Waikiki Beach • Surf Spot Statistics

Best Surf Season (October - March)

The North Pacific roars back to life during October, and by December the average swell height along this north-facing stretch reaches 6ft (1.8m) with a powerful average period of 12.1 seconds. This is when the Aleutian Low strengthens and directs a succession of mid-latitude cyclones toward Hawaii. The dominant NW and NNW groundswell windows line up with the exposed orientation of Waikiki, producing the most consistent and organized surf of the year. January is the peak, with 47% of all swell energy arriving from the NW/WNW/NNW quadrant and a 12.6-second average period. While the trade winds are still present, the ideal offshore wind window from S/SSW/SW is more frequent, reaching 19-23% in December through February, giving surfers cleaner, more lined-up waves.

Fair Surf Season (April - May and September)

As the North Pacific storm track starts to back off in April, the low-latitude trade-wind regime reasserts itself. Average swell heights ease to around 5ft (1.5-1.6m), periods sit near 11.2-11.5 seconds, and the swell direction becomes increasingly dominated by ENE and E. These directions are not the primary optimal N-NW window, so the surf becomes more dependent on refraction and sandbars. Ideal wind percentages drop to 10-14%, as the ENE trades blow 60-74% of the time. The same pattern reappears in September as the trades remain strong before the North Pacific swells return in October.

Low Surf Season (June - August)

Mid-summer is the slowest and messiest period. The Aleutian Low is dormant and north swell directions essentially vanish from the charts. All remaining energy is E/ESE/SE trade swell generated by the North Pacific High, with average heights around 5ft (1.5m) and periods falling to 10.7 seconds. The wind field becomes locked into a relentless ENE flow 83-87% of the time, leaving only 3-5% of observations in the ideal offshore S/SSW/SW window. The combination of shorter-period swell and persistent trade wind texture makes clean, fun-sized waves rare. This is the time to wait for a tropical disturbance or a brief trade-wind lull to create a rideable window.