A Small Craft Advisory is posted for Big Island windward waters through 6:00 p.m. Thursday for rough seas up to 10 feet. Inexperienced mariners should avoid navigating in these conditions.
A High Surf Advisory is posted through 6:00 p.m. Thursday. Surf from 6 to 10 feet is expected along west facing shores. Expect strong breaking waves, shore break and strong longshore and rip currents making swimming difficult and dangerous.
**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: Surf heights are expected head high or more. The best breaks open to the swell could see larger waves. Some spots could get up to double overhead or more on the sets.
Kona side: Surf heights are forecasted to be chest to head high. Possibly up to a couple of feet overhead, especially early in the day.
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South: Southerly spots open to the wrap should get chest to head high waves.
Our current swell is maintaining wave heights today. This large swell prompted a High Surf Advisory for the Kona coast which is still in effect. The Big Island is shadowed from this swell but will still see decent size. The Kona side should see the swell fading Thursday as the swell shifts from a more northwest direction. Meanwhile, the Hilo side is expected to maintain surf heights through the end of the week. Swell fades slowly through Friday and Saturday.
If the storm develops as models are indicating, the next northwest swell is expected to build late this weekend. Another west-northwest is expected next week (19/20th).
A recent storm near New Zealand is expected to bring some fun knee to chest high waves for southern exposures Thursday and Friday. Swell eases Sunday and through early next week.
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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 swell is maintaining wave heights today. This large swell prompted a High Surf Advisory for the Kona coast which is still in effect. The Big Island is shadowed from this swell but will still see decent size. The Kona side should see the swell fading Thursday as the swell shifts from a more northwest direction. Meanwhile, the Hilo side is expected to maintain surf heights through the end of the week. Swell fades slowly through Friday and Saturday.
