A High Surf Warning is posted for east facing shores of the Big Island through 6 p.m. Saturday 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 High Surf Advisory is posted for south facing shores from 6:00 a.m. Friday through 6:00 p.m. Saturday. Expect strong breaking waves, shore break and strong longshore and rip currents making swimming difficult and dangerous.
A Small Craft Advisory is posted for Big Island windward and southeastern waters as well as Alenuihaha channel through 6 p.m. Friday for rough seas up to 13 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.
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Kona side: Wave heights chest/shoulder high are expected for the best breaks open to the south-southwest swell. Head on the sets late in the day.
South: Spots open to tropical swell will be in the overhead to well overhead range at the best breaks with double overhead waves expected on the sets. Spots open to the south-southwest could get up to shoulder/head high or more late in the day.
Hurricane Jimena is delivering a solid shot of east-southeast shifting east swell to the islands. This prompted a high surf warning for east-facing shores of most islands. East-shore surf will remain near warning levels through the weekend, and likely into early next week.
The secondary swell from Ignacio continues with northeast, shifting north-northwest swell getting pumped out of this system through the work week. Northerly swell is expected to fade early next week.
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Hurricane Kilo crossed into the west pacific and is therefore now a typhoon. Kilo has generated fun westerly swell for the islands Friday and is expected to hold through the weekend and possibly even into next week.
A long-period swell from the south-southwest will produce advisory-level surf along south-facing shores this weekend.
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
Hurricane Jimena is delivering a solid shot of east-southeast shifting east swell to the islands. This prompted a high surf warning for east-facing shores of most islands. East-shore surf will remain near warning levels through the weekend, and likely into early next week.
