Reef

left

Level 7/10

Cannons

North Shore, Kauai, USA

🪸Sharp reef⚠️Shallow👊Localism

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Cannons is the equally hollow and shallow left on the other side of Ha'ena Bay from Tunnels. A shorter paddle than its neighbor, it delivers powerful barrels in a breathtaking setting. Very localized.

Cannons surf forecast

Model forecast for swell, wind and tide.

10-Day Forecast

Today7

Poor

2.0mNNW@11s

20km/h

2.0m@11s

20km/h

Sun8

Poor

2.5mNNW@10s

21km/h

2.5m@10s

21km/h

Mon9

Poor

1.8mNNW@11s

18km/h

1.8m@11s

18km/h

Tue10

Poor

1.8mNNW@11s

18km/h

1.8m@11s

18km/h

Wed11

Fair

3.1mNNW@14s

22km/h

3.1m@14s

22km/h

Thu12

Poor

3.1mNNW@11s

20km/h

3.1m@11s

20km/h

Fri13

Fair

1.7mNNW@15s

19km/h

1.7m@15s

19km/h

Sat14

Fair

2.2mNNW@13s

20km/h

2.2m@13s

20km/h

Sun15

Poor

1.8mNNW@10s

18km/h

1.8m@10s

18km/h

Mon16

Poor

1.7mN@9s

15km/h

1.7m@9s

15km/h

5+ days out, less certain

View 2-year historical scores →

Today's ConditionsToday's Conditions

Find Flights

Best session: AfternoonAM 20 km/h · PM 20 km/h · Tide at 12pm (0.4m)

Swell

2.0m

NNW(330°)

Score: 25/25

Period

11s

Mid-period swell

Score: 8/25

Wind

20km/h

ENE(72°)

Score: 1/25

Weather

24°C

0.9mm80%

First light 6:15amSunrise 6:45amSunset 5:57pmLast light 6:27pm

Windswell

1.5m@5s

Secondary

0.8m

Confidence

100%

Location & Conditions

Loading map...

Swell2.0m @11s NNW in window

Wind20 km/h ENE onshore

SwellWind: Offshore Cross Onshore

Showing forecast for today · all day

Hourly Forecast, Tide & Strike Windows

Strike window: 6:15am–3:47pm · through highIdeal tide: mid

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

23°

24°

23°

22°

24°

25°

26°

23°

24°

25°

24°

23°

24°

26°

25°

23°

24°

26°

24°

23°

24°

23°

22°

23°

24°

23°

24°

23°

22°

23°

24°

23°

24°

26°

24°

4m2.0

sec

11s

10s

11s

10s

11s

10s

11s

13s

14s

12s

11s

16s

17s

16s

14s

13s

12s

11s

10s

swell

windkm/h

21g59

20g58

19g55

20g57

18g53

21g59

22g65

22g63

20g58

21g57

19g54

18g53

17g50

17g49

18g54

17g52

19g54

20g58

19g51

22g62

23g66

23g70

21g68

22g65

20g56

22g63

21g65

19g62

17g54

19g51

16g50

18g54

20g57

19g55

19g54

20g55

21g61

21g63

20g61

18g56

19g55

19g57

18g58

16g56

11g37

12g38

16g47

18g52

15g52

tidem

1:50am0.6m

8:15am0.3m

12:30pm0.4m

6:54pm0.1m

2:30am0.7m

9:30am0.3m

7:06pm0.0m

3:00am0.7m

10:00am0.3m

7:30pm0.0m

3:30am0.7m

11:00am0.3m

8:00pm0.0m

4:10am0.6m

12:00pm0.3m

8:30pm0.0m

4:54am0.6m

8:54pm0.0m

5:30am0.6m

9:10pm0.1m

6:30am0.6m

9:30pm0.1m

7:10am0.5m

8:30pm0.1m

8:30am0.5m

Ideal tide (from tide preference)Strike windowNight

Tide times today

1:50 am

High · 0.63m

8:15 am

Low · 0.29m

12:30 pm

High · 0.39m

6:54 pm

Low · 0.05m

Times shown in spot-local time.

Strike Score Breakdown

Poor

Components

Swell Direction25/25

Swell Size25/25

Swell Period8/25

Wind1/25

Raw Score59/100

Adjustments

Wind History-2

🌊💨 Windswell-5

💨 Gusty Wind-5

⚠️ Weak Component-5

Adjusted Score42/100

Confidence

Multiplier×1.00

Final Score42

🌊💨 Windswell

Plan Your Strike

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

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Location & Conditions

Loading map...

Swell2.0m @11s NNW in window

Wind20 km/h ENE 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: NNW (330°)
Direction range: 300° - 360°
Size range: 1.2m - 3m
Ideal size: 2m - 2.6m
Height multiplier: 0.97×
Ideal period: 14s+

Wind Requirements

Optimal direction: SSW (200°)
Offshore range: 190° - 250°

Tide Requirements

Optimal tide: mid

Water temp

25°C

Wetsuit

Boardshorts / Rashguard

Bottom

Reef

Max wave face

4m+

Board

Shortboard

Consistency

6/10

Difficulty

7/10

Crowd level

4/10

Access: Beach access at Ha'ena Beach Park. Shorter paddle than Tunnels.

Frequently Asked Questions

What kind of wave is Cannons?

Cannons is a reef break in North Shore, Kauai, USA, that mostly breaks left over a reef bottom. On its biggest days it can hold faces of around 4m. A shortboard is the usual call.

What swell works best at Cannons?

Cannons picks up swell from the WNW round to the N, and it's best when it's coming straight out of the NNW. It starts working at around 1.2m and handles up to about 3m, with the sweet spot around 2 to 2.6m. Period matters too: aim for 14s or longer, as anything under 10s 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 Cannons?

A SSW wind is dead offshore at Cannons, and anything from the S round to the WSW keeps it clean. The morning is typically the best window, roughly 6am to 11am. Light winds from other directions can still be fine; strong offshores can make it hard to get into waves.

What tide is best at Cannons?

Cannons is at its best around mid tide.

When is the best time of year to surf Cannons?

The most reliable run of swell at Cannons comes Nov to Mar. Nov-Mar. Other side of Ha'ena Bay from Tunnels. Equally hollow left.

How cold is the water at Cannons?

The water at Cannons averages around 25°C, so boardshorts or a rashguard will do. It shifts a few degrees through the year, so check the season before you pack.

Is Cannons good for beginners?

Not really. It's rated 7/10 for difficulty and suits experienced surfers. Expect a moderate crowd (4/10) when it's on. Equally hollow and shallow as Tunnels. Shorter paddle. Powerful and localized.

How do I get to Cannons?

The nearest airport on our list is LIH, then it's roughly a 45-minute drive. Beach access at Ha'ena Beach Park. Shorter paddle than Tunnels.

What other surf spots are near Cannons?

The closest breaks we track are Tunnels (1.0 km), Waikoko's (6.1 km) and Hanalei Point (6.8 km), handy when Cannons isn't working. We track 5 spots around North Shore, Kauai in total.