Live Waikiki Surf Report
- Kewalos Advanced Excellent
- Ala Moana Bowls Advanced Good
- Kaisers Advanced Excellent
- Rockpiles Advanced Good
- Fours Intermediate Excellent
- Threes Intermediate Excellent
- Paradise Intermediate Excellent
- Populars Intermediate Excellent
- Canoes Beginner Excellent
- Baby Queens Beginner Fun
- Queens Intermediate Excellent
- Publics Advanced Good
- Tonggs Intermediate Excellent
- Diamond Head Intermediate Flat
- Surf: the spread of breaking wave height across all 14 reefs in the board above, not a single-spot number. One figure for the whole coast would either flatter the smallest reef or undersell the biggest one.
- Wind: NOAA CO-OPS station 1612340, Honolulu Harbour, about 5.5 km from Waikiki. Read 6:48pm HST.
- Swell: NOAA buoy 51212, Barbers Point, in 280 m of water, reading the open ocean swell before this coast has touched it. Read 6:30pm HST.
- Tide: NOAA CO-OPS station 1612340, Honolulu Harbour, about 5.5 km from Waikiki. Heights are feet above mean lower low water, the chart datum tide tables are written in, so the current reading and the turns beside it are the same measure. Read 6:48pm HST.
- Water: NOAA CO-OPS station 1612340, Honolulu Harbour, about 5.5 km from Waikiki. Read 6:48pm HST.
- Air: NOAA CO-OPS station 1612340, Honolulu Harbour, about 5.5 km from Waikiki. Read 6:48pm HST.
These are observations, not a forecast: each one is the latest reading from its source at the time stated. The rating above is our own measurement, computed from them, and it is not Surfline's rating. For the outlook, see Surfline.
Where to surf
Beginner
Too big for a first session today.
Canoes
At 2.6 ft, Canoes breaks 30 m inside the reef edge, in 1.6 m of water. The wind is offshore here at about 5 kt square to the reef, gusting to 12. There is more water than average, so the takeoff sits about 10 m further in. The tide is slack.
Intermediate
Fours
At 2.6 ft, Fours breaks 40 m inside the reef edge, in 1.4 m of water. The wind is offshore here at about 5 kt square to the reef, gusting to 12. There is more water than average, though the takeoff has not moved with it. The tide is slack.
Advanced
Kewalos
At 2.6 ft, Kewalos breaks 130 m inside the reef edge, in 1.5 m of water. The wind is offshore here at about 5 kt square to the reef, gusting to 12. There is more water than average, though the takeoff has not moved with it. The tide is slack.
How the waves differ, break by break
The stretch between Kewalo Basin and Diamond Head holds a string of reef breaks, and they are not interchangeable. Canoes gives a first-timer a long, forgiving ride all the way to the sand. Publics puts an unprepared surfer on shallow rock. This guide sorts the south shore by what each break actually asks of you, and shows where Oahu's swell comes from through the year.
The same south swell hits every one of these reefs, and every reef does something different with it. Canoes spills slowly in both directions and carries you a long way toward the sand. Queens, a few hundred metres east, holds a defined right that runs faster and asks more of you.
Wind speed and direction come from NOAA CO-OPS station 1612340 in Honolulu Harbour, about 5.5 km from Waikiki (inside a harbour, not on the open coast), so it is the nearest wind measurement available rather than the wind at the break itself. Each break card weighs that reading against its own seaward orientation to say whether it is offshore, onshore or cross-shore there.
Zoom in for a closer look at a single reef: use the buttons, pinch on a trackpad or touchscreen, or double-click the map. Drag to move around once you are in.
Nothing on this page is drawn by hand. The map's shading is the real seafloor from NOAA NCEI CUDEM, and the moving lines are the direction a 14 second south swell travels once that seafloor has bent it, computed by tracing wave fronts across the depth grid. The lines crowd together where the water shallows because the wave slows there, which is the same energy that makes these reefs break. Each break card further down carries a cross-section cut from that same depth, which is why one swell gives 14 different waves. The swell height and period come from the NOAA buoy off Barbers Point, station 51212, which sits in 280 m of water and so reads the open ocean swell before this coast has touched it. That is an observation from the time stated, not a forecast, and what happens to it here is a model: linear refraction only, no diffraction, no currents, and no wind effect on the wave shape itself. For a forecast use Surfline, Windy or NOAA. The three buttons above choose which swell is drawn. Now is that buoy reading. The two typical states are climatology for this coast, an ordinary summer south and an ordinary winter day, and they run through the same model as the live one rather than being written by hand, which is why winter is the smaller of the two: the south shore rests while the North Shore works. Coastline data © OpenStreetMap contributors, ODbL.
Reading the south shore
Waikiki works on a different clock than the famous North Shore. Three things decide whether you get waves.
Summer is the season
Apr–Sep South swells from the Southern Hemisphere wrap into Waikiki through the warmer months, averaging roughly 2 to 4 feet. In winter the swell energy shifts to the North Shore and the south shore goes quiet.
