NW Swell Prompts High Surf Warning

Image: James Grenz

Alerts (as of 1:00 a.m.)

A High Surf Warning is posted for the north shore of the Big Island through 6 a.m. Tuesday.

A Gale Warning is in effect for all off shore Hawaiian waters.

A Small Craft Advisory is in effect through 6 p.m. Tuesday for all Big Island waters.

Check our breaking news section for any urgent weather alerts or updates to the weather alerts listed above.

**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: Wave heights for spots exposed to the shifting swell are expected to build significantly through the day. Getting to shoulder high / overhead range and possibly bigger.

Kona side: Wave heights are expected to be waist/tummy high today. The best breaks could get up to chest high or more.

South: Wave heights are expected to be waist/belly high with the best spots getting up to chest high or more on the sets.

A rapidly building swell is expected to build and peak Monday night around the Big Island. This northwesterly source will be a combination of long-period and short-period wave energy.

Another large NW swell is expected Wednesday through Thursday, which will be from a more distant source. For now, the swell is expected to build Wednesday night and peak through the day Thursday before gradually fading Friday through Saturday. Warning level surf is expected with this round of swell as well.

A small southwest swell is expected to show Thursday through Saturday. Another small bump could fill in the first week of March as well.

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