Kahalu'u, United States
Also within 20 km of Kailua-Kona
- Kona Inn Surf spot · 0.6 km from Kailua-Kona
- Kona Kite spot · 0.8 km from Kailua-Kona
- Turtle Pinnacle Dive site · 1.5 km from Kailua-Kona
- Honls Surf spot · 1.8 km from Kailua-Kona
- Kona Tiki Surf spot · 2.3 km from Kailua-Kona
- Suck Em Up Dive site · 2.3 km from Kailua-Kona
- Honokohau Harbor Dive site · 4.2 km from Kailua-Kona
- Banyons Surf spot · 4.4 km from Kailua-Kona
Watch this spot We email you when Kahalu'u is worth the trip.
About Kahalu'u
Facing, offshore wind, exposure, level and swell range are estimated. Facts: verified, surf details estimated.
The spot faces W (250°), so it takes swell from the W. The wind blows offshore from the E (70°). 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 steeply: 10 m deep about 150 m out (1 in 16). On a typical 5 ft, 11 s swell the waves here would break hollow. The sea is about 25°C in January, its coldest month (no wetsuit), and 28°C in October, its warmest (no wetsuit). For intermediate surfers the best month is usually January, with about 4 good days in 7. From the weather of past years. The town to stay in is Kailua-Kona, 7.5 km away (about 15 min by car). Within 5 km we also list 3 surf spots and 4 dive sites.
Water about 28°C: no wetsuit. Typical sea temperature for the time of year, not a forecast.
Save this trip A link to come back to, or to send to the group.
Book the trip
From Chicago: about 12 h 10 door to door, one way. An estimate; the journey never changes the score.
Fly. Chicago O'Hare International Airport (ORD) to KOA, direct.
See flights ORD → KOA · Skyscanner from about £415 returnAdGetting there. 40 min from the airport to Kahalu'u.
Accommodation.
Stay in Kailua-KonaAd
Typical prices for a double room that month, not a quote.
Room photos are examples, not these hotels (credits).
See all places to stay in Kailua-Kona (ad) on Booking.com →Closest towns to stay in
Kailua-Kona 13 min by car · rooms from £100 a night · 45 places to stay · where Kahalu'u stays
Places to stay in Kailua-Kona · Booking.com Ad
Typical prices for a double room that month, not a quote. Drives are estimates.
Hire and lessons.
Surf lessons in Kailua-Kona · GetYourGuideAdBoard and wetsuit hire in Kailua-Kona · GetYourGuideAd
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Where it is
Kahalu'u on Google Maps · Directions
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Forecast
The score for experts, coloured as on the area pages:GoodFairPoorToo bigToo small
| Day | Score for experts | Swell | Energy | Wind | Temp |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sun 18Oct | 14, too small | 2 ft11 shollow | 125kJ | wind from the south-west, 3 knots | 25°C |
| Mon 19Oct | 14, too small | 2 ft11 shollow | 110kJ | wind from the west, 1 knot | 25°C |
| Tue 20Oct | 11, too small | 2 ft12 shollow | 82kJ | wind from the west, 4 knots | 25°C |
| Wed 21Oct | 12, too small | 2 ft11 shollow | 86kJ | wind from the west, 4 knots | 25°C |
| Thu 22Oct | 12, too small | 2 ft11 shollow | 93kJ | wind from the west-south-west, 4 knots | 25°C |
| Fri 23Oct | 14, too small | 2 ft11 shollow | 123kJ | wind from the west-south-west, 3 knots | 26°C |
| Sat 24Oct | 17, too small | 3 ft11 shollow | 148kJ | wind from the south-west, 2 knots | 26°C |
| Sun 25Oct | 18, too small | 3 ft11 shollow | 206kJ | wind from the west-north-west, 4 knots | 23°C |
| Mon 26Oct | 21, too small | 3 ft12 shollow | 241kJ | offshorewind from the north-east, 1 knot, offshore | 21°C |
| Tue 27Oct | 25, too small | 3 ft11 shollow | 265kJ | offshorewind from the east, 2 knots, offshore | 22°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 expert surfers. Change dates
- Mon 19 OctTravel out
Direct flight ORD to KOA, then 40 min by road. About 12h 10 door to door
- Tue 20 OctRest day
Nothing worth paddling out for: the best window scores 22 of 80.
- Wed 21 OctRest day
Nothing worth paddling out for: the best window scores 23 of 80.
- Thu 22 OctRest day
Nothing worth paddling out for: the best window scores 25 of 80.
- Fri 23 OctRest day
Nothing worth paddling out for: the best window scores 28 of 80.
- Sat 24 OctRest day
Nothing worth paddling out for: the best window scores 32 of 80.
- Sun 25 OctTravel home
Direct flight ORD to KOA, then 40 min by road. About 12h 10 door to door
The plan picks the best of 8 spots near Kailua-Kona each day: Banyons, Honls, Kahalu'u, Kona Inn, Kona Tiki, Lymans, Magics, Pine Trees.
Rough cost
About £1,130–£2,110 each for 6 nights, 2 people sharing a room. A guide from typical prices, not a quote: check the real prices before you book.
| What | How we worked it out | Each |
|---|---|---|
| Flights | return ORD to KOA, estimated from distance and season, 1 airline on the route, with a hold bag | £415–£865 |
| To the UK airport | parking or the train, there and back | £35–£65 |
| Taxi | airport and back, shared | £35–£55 |
| Stay | 6 nights, a mid-range double, shared | £270–£455 |
| Food | 7 days eating out | £260–£480 |
| Board and wetsuit | 5 days, or about £85 to fly your own | £115–£190 |
| Total | £1,130–£2,110 |
Prices from public sources, checked in 2026: where they come from. Lessons, lift-pass deals and insurance are extra.
Places to eat near Kailua-Kona
- Kiri ThaiThai · in the centre
- Ocean Seafood Chinese RestaurantChinese · in the centre
- Honu's on the BeachHawaiian · 0.1 km from the centre
- Kona Chinese BBQChinese · 0.1 km from the centre
- Original Thai CuisineThai · 0.1 km from the centre
- Papa Johns PizzaPizza · 0.1 km from the centre
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
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Where to stayAd
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