Today

Alerts

A Small Craft Advisory is posted for Big Island windward waters through 6:00 a.m. Tuesday for seas of 8 to 11 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.**

Big Island Surf Forecast, Tuesday, January 13, 2015

Hilo side: Surf heights are expected chest to head high. The best breaks open to the swell could see wave heights a bit overhead on the sets.

Kona side: Surf heights are forecasted from knee to waist high. Possibly chest high at the best exposures.

South: Southerly spots are below waist high today. Exposures open to the east-southeast are forecasted to get knee to shoulder high surf.

Our current west-northwest swell is expected to peak today (Tuesday) and will slowly subside through midweek. Unfortunately, both the Hilo and the Kona side are shadowed a bit from this swell. Still, there will be some fun surf to be had.

A larger northwest swell is expected to arrive Wednesday night, and may bring surf near warning levels on Thursday and Friday. The more westerly direction of this next swell may result in the Kona side of the Big Island affected by the generated surf, and may be included in a warning or advisory as well. Most normal breaks will probably be closing out with outer reefs breaking and better able to handle the size.

Nothing of note out of the SPAC to get excited about.

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.  

**Click here for your detailed Big Island weather report.**

Image: NOAA / NWS

Image: NOAA / NWS

Image: NOAA / NWS

Image: NOAA / NWS

Image: NOAA / NWS