United States · Pacific Islands
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Honolua Bay is a world-class right-hand point break on Maui's northwest coast. The wave peels along a reef shelf inside a protected bay, producing long, powerful walls and barrel sections. It has hosted professional events and is considered one of Hawaii's finest rights. The jungle-lined bay and clear blue water create an iconic setting. Protected as a marine preserve, the water teems with life.
Needs a solid north-west Pacific groundswell (6ft+). Winter season (November-February) delivers the biggest swells from North Pacific storms. A south-easterly trade wind is offshore. Best at mid to high tide. The 6-12ft range is where it produces world-class barrels. Does not work in summer.
The take-off is at the top of the point where the swell hits the reef. The right peels along the bay for up to 200 metres. Multiple sections offer different take-off options. The cave section produces the deepest barrels.
Powerful Hawaiian waves over shallow reef. Coral and rocks. Strong currents on bigger swells. Sea turtles in the lineup. The wave is fast and powerful at size. Getting caught inside is consequential. Experienced surfers only on solid days.
Park on the road above the bay. Trail through the jungle to the cliff viewing point and down to the water. The hike (10 minutes) limits casual visitors. Entry from the rocks at the bay edge.
Crowded when it works. Maui's surf community converges on Honolua during north swells. 20-40 people on a classic day. The locals have deep history with this wave and expect respect. The take-off is competitive.
Honolua is sacred to the local Hawaiian community. Respect the place, do not litter, and be humble in the lineup. The cliff viewpoint above gives an excellent perspective on the wave and crowd. If it is too crowded or heavy, Fleming Beach (nearby) offers a mellow beach break alternative.
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Based on historical weekly averages
Combining historical conditions with school holiday crowd pressure to find the sweet spot.
How busy each week is based on school holiday overlap from feeder markets.
The timing score combines two signals: historical conditions quality (how good the skiing or surfing typically is in a given week, based on 5 years of weather data) and crowd pressure (how many of this destination's feeder markets have school holidays that week).
Crowd pressure is weighted by each feeder country's share of visitors. If 40% of a resort's visitors come from France and France is on holiday, that contributes 0.40 to the crowd pressure score. Crowds can reduce the timing score by up to 35%, ensuring conditions still matter most.
Scores: 5 = great conditions with low crowds (the sweet spot). 4 = great conditions with moderate crowds, or good conditions with low crowds. 3 = average. 2 = below average conditions or very crowded. 1 = poor conditions or peak holiday chaos.
Last 27 days of logged conditions.
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Create Profile →Current conditions refresh every 3 hours when the cron runs. Hourly data updates every 30 minutes. The 7-day forecast, luck factor, and packing notes are all pre-computed at the same time.
We compare the 7-day forecast to the last 5 years of marine data for the same week at Honolua Bay. The delta tells you whether conditions are shaping up better, worse, or about the same as a typical mid-June.
We score each day of the 7-day forecast using the same algorithm as the leaderboard, and highlight the highest scorer.
Open-Meteo's Marine API (swell height, period, water temperature) and Weather API (wind and conditions).
Honestly, no. Every break has tide windows, swell directions and reef contours that a global model cannot see. Treat the score as a starting point, then check a local cam.
The best week for surf at Honolua Bay is the week of 30 November (score 3/5) with low crowds.
Flat as a lake. Save your energy for another day. Moderate wind adding texture to the faces. Best conditions early morning before the sea breeze arrives. Not enough swell to get this spot firing properly.
Heads up: jellyfish: peak season, and rocks exposed at low tide.
Indicators derived from forecast data, not official warnings. Always check local lifeguard or official advice.
Crystal clear water: ~31m visibility
Daily scores over the last 12 months at Honolua Bay