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4 Miles, United States

Stay in Hilo: see the trip Its beds, the way there and every spot near it.

Also within 20 km of Hilo

Watch this spot We email you when 4 Miles is worth the trip.

Carlsmith Beach Hilo Big island, Hawaii
James Kealoha Beach. Photo: dronepicr, CC BY 2.0, Wikimedia Commons

About 4 Miles

Facing, offshore wind, exposure, level and swell range are estimated. Facts: verified, surf details estimated.

The spot faces NE (29°), so it takes swell from the NE. The wind blows offshore from the SW (209°). It is exposed to the open swell. It suits intermediate surfers and up. It works in 2–9 ft of swell. The sea floor shelves gently: 10 m deep about 500 m out (1 in 50). On a typical 5 ft, 11 s swell the waves here would spill softly. The sea is about 24°C in March, its coldest month (no wetsuit), and 27°C in August, its warmest (no wetsuit). For intermediate surfers the best months are usually April, May, June and July, with about 1 good days in 7. From the weather of past years. The town to stay in is Hilo, 6.4 km away (about 15 min by car). Within 5 km we also list 3 surf spots.

Water about 27°C: no wetsuit. Typical sea temperature for the time of year, not a forecast.

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Book the trip

From Chicago: about 13 h 35 door to door, one way. An estimate; the journey never changes the score.

  1. Fly. Chicago O'Hare International Airport (ORD) to KOA, direct.

    See flights ORD → KOA · Skyscanner from about £415 returnAd

  2. Getting there. 2 h 10 from the airport to 4 Miles.

    Car hire · Discover CarsAd

  3. Accommodation.

    Stay in HiloAd

    Typical prices for a double room that month, not a quote.

    Room photos are examples, not these hotels (credits).

    See all places to stay on Booking.com →

    Closest towns to stay in

    Typical prices for a double room that month, not a quote. Drives are estimates.

  4. Hire and lessons.

    Surf lessons in Hilo · GetYourGuideAdBoard and wetsuit hire in Hilo · GetYourGuideAd

Everything else for the trip

Where it is

4 Miles on Google Maps · Directions

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Forecast

4 Miles does not suit beginners. This is the forecast for intermediates, so you can see what it does.

The score for intermediates, coloured as on the area pages:GoodFairPoorToo bigToo small

DayScoreInter­mediateSwellEnergyWindTemp
Sun 18Oct06 ft6 smushy203kJ26°C
Mon 19Oct07 ft6 smushy316kJ26°C
Tue 20Oct07 ft6 smushy347kJ27°C
Wed 21Oct06 ft6 smushy280kJ26°C
Thu 22Oct544 ft6 smushy105kJ27°C
Fri 23Oct564 ft7 smushy121kJ26°C
Sat 24Oct464 ft6 smushy93kJ27°C
Sun 25Oct524 ft6 smushy87kJ26°C
Mon 26Oct403 ft6 smushy70kJ27°C
Tue 27Oct473 ft9 ssoft133kJ27°C

Day scores here are the conditions out of 80; a trip's score on the results is the same conditions out of 100. The journey never scores. The forecast reaches about 10 days. Energy is the swell's power in kJ per metre of wave, from its height and interval: it grows with the square of each, so a long-period swell hits far harder than a short one the same size. The word under the swell is the wave's shape, our estimate from the sea floor. Wind is in knots: 10 kn is about 19 km/h. The arrow points where the wind blows to; offshore wind, blowing from the land out to sea, is green and says so.

Your trip, day by day

6 nights from Mon 19 Oct, leaving from Chicago, for intermediate surfers. Change dates

  1. Mon 19 Oct
    Travel out

    Direct flight ORD to KOA, then 2h 10 by road. About 13h 35 door to door

  2. Tue 20 Oct
    Rest day

    Nothing worth paddling out for: the best window scores 0 of 80.

  3. Wed 21 Oct
    Rest day

    Nothing worth paddling out for: the best window scores 0 of 80.

  4. Thu 22 Oct
    Surf 4 Miles

    Best 08:00 to 11:00 local time: 4 ft at 6 s, wind 3 kn (5 km/h).

  5. Fri 23 Oct
    Surf 4 Miles

    Best 17:00 to 20:00 local time: 4 ft at 7 s, wind 2 kn (3 km/h).

  6. Sat 24 Oct
    Surf 4 Miles

    Best 17:00 to 20:00 local time: 4 ft at 6 s, wind 5 kn (9 km/h).

  7. Sun 25 Oct
    Travel home

    Direct flight ORD to KOA, then 2h 10 by road. About 13h 35 door to door

The plan picks the best of 7 spots near Hilo each day: 4 Miles, Bayfront, Chocks, Hilo Breakwall, Honolii, Richardsons, Tombstones.

The trip from Hilo, with every spot near it

Rough cost

About £1,210–£2,245 each for 6 nights, 2 people sharing a room. A guide from typical prices, not a quote: check the real prices before you book.

WhatHow we worked it outEach
Flightsreturn ORD to KOA, estimated from distance and season, 1 airline on the route, with a hold bag£415–£865
To the UK airportparking or the train, there and back£35–£65
Hire car6 days, shared£115–£190
Stay6 nights, a mid-range double, shared£270–£455
Food7 days eating out£260–£480
Board and wetsuit5 days, or about £85 to fly your own£115–£190
Total£1,210–£2,245

Prices from public sources, checked in 2026: where they come from. Lessons, lift-pass deals and insurance are extra.

Places to eat near Hilo

Within 2 km of the town centre, listed by how complete the listing is (website, opening hours, cuisine) and whether two sources name it. Not a judgement of the food: we have no reviews. Listings © OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL) and Overture Maps Foundation. Credits

Book the trip

Getting thereAd

Flights · Skyscanner Car hire · Discover Cars

Where to stayAd

Places to stay · Booking.com

In the waterAd

Surf lessons · GetYourGuide Board and wetsuit hire · GetYourGuide

Links marked Ad may pay us a small commission if you book. You pay the same price, and it never changes a score.