Overview
Kawaihae is a fun reef break tucked under the northwest corner of the Big Island, breaking off the breakwater at Kawaihae Harbor in the historical town of the same name. It offers both rights and lefts over a bottom of lava, rock and coral. West-northwest to north swells run down the coast and wrap into the breakwater to produce running right-handers, while the left empties out into the boat channel and doesn't hold up as well as the right. It can get really fun on a solid west-northwest swell, but is usually average to below average.
When It Works
Kawaihae draws swell from southwest through west-northwest, and the more west the angle the better, so a west-northwest (WNW) swell is the best match. It picks up energy from both the South and North Pacific and can break year-round, on winter north-to-west-northwest swells and summer south-southwest-to-southwest swells. The break works from 1.2 m / 4 ft to 2.1 m / 7 ft, roughly chest high up to a couple of feet overhead. The paddle out isn't bad on smaller days but gets tougher as the size builds.
Wind and Tide
Mornings usually bring light wind and clean conditions before an afternoon seabreeze fills in, so early is the call. The workable wind window runs from north through east-northeast to southeast, with east-northeast (ENE) the offshore direction; a north wind blows side-offshore. It can work through low, mid and high tide, with a rising tide generally the better bet.
Local Tips
The lineup stays fairly quiet and can feel a little reserved, though the vibe is usually friendly, so be cool and keep it that way. Crowds are hit or miss depending on how good it's breaking. Kawaihae suits everyone from beginners to experts and handles a wide range of equipment, from shortboards, fish and funboards to longboards, bodyboards and SUPs.
Access
Getting in is easy, with parking at the Kawaihae Cultural Surf Park right in front of the breakwater. Watch the reef, and note that water quality can be more suspect closer to the harbor entrance.
