Waikiki Alert Guide

Hawaii, USA · part of the Waikiki spot guide

The Pearl Harbor Entrance buoy (51211) is a waves-only Waverider that reports no wind, so this observation alert keys on swell only — judge wind separately (the northeast trades are offshore here, best at dawn). Because the reef softens the swell, the height below reads at or above the face.

The forecaster's checklist

1. 1.Check the season first — April to October, ideally June to August; off-season is likely flat.
2. 2.Read the Pearl Harbor buoy (51211) direction from the south to south-southwest (about 155–240°); a southeast or east reading is likely local windswell, not the real south-shore engine.
3. 3.Look for period of about 14 seconds or more — genuine Southern Ocean groundswell that organises into clean rollers.
4. 4.Expect the face at or below the buoy height — the reef softens it — and pick your break by size: small to Canoes and Queens, bigger and cleaner to Populars and Threes.
5. 5.Go at dawn before the northeast trades fill in, favour a higher tide over the shallow reef, and mind the crowds and outrigger canoes.

Local winds & tide

Best wind: NE–N trades offshore (dawn glass) — from 10° to 50° (N–NE).

Tide matters over the wide shallow reef — commonly best around higher tide, with more water over the coral for cleaner rolling walls; very low tide exposes shallow reef and drags the inside.

Dial it in