Large Swell Builds Today

Alerts

A Small Craft Advisory is posted for the ʻAlenuihāhā channel as well as waters to the west and south of the Big Island through 6:00 p.m. Friday. Northeast winds of 20 – 25 knots and rough seas of 7 to 12 feet are expected. 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

Hilo side: Waist/chest high waves expected today for well exposed breaks. Best breaks could see sets up to head from time to time.

Kona side: Wave heights of waist/chest high in the morning, rising to chest/head high by sunset.

South: Wave heights of waist/chest high are expected, rising to chest/head high by sunset.

Thanks to a storm that recently developed east of New Zealand, a large south swell is anticipated to begin to arrive in Hawaii late Friday and will be large enough to bring advisory level surf heights along south facing shores this weekend. The swell is expected to peak late Sunday and hold through Sunday.

The current fading northeasterly swell will continue to ease through the weekend. Otherwise, the north Pacific is looking very quiet.

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

Image: NOAA / NWS

Image: NOAA / NWS