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Level 10/10

Waimea Bay

North Shore, Oahu, USA
😮‍💨Hold-downs🌀Strong rips👥Crowded

Waimea Bay is the birthplace of big wave surfing—a thundering right-hander that only truly comes alive when swells exceed 15 feet. When it's on, the takeoff is a heart-stopping drop into a churning wall of whitewater. The Eddie Aikau Big Wave Invitational is held here, requiring 20ft+ consistent surf.

10-Day Forecast
Sat8
0
Poor
0.8m@12s
19km/h
Today9
0
Poor
0.9m@12s
17km/h
Mon10
0
Poor
1.0m@12s
19km/h
Tue11
0
Poor
1.1m@12s
19km/h
Wed12
0
Poor
1.3m@14s
20km/h
Thu13
0
Poor
1.4m@13s
24km/h
Fri14
0
Poor
1.2m@13s
28km/h
Sat15
0
Poor
1.2m@11s
32km/h
Sun16
0
Poor
1.1m@12s
21km/h
Mon17
0
Poor
1.2m@11s
20km/h
Choppy 5+ days out, less certain

Today's Conditions

Find Flights
Best session: MorningAM 16 km/h · PM 20 km/h
Swell
0.8m
S(189°)
Score: 0/25
Period
12s
Medium period swell
Score: 4/25
Wind
19km/h
E(80°)
Score: 5/25
Weather
28°C
0.0mm61%
First light 5:38amSunrise 6:08amSunset 7:07pmLast light 7:37pm
Windswell0.5m@3sSecondary0.3mConfidence
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: 6:54am–7:37pm · 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
24°
28°
30°
30°
27°
24°
26°
28°
27°
26°
24°
27°
29°
29°
27°
24°
27°
29°
29°
26°
24°
27°
28°
28°
26°
24°
26°
28°
29°
27°
25°
27°
29°
29°
27°
25°
26°
29°
29°
27°
26°
27°
28°
28°
27°
25°
27°
28°
28°
26°
2m1.0
sec
12s
12s
12s
11s
11s
11s
13s
13s
12s
12s
12s
12s
12s
12s
12s
10s
11s
13s
12s
12s
17s
14s
13s
13s
13s
13s
13s
13s
13s
13s
13s
13s
13s
12s
12s
11s
11s
10s
11s
11s
12s
10s
10s
13s
13s
11s
11s
10s
10s
11s
swell
windkm/h
17g33
16g38
23g53
21g52
19g46
13g27
16g39
19g45
19g47
17g41
16g33
18g44
21g50
21g49
18g44
13g27
18g41
19g46
21g50
18g45
15g30
20g45
21g52
21g53
20g52
19g39
23g52
25g58
27g62
26g62
22g50
26g58
29g66
31g72
29g73
39g79
39g86
33g89
28g85
21g75
19g41
19g47
23g55
24g60
20g59
18g41
19g45
21g52
21g54
19g53
tidem
3:30am0.1m
12:30pm0.8m
4:42am0.0m
1:18pm0.8m
9:10pm0.3m
5:45am0.0m
1:50pm0.8m
9:15pm0.3m
6:30am0.0m
2:15pm0.8m
9:18pm0.3m
1:15am0.4m
7:20am0.0m
2:47pm0.8m
9:42pm0.2m
2:00am0.4m
8:00am0.1m
3:10pm0.8m
9:54pm0.2m
2:45am0.5m
8:30am0.1m
3:20pm0.7m
10:06pm0.2m
3:45am0.5m
9:15am0.3m
3:30pm0.7m
10:20pm0.2m
4:45am0.5m
9:50am0.3m
3:50pm0.6m
6:00am0.5m
10:30am0.5m
Ideal tide (from tide preference)Strike windowNight

Tide times today

3:30 am
Low tide - 0.10m
12:30 pm
High tide - 0.78m
Times shown in spot-local time.

Strike Score Breakdown

0
Poor
Components
Swell Direction0/25
Swell Size0/25
Swell Period4/25
Wind5/25
Raw Score9/100
Adjustments
🌊💨 Windswell-3
💨 Gusty Wind-5
⚠️ Weak Component-10
📉 Undersized Swell-11
⚖️ Penalty Stack Cap+4
🚫 Undersized Capmax 15
Adjusted Score0/100
Confidence
Multiplier×1.00
Final Score0
👥 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
NW (315°)
Direction range
300° - 340°
Size range
4.6m - 9.1m
Ideal size
7.1m
Height multiplier
1.08×
Ideal period
18s+

Wind Requirements

Optimal direction
ESE (120°)
Offshore range
90° - 160°

Tide Requirements

Optimal tide
mid to high

Water temp

25°C

Wetsuit

Boardshorts / Rashguard

Bottom

Mixed

Max wave face

15m+

Board

Gun / Step-up

Consistency

3/10

Difficulty

10/10

Crowd level

7/10

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

Access: Beach access. Popular swimming beach when flat.

Frequently Asked Questions

What tide is best at Waimea Bay?

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

What wind direction is offshore at Waimea Bay?

Offshore wind at Waimea Bay blows from the ESE (120°). Anything in the 90° to 160° range grooms the faces; outside it, expect chop or bumpy conditions.

What swell size and direction work best at Waimea Bay?

Waimea Bay wants NW swell (300° to 340°) between 4.6m and 9.1m, with a period of 18s or more for quality waves.

When is the best time of year to surf Waimea Bay?

The main season at Waimea Bay is Dec, Jan, Feb. A secondary window runs Nov, Mar. Only really turns on at 15ft+. Dec-Feb peak. Eddie Aikau invitational venue.

How do I get to Waimea Bay?

Fly into HNL, then allow about 50 minutes by road. Beach access. Popular swimming beach when flat.

What kind of wave is Waimea Bay?

Waimea Bay is a big wave break, a right-hander over a mixed bottom. Difficulty is rated 10/10.

Best Season

Peak: Dec, Jan, Feb

Secondary: Nov, Mar

Only really turns on at 15ft+. Dec-Feb peak. Eddie Aikau invitational venue.

Getting There

Airport
HNL
Drive time
50 min
Data quality
verified

Strike Log

Community Discussion