United States ยท Pacific Islands
Each location is refreshed once every three hours. The hourly view, 7-day forecast, luck factor and packing notes come from the same stored update.
We compare the 7-day forecast with the version-matched historical observations available for the same time of year at Jaws/Pe'ahi. The delta shows whether conditions look better, worse or about the same as a typical late July.
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).
Flat as a lake. Save your energy for another day. Reasonable period putting some grunt behind each wave. Breezy. Some surface chop to deal with. Not enough swell to get this spot firing properly.
PeakWave scores are planning signals, not safety clearance. Check local authorities, official bulletins and on-site conditions before you go. Read our editorial policy.
Pe'ahi, universally known as Jaws, is a terrifying, world-renowned big-wave reef break located on the northern coast of Maui, Hawaii. The bathymetry is defined by a massive, deep-water volcanic reef trench that abruptly transitions into a shallower rock shelf. This extreme depth gradient intercepts immense north-westerly winter groundswells tracking across the North Pacific. When these massive swells hit the reef, the ocean heaves violently, producing towering, monstrously thick waves that frequently exceed fifteen metres in face height. A southerly offshore wind is necessary to groom the expansive faces, frequently blowing heavy spray back off the colossal lip. Due to the unfathomable hydraulic weight of the water, the extreme hold-downs, and the immense speed required to escape the plunging lip, Jaws is strictly the domain of elite, professional big-wave surfers equipped with jet-ski assistance and specialized impact vests. It demands unparalleled physical and psychological preparation.
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.
The air here is 77% cleaner than the average comparison city right now.
Significantly cleaner air than a typical city. Ideal for outdoor exercise with minimal respiratory strain.
Not a pollutant. Ozone is naturally higher at altitude and near the coast, and lower in cities where traffic exhaust breaks it down. High readings here typically indicate clean air. Can cause short-term airway irritation during intense exercise but is not linked to the long-term health risks of particulate pollution.
Additive health score: each pollutant contributes points relative to its WHO 2021 guideline and long-term health impact (PM2.5 9, NOโ 5, Oโ 3, PM10 2, SOโ 1 at WHO limits). Data via Open-Meteo. City markers show live readings. Red line marks the WHO guideline. Updated 15:24
Crystal clear water: ~34m visibility
Daily scores over the last 12 months at Jaws/Pe'ahi
Historical quality only. Safety is not reconstructed for this view.
Create a free profile and let employers in Jaws/Pe'ahi find you.
Create Profile โPartly. The model uses stored spot geometry, swell ranges and tide preferences where configured. It cannot see changing banks, crowds, access, closures or everything visible on a local cam, so treat it as a starting point.
The best week for surf at Jaws/Pe'ahi is the week of 30 November (score 3/5) with low crowds.
This guide was generated from conditions data. Know this spot? Submit your own tips below.
Jaws (Pe'ahi) is one of the most terrifying big-wave breaks on Earth, a monstrous right-hand reef on Maui's north shore where waves regularly exceed 15 metres in face height. The wave breaks over a deep volcanic reef trench that compresses immense North Pacific swells into towering, impossibly thick walls of moving water. The lip alone weighs thousands of tonnes. This is the ultimate arena for elite big-wave surfing, accessible only to the world's best watermen equipped with jet-ski support and specialised safety equipment.
Jaws activates only during the most significant North Pacific winter swells, typically between November and March. The wave needs genuine 20ft-plus open ocean swell to properly break. The biggest days produce 40-60ft faces. A southerly offshore wind is required to groom the massive faces. These conditions align perhaps 10-15 times per season. Forecasting and preparation are essential.
Positioning at Jaws is managed via tow-in (jet-ski) for most sessions due to the extreme size and speed required to catch waves. Paddle-in sessions are attempted by a handful of elite athletes on the most favourable days. The take-off zone is over the deep reef trench where the swell first compresses and stands up.
Jaws represents the absolute limit of human capability in the ocean. Multi-wave hold-downs in water moving at tremendous speed. The hydraulic force can snap boards, tear inflation vests, and separate surfers from safety equipment. The reef below is deep enough to avoid direct impact in most cases but the turbulence and duration of hold-downs are the primary danger. Drowning is a genuine risk.
A dirt road leads to the cliff-top lookout above the break. Spectators gather here during major events. Access to the water is by jet-ski from the harbour or from the rocky shore below the cliffs. No beach access exists. The break is approximately 200 metres offshore.
Jaws is surfed by a community of 10-30 elite big-wave specialists when conditions align. This is an invitation-only arena in practice. Tow teams coordinate to manage safety and avoid interference. Major events (such as the Eddie) are invite-only competitions.
Jaws is not a wave for any surfer outside the elite big-wave community. It requires specialised big-wave guns (10'0"+), inflation vests with CO2 cartridges, jet-ski tow teams, rescue protocols, and years of graduated big-wave experience. Watching from the cliff during a major swell is a profound experience that every surfer should have at least once. The scale of the wave defies comprehension until you see it in person.
Surf at Jaws/Pe'ahi
Your score
Forecast feel
Score this window against what you actually found.
No scored surf reviews in the last 24 hours.
No recent check-ins. Be the first to report.
Log a day
Add Jaws/Pe'ahi to your private Companion record without GPS.
Combining historical conditions with school holiday crowd pressure to find the sweet spot.
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 30 days of logged conditions.
Based on historical weekly averages
Conditions at Jaws/Pe'ahi tend to be best between 06:00 to 09:00 in July.
Average score during this window: 5/100
See timing scores, school holiday busyness, and lift pass pricing to find the best time to book.
View Best Time to Go โ