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Conditions at Kalapaki Beach in January
January: The North Pacific Roars, But Kalapaki Stays Sheltered
January delivers the largest open-ocean swell of the year around Kauai, with average heights pushing 7.9ft (2.4m) and periods of 12.4s. The waverose is dominated by NNW (20.4%), NW (9.5%) and NNE (8.7%) energy - classic North Pacific groundswell. But with a south-facing exposure, this is exactly the wrong direction for Kalapaki. Only a sliver of SSE/S/SSW swell (1.2% of all observations) actually wraps into Nawiliwili Bay, and what arrives is mostly in the 3-5ft (1-1.5m) range, enough for a soft longboard wave but rarely anything with push.
The wind picture is a mixed bag. ENE and E trades dominate (19.4% and 14.9%), while the offshore N/NNE/NW/NNW quadrant accounts for 17.9%, giving 31% ideal wind days. However, Kona lows also drag S/SSW onshore flow about 17% of the time, making the bay messy. Air temps average 22.8°C (18.5-26.3°C), water is 24.2°C, and rainfall is 2.19 mm/day. Pick the rare southeast pulse that coincides with a light offshore morning; you won't find many.
Average Spot conditions at Kalapaki Beach in January
Swell history for January
Wind history for January
Swell quality
Analyze the groundswell consistency at Kalapaki Beach 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 Kalapaki Beach for your next trip in January.
Ground swell
Ground swell by size
Wind conditions
Evaluate the wind and swell alignment at Kalapaki Beach 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 Kalapaki Beach.