Outlook through Thursday December 20: The current northwest swell has peaked just below advisory levels and is gradually subsiding. A smaller northwest swell is expected tonight through Saturday. A new large northwest swell is expected late in the day Saturday, with surf likely peaking at warning levels Saturday night and Sunday. Another, even larger, northwest swell is expected to build late Monday or Monday night, bringing another round of warning level surf to north and west facing shores Tuesday through the middle of next week. Strong trade winds will keep advisory level surf in place along east facing shores through Friday. Surf should drop below the advisory level by Friday night, then continue to lower over the weekend as the trades weaken.
Surf heights are forecast heights of the face, or front, of waves. The surf forecast is based on the significant wave height, the average height of the one third largest waves, at the locations of the largest breakers. Some waves may be more than twice as high as the significant wave height. Expect to encounter rip currents in or near any surf zone.
North East
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ARTICLE CONTINUES BELOW AD
ARTICLE CONTINUES BELOW AD
Surf: Head high mix of NNW medium period swell and E medium period swell with occasional 1-2′ overhead sets.
Conditions: Light sideshore texture in the morning with SSE winds 5-10mph. Bumpy/semi bumpy conditions for the afternoon with the winds shifting ENE 10-15mph. Clean conditions are expected for the late day with SW winds less than 5mph.
North West
ampm
Surf: Ankle to knee high NW ground swell.
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Conditions: Clean in the morning with ESE winds less than 5mph. Semi choppy conditions for the afternoon with the winds shifting WSW 5-10mph.
West
ampm
Surf: Knee high NW ground swell with occasional waist high sets.
Conditions: Glassy in the morning with SE winds less than 5mph. Semi glassy/semi bumpy conditions for the afternoon with the winds shifting SW 5-10mph.
ARTICLE CONTINUES BELOW AD
South East
ampm
Surf: Chest to head high E medium period swell in the morning builds in the afternoon with occasional sets up to 1-2′ overhead high.
Conditions: Clean in the early morning with NNW winds 10-15mph. Sideshore texture/chop conditions move in during the morning hours with the winds shifting NE 10-15mph.
Image: NOAA
Image: NOAA
Image: NOAA
Image: NOAA
Image: NOAA
**Click directly on the images below to make them larger. Charts include: Hawaii County projected winds, tides, swell direction & period and expected wave heights.**
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