Ma'alaea (Freight Trains) is considered the world's fastest rideable wave—a 150-300+ yard barrel that fires only a handful of times per year when huge south swells slip through the gap between Kahoolawe and Maui. When it runs, it's one of surfing's greatest spectacles.
Return flights to OGG, departing today with a 5-day trip window.
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Water temp
25°C
Wetsuit
Boardshorts / Rashguard
Bottom
Reef
Max wave face
4m+
Board
Shortboard
Consistency
1/10
Difficulty
9/10
Crowd level
4/10
👥 Summer Break (Jun 15 – Aug 25) — expect extra crowds
Access: Access from Ma'alaea Harbor area.
Ma'alaea works best on a low to mid tide. The tide chart above shows today’s strike window.
Offshore wind at Ma'alaea blows from the NNW (340°). Anything in the 290° to 10° range grooms the faces; outside it, expect chop or bumpy conditions.
Ma'alaea wants S swell (160° to 210°) between 1.8m and 3.6m, with a period of 16s or more for quality waves.
The main season at Ma'alaea is May-Sep. May-Sep. World's fastest rideable wave. Fires only a handful of times per year.
Fly into OGG, then allow about 20 minutes by road. Access from Ma'alaea Harbor area.
Ma'alaea is a reef break, a right-hander over a reef bottom. Difficulty is rated 9/10.
Peak: May-Sep
May-Sep. World's fastest rideable wave. Fires only a handful of times per year.
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