Reef
right
Level 2/10

Canoes

Waikiki, Oahu, USA
🪸Sharp reef👥Crowded

Canoes is Hawaii's most iconic learner wave and the birthplace of modern surfing. Most days it's a gentle, rolling right, but when big south swells hit, the barrel section transforms from mellow to draining.

10-Day Forecast
Sat8
41
Poor
0.9m@15s
20km/h
Today9
39
Poor
1.0m@14s
20km/h
Mon10
57
Fair
1.2m@15s
20km/h
Tue11
49
Fair
1.3m@15s
18km/h
Wed12
52
Fair
1.5m@14s
22km/h
Thu13
55
Fair
1.5m@15s
24km/h
Fri14
50
Fair
1.3m@15s
28km/h
Sat15
12
Poor
1.1m@15s
26km/h
Sun16
0
Poor
2.9m@14s
22km/h
Mon17
0
Poor
1.3m@12s
21km/h
Choppy 5+ days out, less certain

Today's Conditions

Find Flights
Best session: AfternoonAM 17 km/h · PM 20 km/h · High tide at 1pm (0.8m)
Swell
0.9m
S(180°)
Score: 12/25
Period
15s
Long period groundswell
Score: 25/25
Wind
20km/h
ENE(64°)
Score: 1/25
Weather
28°C
0.0mm70%
First light 5:37amSunrise 6:07amSunset 7:06pmLast light 7:36pm
Windswell0.7m@3sSecondary0.4mConfidence
100%

Location & Conditions

Loading map...
0°45°90°135°180°225°270°315°NESW
Swell
Wind
Showing forecast for today

Hourly Forecast, Tide & Strike Windows

Strike window: 8:37am–6:28pm · through highIdeal tide: mid to high
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
25°
28°
30°
30°
27°
25°
27°
29°
29°
27°
24°
27°
29°
29°
27°
24°
28°
29°
29°
27°
25°
27°
28°
29°
27°
25°
27°
29°
29°
26°
24°
27°
28°
29°
27°
26°
27°
28°
27°
26°
25°
26°
28°
28°
26°
25°
26°
28°
28°
26°
3m1.5
sec
15s
15s
15s
15s
15s
14s
14s
14s
14s
14s
15s
15s
15s
15s
15s
15s
15s
15s
15s
15s
14s
14s
14s
14s
14s
15s
15s
15s
15s
15s
15s
15s
15s
15s
15s
15s
15s
15s
15s
15s
14s
14s
14s
14s
14s
12s
12s
12s
12s
12s
swell
windkm/h
15g37
19g50
21g57
21g56
20g56
15g38
20g50
21g55
21g57
21g54
15g39
19g50
21g55
21g55
20g53
14g35
19g50
19g52
19g51
19g50
17g45
21g53
23g60
23g62
22g62
19g49
23g59
25g66
26g68
25g68
23g61
28g70
30g77
31g81
28g80
29g79
28g80
27g80
25g79
22g73
21g58
21g59
23g60
23g61
21g63
20g53
21g53
23g61
23g64
20g62
tidem
5:15am0.0m
1:19pm0.8m
9:02pm0.1m
1:07am0.2m
6:18am0.0m
2:07pm0.8m
9:37pm0.1m
2:02am0.3m
7:22am0.0m
2:52pm0.8m
10:03pm0.1m
2:52am0.3m
8:17am0.0m
3:32pm0.8m
10:34pm0.1m
3:42am0.3m
9:07am0.0m
4:12pm0.8m
11:03pm0.1m
4:30am0.4m
9:58am0.1m
4:48pm0.7m
11:33pm0.1m
5:17am0.4m
10:48am0.1m
5:22pm0.7m
6:07am0.5m
11:41am0.2m
5:52pm0.6m
12:28am0.1m
6:57am0.5m
12:42pm0.2m
6:22pm0.5m
12:52am0.1m
7:52am0.5m
1:52pm0.3m
6:52pm0.4m
Ideal tide (from tide preference)Strike windowNight

Tide times today

5:15 am
Low tide - 0.03m
1:19 pm
High tide - 0.76m
9:02 pm
Low tide - 0.14m
Times shown in spot-local time.

