Reef

right

Level 7/10

Tunnels

North Shore, Kauai, USA

🪸Sharp reef⚠️Shallow👊Localism🌀Strong rips

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Tunnels is a spectacular hollow right-hander that breaks over shallow reef on Kauai's North Shore. The long paddle out is rewarded with deep barrel tubes in crystal-clear water with the Na Pali coast as a backdrop. Appropriately named and very localized.

Tunnels surf forecast

Model forecast for swell, wind and tide.

10-Day Forecast

Today7

Poor

2.1mNNW@11s

20km/h

2.1m@11s

20km/h

Sun8

Poor

2.5mNNW@10s

21km/h

2.5m@10s

21km/h

Mon9

Poor

1.9mNNW@11s

18km/h

1.9m@11s

18km/h

Tue10

Poor

1.8mNNW@11s

18km/h

1.8m@11s

18km/h

Wed11

Poor

3.2mNNW@14s

22km/h

3.2m@14s

22km/h

Thu12

Poor

3.2mNNW@11s

20km/h

3.2m@11s

20km/h

Fri13

Poor

1.7mNNW@15s

19km/h

1.7m@15s

19km/h

Sat14

Fair

2.2mNNW@13s

20km/h

2.2m@13s

20km/h

Sun15

Poor

1.9mNNW@10s

18km/h

1.9m@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

2.1m

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...

Swell2.1m @11s NNW in window

Wind20 km/h ENE cross-shore

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°

25°

23°

24°

26°

24°

23°

24°

23°

22°

23°

24°

23°

24°

23°

22°

23°

24°

23°

22°

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 Direction14/25

Swell Size25/25

Swell Period8/25

Wind1/25

Raw Score48/100

Adjustments

Wind History-1

🌊💨 Windswell-5

💨 Gusty Wind-5

⚠️ Weak Component-5

Adjusted Score32/100

Confidence

Multiplier×1.00

Final Score32

🌊💨 Windswell

Plan Your Strike

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

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Location & Conditions

Loading map...

Swell2.1m @11s NNW in window

Wind20 km/h ENE cross-shore

SwellWind: Offshore Cross Onshore

Showing forecast for today · all day

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Spot Details

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Swell Requirements

Optimal direction: N (350°)
Direction range: 320° - 40°
Size range: 1.2m - 3m
Ideal size: 2m - 2.6m
Height multiplier: 1.00×
Ideal period: 14s+

Wind Requirements

Optimal direction: SSE (160°)
Offshore range: 110° - 200°

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

5/10

Access: Beach access at Ha'ena Beach Park. Long paddle out.

Frequently Asked Questions

What kind of wave is Tunnels?

Tunnels is a reef break in North Shore, Kauai, USA, that mostly breaks right 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 Tunnels?

Tunnels picks up swell from the NW round to the NE, and it's best when it's coming straight out of the N. 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 Tunnels?

A SSE wind is dead offshore at Tunnels, and anything from the ESE round to the SSW 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 Tunnels?

Tunnels is at its best around mid tide.

When is the best time of year to surf Tunnels?

The most reliable run of swell at Tunnels comes Nov to Mar. Nov-Mar. Long paddle to spectacular hollow rights over shallow reef. Na Pali backdrop.

How cold is the water at Tunnels?

The water at Tunnels 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 Tunnels good for beginners?

Not really. It's rated 7/10 for difficulty and suits experienced surfers. Expect a moderate crowd (5/10) when it's on. Long paddle to hollow rights over shallow reef. Crystal clear water, Na Pali backdrop. Very localized.

How do I get to Tunnels?

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

What other surf spots are near Tunnels?

The closest breaks we track are Cannons (1.0 km), Waikoko's (5.2 km) and Hanalei Point (5.8 km), handy when Tunnels isn't working. We track 5 spots around North Shore, Kauai in total.