Forecast for Big Island Windward and Southeast

Forecast for Big Island Leeward

Swell Summary

A moderate, medium period northwest swell is continuing to decline this morning. A complicated swell set up will occur in the coming days as a series of northwest and north swells will arrive from different sources. First, as the ongoing northwest swell fades through the day, a large, medium period northwest swell will come in behind it tonight through Friday morning (from the strong cold front mentioned above) and this will lift surf back up to High Surf Advisory (HSA) heights along smaller island north and west-facing shores Friday morning. A HSA is effect from Noon today through early Saturday morning for the north and west facing shores of the smaller islands (exception being only north-facing Maui shores). A north swell will also arrive during Friday that will generated by a gale force low north of the state. This north-veering-northeast swell into Saturday will be large, but of medium period due to the close proximity of the fetch region along the backside of the gale low. The combined swells will significantly pick up surf along the north and west-facing shores to either high-end HSA or low-end High Surf Warning levels tonight through Friday, and is dependent upon the timing of the swell arrival along with any destructive, cancellation effects. The north swell will veer more northeasterly late Friday as the gale low drifts slowly eastward. Surf along west-facing shores should drop below HSA thresholds Saturday while northern exposures will hold on to HSA heights through Saturday. Surf along east-facing shores will remain relatively small through the week with the exception of those areas exposed to north northeast swell wrap.

NORTH EAST

am        pm  

Surf: Chest to shoulder high N short period wind swell for the morning going more NNE and building into the chest to head range in the afternoon.

Conditions: Bumpy/choppy with NNE winds 15-20mph in the morning shifting NNW for the afternoon.

NORTH WEST

am        pm  

Surf: Waist to chest high N short period wind swell.

Conditions: Choppy/disorganized with NNE winds 10-15mph in the morning increasing to 20-25mph in the afternoon.

WEST

am        pm  

Surf: Knee high NW short period wind swell in the morning with occasional thigh high sets. This drops a bit in the afternoon.

Conditions: Glassy in the morning with ESE winds less than 5mph. Semi glassy conditions for the afternoon with the winds shifting to the SSE.

SOUTH EAST

am        pm  

Surf: Knee high ENE short period wind swell in the morning builds in the afternoon with occasional sets up to waist high.

Conditions: Sideshore/choppy with NNE winds 15-20mph in the morning shifting N 20-25mph in the afternoon.

Data Courtesy of NOAA.gov and SwellInfo.com