Waikiki Beach

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.