Strike Score Breakdown

41
Poor
Components
Swell Direction18/25
Swell Size12/25
Swell Period25/25
Wind1/25
Raw Score56/100
Adjustments
🌊💨 Windswell-5
💨 Gusty Wind-5
⚠️ Weak Component-5
Adjusted Score41/100
Confidence
Multiplier×1.00
Final Score41
🌊💨 Windswell👥 Summer Break

Plan Your Strike

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

Search Flights on Skyscanner
See where's firing right nowToday's best waves worldwide, scored live
Free Strike Report

Know when Hawaii is about to fire

Get the best strike windows in Hawaii — and worldwide — in your inbox every Monday & Thursday. Live Strike Scores, the swell behind them, zero fluff.

Free forever. Two emails a week. Unsubscribe anytime.

For real surf travel

Get the full Canoes trip window

Pro unlocks the 10-day forecast window, unlimited alerts, and custom spot tracking that help turn a good-looking surf report into a better travel decision.

10-day window

See the trip window before flights get expensive.

Unlimited alerts

Let the app watch your score threshold for you.

Custom spots

Track the breaks that actually matter to your travel plans.

Swell Requirements

Optimal direction
S (190°)
Direction range
150° - 235°
Size range
0.6m - 1.8m
Ideal size
1.4m
Height multiplier
1.00×
Ideal period
14s+

Wind Requirements

Optimal direction
N (10°)
Offshore range
315° - 55°

Tide Requirements

Optimal tide
mid to high

Water temp

26°C

Wetsuit

Boardshorts / Rashguard

Bottom

Reef

Max wave face

2.5m+

Board

Longboard

Consistency

8/10

Difficulty

2/10

Crowd level

10/10

👥 Summer Break (Jun 15Aug 25) — expect extra crowds

Access: Waikiki Beach. Walk-in access from hotels.

Frequently Asked Questions

What tide is best at Canoes?

Canoes works best on a mid to high tide. The tide chart above shows today’s strike window.

What wind direction is offshore at Canoes?

Offshore wind at Canoes blows from the N (10°). Anything in the 315° to 55° range grooms the faces; outside it, expect chop or bumpy conditions.

What swell size and direction work best at Canoes?

Canoes wants S swell (150° to 235°) between 0.6m and 1.8m, with a period of 14s or more for quality waves.

When is the best time of year to surf Canoes?

The main season at Canoes is May-Sep. A secondary window runs Apr, Oct. May-Sep. Hawaii's most iconic learner wave. Transforms on big south swells.

How do I get to Canoes?

Fly into HNL, then allow about 10 minutes by road. Waikiki Beach. Walk-in access from hotels.

What kind of wave is Canoes?

Canoes is a reef break, a right-hander over a reef bottom. Difficulty is rated 2/10.

Best Season

Peak: May-Sep

Secondary: Apr, Oct

May-Sep. Hawaii's most iconic learner wave. Transforms on big south swells.

Getting There

Airport
HNL
Drive time
10 min
Data quality
verified

👨‍👩‍👧‍👦Family Travel

✈️Getting There
✈️Direct flights- Direct from LAX, LHR, SYD
🛫Direct from- LAX, SFO, SEA, PHX, DEN, SYD, NRT, YVR
🛂Visa free- No visa needed for most passports
🚕Taxi available- No car needed
🛡️Safety & Ease
Excellent infrastructure- First-world amenities
🗣️English primary- English spoken everywhere
💧Safe tap water
🍽️Western standards- Eat anywhere safely
📱Excellent coverage- 4G/5G everywhere
Safety notes:
👜 Petty theft
🏨Accommodation
💎Luxury tier- Four Seasons, Ritz-Carlton level
🏰Chains- Hilton, Sheraton, Hyatt, Marriott, Outrigger
🎪Excellent kids clubs- Full programs, professional staff
🏡Some all-inclusive- 1-2 options available
Available:
🏰 Luxury resort🏨 Boutique hotel👨‍👩‍👧‍👦 Family resort🏠 Vacation rental🛏️ Budget hotel🎒 Hostel
🎡Kid Activities
🏄 Surf lessons🏊 Swimming pools🤿 Snorkeling🏖️ Beach play🐠 Aquariums🏛️ Historic sites

Strike Log

Community Discussion