Surf the morning
Dawn Water is usually cleanest before the trade winds fill in. By afternoon the onshore wind adds chop, and the beginner lineups are at their most crowded.
It is all reef
Coral Nearly every break here sits over shallow coral. That is what shapes the long, peeling waves, and it is why a wipeout at low tide has real consequences. Match the break to your level.
The breaks, west to east
Running from the Kewalo Basin end toward Diamond Head. Colors match the map above.
The westernmost wave on this stretch, breaking outside the mouth of Kewalo Basin harbor. It is fast and shallow, it closes out hard on the inside, and it draws a committed crowd of surfers and bodyboarders who all know exactly where the reef is. The harbor channel beside it makes the paddle out easy, which is the only forgiving thing about the spot.
When a real south swell lands, Bowls is one of the best waves on the whole south shore. It breaks near the Ala Moana Boat Harbor, fast and hollow, and the lineup is firmly a locals' wave. Watch it, respect it, and only paddle out if you are genuinely at home in punchy reef surf.
A punchy performance wave toward the Hilton and Ala Moana side. It rewards surfers who can take a steep drop and set a line quickly, and the lineup can be territorial. This is a spot to earn, not a spot to learn.
A heavy left over the shallowest reef on the Ala Moana stretch, named for exactly what is underneath it. It needs real size before it starts working and it punishes a late takeoff, so the lineup stays small and experienced. Booties are a sensible idea and a small day is not worth the paddle.
The fourth peak counting out along the Ala Moana reef, sitting between Rockpiles and Threes. It is a shorter, punchier right than Threes and it keeps its shape across a wider range of swell, which makes it a fair step up for anyone already comfortable next door. It fills in fast once a south is running.
The third recognizable break in the lineup, and a clean one. Threes is a right that peels into a semi-channel over sand, holds its shape at nearly any size, and works best on a lower tide. It gets crowded when it is on, but the vibe runs friendlier than neighboring Kaisers. You may recognize it from the film Endless Summer.
Big, rolling, shifting peaks in deeper water. Paradise is a favorite of longboarders and stand-up paddlers who want long rides and room to spread out. It is swell dependent, so it needs some size to turn on.
A long right over a sand-covered reef that breaks outside Canoes. The long paddle keeps crowds lighter than the inside spots, and it handles bigger south swell well, though a stiff trade wind can chop it up. The spot sits on Kawehewehe, an ancient Hawaiian healing site.
The most famous beginner wave in Hawaii, straight out from the heart of Waikiki. Waves roll slow and soft in the 1 to 3 foot range and give you a long, forgiving ride to the sand. It is also the most crowded break here, shared with surf schools, outrigger canoes, catamarans, and SUPs, so paddle out early and keep your head up.
The small, forgiving wave tucked just inside Queens, a short walk from the sand at Queen's Surf Beach. It breaks soft and slow over a shallow shelf, which is exactly why it is where lessons happen and where kids catch their first ride. The tradeoff for that gentleness is a thin bottom and a lineup packed with beginners, so keep your board under control and your head up.
The heart of traditional longboarding in Waikiki and a longtime contest wave, breaking in front of Queen's Surf Beach near the Duke Kahanamoku statue. It is a shapely right with the occasional short left, and the lineup is skilled and locally respected, so it is not a lesson wave. First-timers and kids should use Baby Queens, the small, gentle inside zone right next door.
Past the Waikiki Aquarium, Publics is a fast, hollow left over shallow, rocky reef. Takeoffs are pitchy and falls carry real consequence, especially at low tide, so it is strictly an experienced-surfer wave. The upside: it tends to be less crowded than the central breaks. Booties are a good idea.
A short, punchy right past Publics toward Diamond Head, in front of what was once the Tongg estate. It breaks close to shore over reef and it switches on at a smaller size than most of this coast, which is why people check it when the rest of Waikiki has gone flat. The takeoff zone is tight and the lineup polices itself.
The reef below Diamond Head Road, where Cliffs and Lighthouse break within sight of each other. It is far more exposed than anything inside Waikiki, so the trades get to it most afternoons, but it also picks up swell the inside reefs miss and the crowd thins out because no hotel is within walking distance. Park along the road and pick your way down.
Before you paddle out
A few things that keep you safe and keep the lineup friendly.
Match the break to your level
Start at Canoes or Baby Queens. Working your way out to reef breaks like Publics or Bowls before you are ready puts you and others at risk.
Wear reef-safe sunscreen
Chemical sunscreens that harm coral are banned in Hawaii. Bring a mineral, reef-safe one, even on cloudy days.
Never ditch your board
In a crowded, shallow lineup a loose board is dangerous. Hold it or turn turtle, and always look before you take off.
Respect the local order
Do not drop in, wait your turn, and read the vibe. Waikiki is welcoming, but the peak belongs to whoever is deepest.
Which way the swell runs
Oahu gets its waves from different directions through the year. That is why the crowds move from shore to shore with the seasons.
Schematic. Swell directions reflect typical seasonal patterns from Hawaii surf climatology, not a live forecast.
More Oahu guides
The rest of what we have written about the island, for the hours you are not in the water.
