TrueSwell

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Honolua Bay Surf Forecast

Maui, HI · Maui's world-class right point, firing on winter NW swell.

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Honolua Bay Spot Guide

Best swell

NNW
window W–NE (280°–40°)

Ideal size

3–15 ft
breaking-wave face height

Best wind

SSE
offshore · NNW is onshore

Verified against

Buoy 51205
live NOAA readings · our error

The wave

BreakWorld-class right point in a marine reserve bay
BottomReef
WavesLong, hollow rights through the Cave section on winter NW swell
AbilityNo at size — Honolua running is expert surf with a deeply invested crew.
Best tideMid
CrowdAll of Maui when it breaks
HazardsThe Cave's shallow inside, rocks, cliffside scramble down
AccessCliff-top pull-offs on the Honoapiilani Highway; steep trails to the bay

Local knowledge

Honolua is Maui's crown jewel — a point so perfect it decided world titles in the bay's amphitheater and inspired generations. It needs winter NW swell to wake, sleeps glassy and snorkel-clear all summer (it's a marine preserve), and when it's on, the cliff fills with spectators watching the Cave do its work.

Nearby spots

FAQ

What swell direction works best at Honolua Bay?

NNW swell hits Honolua Bay straight on. The spot picks up anything arriving from W (280°) through NE (40°); swell from outside that window is blocked by the coastline.

What wind is best at Honolua Bay?

SSE wind blows offshore and grooms the surf. NNW wind is straight onshore and chops it up; light wind under ~5 kn is fine from any direction.

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

Winter (October-March), when North Pacific storms send the legendary N/NW groundswell. Summer is small to flat on this shore.

What's the best tide at Honolua Bay?

Mid. Tide predictions for the spot's NOAA station are in the forecast above.

Is Honolua Bay good for beginners?

No at size — Honolua running is expert surf with a deeply invested crew.

How warm is the water at Honolua Bay?

Roughly 74°F at its late-winter coldest to about 81°F in late summer. In practice that means trunks or a rash guard in winter and trunks or a rash guard in summer. The forecast above shows the current water temperature.

How far out is this forecast reliable?

The wave model has real skill to about 10 days, and we cut the chart there instead of padding it with guesses. Days 1-3 are solid, 4-7 useful, 8-10 a trend heads-up - and we publish our measured error against NOAA buoys, updated continuously.

Forecast from TrueSwell's own physics-based wave model (exposure → refraction → breaking, every swell train separately), built on public NOAA and Open-Meteo data and scored daily against NDBC buoy observations. How the model works →