Richardsons
Hourly
Confidence
Compare
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Tuesday 28
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Friday 31
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Timezone: Pacific/Honolulu

Richardsons surf guide

Richardsons is a spot located in Hilo, known for its welcoming vibe and consistent surf scene. It's popular among the local wave-riding community, providing a place where surfers can learn and improve. The area features a unique mix of black sand and rock, creating a picturesque setting for both beginners and those looking to catch mellow waves. While it's frequented by crowds, there's enough space for everyone to enjoy the water.

The surf here works best with east swells, but can handle north and east waves as well. You can expect swell sizes ranging from 2ft (about 0.6 meters) and upwards. This spot features uneven reef breaks that create scattered peaks, giving surfers the chance to ride both left and right waves. For the best conditions, aim for low to mid to high tide, while southwest winds help keep the waves cleaner. However, it's not uncommon to see it being surfed in light side or onshore conditions.

If you're still learning, Richardsons is a great spot since it caters mainly to beginners. You'll find a friendly crowd thatโ€™s usually willing to help out or share advice. Just remember that the consistency of the waves draws in many surfers, so you might want to arrive early to snag a good spot in the water. There's also the occasional right break off the eastern point during bigger northeast swells, and donโ€™t miss out on checking the fast, rocky rights in the next bay between Carlsmith and Kealoha Beach Parks.

Surf reports and surf forecasts nearby Richardsons

Kapoho Bay
Hawaii, United States
Reef break
Tue 28
Wed 29
Thu 30
Fri 31
Sat 1
Sun 2
Mon 3
Tue 4
Wed 5
Thu 6
Fri 7
Sat 8
Kolekole
Hawaii, United States
Reef break
Tue 28
Wed 29
Thu 30
Fri 31
Sat 1
Sun 2
Mon 3
Tue 4
Wed 5
Thu 6
Fri 7
Sat 8
Richardsons
Hawaii, United States
Beach break
Tue 28
Wed 29
Thu 30
Fri 31
Sat 1
Sun 2
Mon 3
Tue 4
Wed 5
Thu 6
Fri 7
Sat 8
Pohoiki
Hawaii, United States
Reef break
Tue 28
Wed 29
Thu 30
Fri 31
Sat 1
Sun 2
Mon 3
Tue 4
Wed 5
Thu 6
Fri 7
Sat 8
Honolii Point
Hawaii, United States
Rivermouth break
Tue 28
Wed 29
Thu 30
Fri 31
Sat 1
Sun 2
Mon 3
Tue 4
Wed 5
Thu 6
Fri 7
Sat 8
Waipio Valley
Hawaii, United States
Beach break
Tue 28
Wed 29
Thu 30
Fri 31
Sat 1
Sun 2
Mon 3
Tue 4
Wed 5
Thu 6
Fri 7
Sat 8
Keauhou Point
Unknown Region, Unknown Country
Point break
Tue 28
Wed 29
Thu 30
Fri 31
Sat 1
Sun 2
Mon 3
Tue 4
Wed 5
Thu 6
Fri 7
Sat 8
Kawaihae
Hawaii, United States
Jetty break, Reef break
Tue 28
Wed 29
Thu 30
Fri 31
Sat 1
Sun 2
Mon 3
Tue 4
Wed 5
Thu 6
Fri 7
Sat 8
Hapuna Point
Hawaii, United States
Reef break
Tue 28
Wed 29
Thu 30
Fri 31
Sat 1
Sun 2
Mon 3
Tue 4
Wed 5
Thu 6
Fri 7
Sat 8
Punaluu
Hawaii, United States
Beach break
Tue 28
Wed 29
Thu 30
Fri 31
Sat 1
Sun 2
Mon 3
Tue 4
Wed 5
Thu 6
Fri 7
Sat 8
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We calculate the wind confidence by comparing wind speed, gust and direction from multiple models (like GFS, ECMWF, Arome, and Harmonie) and seeing how closely they match. For wave certainty we compare height, period and direction, also on multiple models. They are weighted, meaning that some models count more than others, depending on how good they are for a certain spot.

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Forecast Table

The forecast table (the section on the page with all the numbers) is designed to pack as much information in the screen as possible. Although intimidating at first, it will help you make informed decisions about the waves faster, trust me :D. The table consists of roughly four sections, time and predictions, wind, waves, and tides:

๐Ÿ”ฎ Time and predictions section

Here we show the forecast thour and the overall surf quality prediction. This is determined based on the wave, wind and tide quality prediction. These individual predictions can be found on the forecast map.

๐Ÿ’จ Wind section

The first row on the table (with the ๐Ÿ’จ icon) shows wind speed, direction and gust. The more the wind speed the more aggressive the color (from blue, green, orange to red).

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The tide section consists of a row with the actual heights per hour (measured at the half hour) and a table that displays the flow of the tide and the extremes (lows and highs).

Forecast map

The forecast map consists of arrows. These arrows represent all wave partitions (swell partitions and wind wave partition) and the wind. This allows you to see things like: a secondary swell or wind waves messes up the surf, or the wind is just a tick offshore so very surfable. Click a metric label in the bottom left to bring that arrow to the front โ€” handy when arrows overlap.

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