Surf Forecast  Hanalei Bay

Hanalei Bay surfspot characteristics

More about Hanalei Bay surfspot

Hanalei Bay is the focus of Kauai surfing, providing a range of waves in a small area. Below deluxe Princeville Resort is the righthand pointbreak that everyone wants to ride, crowding the sections of Impossible, Flat Rock and The Bowl on all sizes of board. Speed is king at Hanalei once it gets overhead and maintaining speed through the curvaceous barrels and racetrack walls is key. As size increases, so too does the possibility of linking up the 3 take-off points, but getting caught behind will result in a long journey as the tough current sweeps over the shallow lava/coral bottom and deposits you in the Bowl channel. Good trade wind protection and handles rugged size but it’s a very long paddle and of course, every wave is over-subscribed so the locals are often aggressive. If there's no space, the bay has an embarrassment of riches - try Waikokos wicked lefts, Middles deepwater cracking peaks, Pinetrees perfect walls or head out on the 'skis for some tow in action at Kings and Queens.

General: Hanalei Bay is one of the most well-known spots on the island of Kauai, and there are many other spots in and around the bay. Hanalei itself is a long right point that breaks on the eastern side of the bay for up to 300 yards over lava reef. It is a fairly powerful wave with occasional barrel sections that ends with an inside bowl section in the middle of the bay. Farther north, up and around the point from Hanalei, is a reefbreak right called Hideaways. Further inside the bay is PineTrees, which needs a larger swell and a good sandbar setup at the rivermouth. Directly across Hanalei Bay from the main point is a fickle left reefbreak called Waikokos, which needs a large N swell and W wind. Tides: All tides Size: Head high-3X overhead Wind: Calm or light to moderate offshore from the ENE to SE. Swell: WNW to NNE Bottom: Reef Paddling: The paddle out is not hard, just long. And it's a point break, so longer the ride then longer the paddle back. Spot Rating: A nice, long, powerful wave with great shape and the occasional barrel sections.

Best suited for avid to advanced surfers.

Easy. Enter the water either from the Hanalei Pier area, or from the keyhole off Puu Poa Beach midway on the point.

Winter is best. Tradeswell in summer can be OK, at least rideable.

Crowd Factor: Usually always a crowd, but can be pretty spread out along the point. Local Vibe: Competitive. Locals tend to rule the place. Humility and respect expected.

Highly consistent with crowds to match.

Good most of the time. However, there are a few rivermouths in the bay with a large one right at the break, so water can get dirty after significant rain.

Sections of shallow reef, currents.