Reef

right

Level 8/10

Bawa

Hinako Islands, Indonesia

🪸Sharp reef

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Bawa is Indonesia's answer to Hawaii's Sunset Beach—a massive right-hand barrel machine in the Hinako Islands off the coast of Nias. The wave handles enormous swells, producing thundering rights that only advanced and expert surfers should attempt. Paired with nearby Asu (a left that works on opposite wind), surfers can ride both breaks in the same day depending on wind shifts, making the Hinako Islands an incredibly versatile surf destination.

Bawa surf forecast

Model forecast for swell, wind and tide.

10-Day Forecast

Today4

Poor

1.3mS@13s

7km/h

1.3m@13s

7km/h

Thu5

Poor

1.5mS@11s

9km/h

1.5m@11s

9km/h

Fri6

Poor

1.2mS@12s

7km/h

1.2m@12s

7km/h

Sat7

Fair

1.4mSSW@16s

9km/h

1.4m@16s

9km/h

Sun8

Fair

1.3mSSW@15s

7km/h

1.3m@15s

7km/h

Mon9

Poor

1.1mS@14s

10km/h

1.1m@14s

10km/h

Tue10

Poor

1.1mS@9s

12km/h

1.1m@9s

12km/h

Wed11

Poor

1.0mS@13s

10km/h

1.0m@13s

10km/h

Thu12

Poor

1.1mSSW@14s

9km/h

1.1m@14s

9km/h

Fri13

Poor

1.1mSSW@14s

11km/h

1.1m@14s

11km/h

Groomed 5+ days out, less certain

View 2-year historical scores →

Today's ConditionsToday's Conditions

Find Flights

Best session: MorningAM 6 km/h · PM 8 km/h · Tide at 8am (0.1m)

Swell

1.3m

S(187°)

Score: 5/25

Period

13s

Mid-period swell

Score: 8/25

Wind

7km/h

SE(143°)

Score: 15/25

Weather

27°C

0.0mm80%

First light 5:41amSunrise 6:11amSunset 6:16pmLast light 6:46pm

Windswell

—

Secondary

1.0m

Confidence

100%

Location & Conditions

Loading map...

Swell1.3m @13s S outside window

Wind7 km/h SE onshore

SwellWind: Offshore Cross Onshore

Showing forecast for today · all day

Hourly Forecast, Tide & Strike Windows

Strike window: 12:53–4:38pm · through highIdeal tide: 0.5–1.5m

6am

9am

12pm

3pm

6pm

6am

9am

12pm

3pm

6pm

6am

9am

12pm

3pm

6pm

6am

9am

12pm

3pm

6pm

6am

9am

12pm

3pm

6pm

6am

9am

12pm

3pm

6pm

6am

9am

12pm

3pm

6pm

6am

9am

12pm

3pm

6pm

6am

9am

12pm

3pm

6pm

6am

9am

12pm

3pm

6pm

°C

27°

28°

27°

28°

27°

28°

27°

28°

27°

28°

27°

28°

29°

27°

26°

27°

28°

27°

28°

26°

27°

28°

27°

26°

27°

28°

27°

28°

29°

2m1.0

sec

13s

11s

12s

16s

15s

14s

13s

14s

swell

windkm/h

7g11

5g16

5g13

8g14

9g14

10g16

9g15

5g10

11g17

12g19

11g21

3g10

2g8

7g13

7g18

12g18

10g16

6g12

11g19

7g14

4g11

2g9

8g14

11g19

11g18

10g14

1g16

9g20

15g23

14g23

14g25

12g24

11g23

13g22

14g22

15g24

12g22

8g21

9g19

11g17

9g20

7g21

8g22

10g21

10g19

9g25

6g23

12g20

14g19

13g20

tidem

1:30am0.6m

8:20am0.1m

2:45pm0.6m

8:55pm0.2m

2:30am0.6m

8:55am0.1m

3:30pm0.7m

9:40pm0.1m

3:20am0.6m

9:30am0.1m

3:56pm0.7m

10:22pm0.1m

4:00am0.6m

10:00am0.0m

4:30pm0.8m

4:30am0.5m

10:16am0.0m

5:00pm0.8m

5:20am0.5m

10:52am0.1m

5:36pm0.8m

5:55am0.5m

11:20am0.1m

6:03pm0.8m

12:50am0.1m

6:20am0.5m

11:47am0.1m

6:30pm0.8m

1:21am0.0m

6:45am0.4m

12:10pm0.1m

7:00pm0.7m

1:54am0.0m

Ideal tideStrike windowNight

Tide times today

1:30 am

High · 0.60m

8:20 am

Low · 0.12m

2:45 pm

High · 0.58m

8:55 pm

Low · 0.23m

Times shown in spot-local time.

Strike Score Breakdown

Poor

Components

Swell Direction10/25

Swell Size5/25

Swell Period8/25

Wind15/25

Raw Score38/100

Adjustments

🌊 Tide-2

📉 Undersized Swell-7

🚫 Undersized Capmax 64

Adjusted Score29/100

Confidence

Multiplier×1.00

Final Score29

🌊 Too low for this tide window

Plan Your Strike

Return flights to GNS, departing today with a 5-day trip window.

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Location & Conditions

Loading map...

Swell1.3m @13s S outside window

Wind7 km/h SE onshore

SwellWind: Offshore Cross Onshore

Showing forecast for today · all day

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Spot Details

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Swell Requirements

Optimal direction: SW (215°)
Direction range: 200° - 230°
Size range: 1.5m - 3.7m
Ideal size: 2.5m - 3.2m
Height multiplier: 0.97×
Ideal period: 16s+

Wind Requirements

Optimal direction: NW (315°)
Offshore range: 285° - 345°

Tide Requirements

Optimal tide: mid
Optimal range: 0.5m - 1.5m

Water temp

28°C

Wetsuit

Boardshorts / Rashguard

Difficulty

8/10

Crowd level

4/10

Access: Boat from Nias south coast (~2hr)

Frequently Asked Questions

What kind of wave is Bawa?

Bawa is a reef break in Hinako Islands, Indonesia, that mostly breaks right.

What swell works best at Bawa?

Bawa picks up swell from the SSW round to the SW, and it's best when it's coming straight out of the SW. That's a tight window, so it needs the swell direction to line up. It starts working at around 1.5m and handles up to about 3.7m, with the sweet spot around 2.5 to 3.2m. Period matters too: aim for 16s or longer, as anything under 12s tends to be weak. These are the numbers our scoring uses, so treat them as a guide rather than a promise.

What wind is offshore at Bawa?

A NW wind is dead offshore at Bawa, and anything from the WNW round to the NNW keeps it clean. The morning is typically the best window, roughly 6am to midday. Light winds from other directions can still be fine; strong offshores can make it hard to get into waves.

What tide is best at Bawa?

Bawa is at its best around mid tide, roughly 0.5m to 1.5m on the local chart.

When is the best time of year to surf Bawa?

The most reliable run of swell at Bawa comes Apr to Oct. SW swell season (Apr-Oct), SE trade winds offshore.

How cold is the water at Bawa?

The water at Bawa averages around 28°C, so boardshorts or a rashguard will do. It shifts a few degrees through the year, so check the season before you pack.

Is Bawa good for beginners?

Not really. It's rated 8/10 for difficulty and suits experienced surfers. Expect a moderate crowd (4/10) when it's on. Things to watch for: sharp, shallow reef (booties help).

How do I get to Bawa?

The nearest airport on our list is GNS. From there you need a boat to reach the break (we estimate around $100 USD, but confirm with an operator). Boat from Nias south coast (~2hr).