Reef
left
Level 5/10

Publics

South Shore, Oahu, USA
🪸Sharp reef⚠️Shallow🦔Urchins👥Crowded

Publics offers one of the longest lefts in Honolulu, peeling over sharp live coral near Diamond Head. Softer and friendlier on higher tides, it becomes hollower and more dangerous at low tide. Consistent and always crowded.

10-Day Forecast
Sat8
54
Fair
0.9m@15s
20km/h
Today9
60
Fair
1.0m@14s
20km/h
Mon10
64
Fair
1.2m@15s
20km/h
Tue11
63
Fair
1.3m@15s
18km/h
Wed12
69
Good
1.4m@14s
22km/h
Thu13
75
Good
1.4m@15s
24km/h
Fri14
40
Poor
1.2m@15s
28km/h
Sat15
17
Poor
1.1m@15s
26km/h
Sun16
24
Poor
2.8m@14s
22km/h
Mon17
20
Poor
1.2m@12s
21km/h
Groomed 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)
Groomed
Clean faces from offshore winds
Swell
0.9m
S(180°)
Score: 8/25
Period
15s
Long period groundswell
Score: 25/25
Wind
20km/h
ENE(64°)
Score: 7/25
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 windowDanger tideNight

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

54
Fair
Components
Swell Direction18/25
Swell Size8/25
Swell Period25/25
Wind7/25
Raw Score58/100
Adjustments
Wind History+6
🌊💨 Windswell-5
💨 Gusty Wind-5
Adjusted Score54/100
Confidence
Multiplier×1.00
Final Score54
✨ Groomed🌊💨 Windswell👥 Summer Break

Plan Your Strike

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

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Swell Requirements

Optimal direction
S (190°)
Direction range
160° - 230°
Size range
0.9m - 1.8m
Ideal size
1.5m
Height multiplier
0.97×
Ideal period
14s+

Wind Requirements

Optimal direction
NNE (25°)
Offshore range
340° - 80°

Tide Requirements

Optimal tide
mid to high
Danger below
0.3m

Water temp

26°C

Wetsuit

Boardshorts / Rashguard

Bottom

Reef

Max wave face

2.5m+

Board

Any

Consistency

7/10

Difficulty

5/10

Crowd level

9/10

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

Access: Beach access near Diamond Head.

Frequently Asked Questions

What tide is best at Publics?

Publics works best on a mid to high tide. The tide chart above shows today’s strike window. Below 0.3m it gets dangerously shallow.

What wind direction is offshore at Publics?

Offshore wind at Publics blows from the NNE (25°). Anything in the 340° to 80° range grooms the faces; outside it, expect chop or bumpy conditions.

What swell size and direction work best at Publics?

Publics wants S swell (160° to 230°) between 0.9m and 1.8m, with a period of 14s or more for quality waves.

When is the best time of year to surf Publics?

The main season at Publics is May-Sep. A secondary window runs Apr, Oct. May-Sep. One of the longest lefts in Honolulu. Low tide dangerous over sharp live coral.

How do I get to Publics?

Fly into HNL, then allow about 15 minutes by road. Beach access near Diamond Head.

What kind of wave is Publics?

Publics is a reef break, a left-hander over a reef bottom. Difficulty is rated 5/10.

Best Season

Peak: May-Sep

Secondary: Apr, Oct

May-Sep. One of the longest lefts in Honolulu. Low tide dangerous over sharp live coral.

Getting There

Airport
HNL
Drive time
15 min
Data quality
verified

Strike Log

Community Discussion