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Conditions at Honolua Bay in January
January: Peak North Pacific Power
The heart of the Hawaiian winter delivers the most consistent northwest swell window of the year. Average swell height is around 6ft (1.9m) and the average period is 12.6s, meaning long-period, powerful energy is arriving straight into Honolua's northwest-facing reef. The swell rose is led by NNW at 31.7%, with N at 7.2% and NW at 10.4%, putting close to half of the month's swell in the ideal optimal window. This is the classic recipe for firing, hollow conditions in the bay.
Wind is the limiting factor. The trade wind regime is still active, with ENE wind 34.1% of the time and NE another 15.0%, much of it in the 20-40kph range, which can chop up the surface. However, southwest quadrant flow from SSW, SW, and WSW combines for about 16% of observations, and the ideal wind index sits at 28%. When a cold front swings winds to the southwest, the NNW groundswell turns glassy and Honolua shows its true potential. Water temperature is 24.3°C, air temperature averages 23.2°C, and rainfall is around 2.10 mm/day.
Average Spot conditions at Honolua Bay in January
Swell history for January
Wind history for January
Swell quality
Analyze the groundswell consistency at Honolua Bay during January. Based on historical data, there is a % probability of groundswell occurring this month. The chart below provides a detailed breakdown of the average wave height distribution, offering deep insights into the swell quality and surf potential you can expect at Honolua Bay for your next trip in January.
Ground swell
Ground swell by size
Wind conditions
Evaluate the wind and swell alignment at Honolua Bay for January. Our analysis shows that favorable offshore or side-shore winds coincide with surfable swell approximately % of the time. The accompanying graph illustrates the average size distribution of waves during these optimal wind windows at Honolua Bay.