Kapaniah, United States
No town nearby. No stay checked for this site yet: Kapalaoa, 39 km away, is the nearest town we list. Nearest airport: MUE (MUE), 27 km.
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About Kapaniah
Facing, offshore wind, exposure, level and swell range are estimated. Facts: verified, surf details estimated.
The spot faces NE (37°), so it takes swell from the NE. The wind blows offshore from the SW (217°). It is exposed to the open swell. It suits intermediate surfers and up. It works in 2–8 ft of swell. The sea floor shelves moderately: 10 m deep about 200 m out (1 in 22). On a typical 5 ft, 11 s swell the waves here would break hollow. 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 March, April and October, with about 1 good days in 7. From the weather of past years. No town nearby. No stay checked for this site yet: Kapalaoa, 39 km away, is the nearest town we list. Nearest airport: MUE (MUE), 27 km. Within 5 km we also list 4 surf spots.
Water about 27°C: no wetsuit. Typical sea temperature for the time of year, not a forecast.
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From Chicago: about 12 h 50 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. 1 h 25 from the airport to Kapaniah.
Accommodation.
No town nearby
No stay checked for this site yet: Kapalaoa, 39 km away, is the nearest town we list. Nearest airport: MUE (MUE), 27 km.
Hire and lessons.
Surf lessons in Kapaniah · GetYourGuideAdBoard and wetsuit hire in Kapaniah · GetYourGuideAd
Where it is
Kapaniah on Google Maps · Directions
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Forecast
The score for intermediates, coloured as on the area pages:GoodFairPoorToo bigToo small
| Day | Score for intermediates | Swell | Energy | Wind | Temp |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sun 18Oct | 18, poor | 4 ft6 smushy | 114kJ | wind from the east-south-east, 14 knots | 23°C |
| Mon 19Oct | 11, poor | 6 ft7 smushy | 241kJ | wind from the east-south-east, 14 knots | 23°C |
| Tue 20Oct | 13, poor | 5 ft7 smushy | 203kJ | wind from the east, 14 knots | 23°C |
| Wed 21Oct | 22, poor | 6 ft6 smushy | 236kJ | wind from the south-east, 10 knots | 23°C |
| Thu 22Oct | 31, poor | 4 ft6 smushy | 130kJ | wind from the east-south-east, 8 knots | 24°C |
| Fri 23Oct | 29, poor | 4 ft6 smushy | 94kJ | wind from the east-south-east, 8 knots | 24°C |
| Sat 24Oct | 23, too small | 2 ft7 smushy | 53kJ | wind from the east-south-east, 7 knots | 25°C |
| Sun 25Oct | 29, too small | 3 ft6 smushy | 42kJ | wind from the north, 4 knots | 23°C |
| Mon 26Oct | 28, poor | 3 ft6 smushy | 50kJ | wind from the east-south-east, 1 knot | 25°C |
| Tue 27Oct | 35, poor | 3 ft6 smushy | 50kJ | wind from the east-north-east, 3 knots | 25°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
- Mon 19 OctTravel out
Direct flight ORD to KOA, then 1h 25 by road. About 12h 50 door to door
- Tue 20 OctRest day
Nothing worth paddling out for: the best window scores 14 of 80.
- Wed 21 OctSurf Kapaniah
Best 08:00 to 11:00 local time: 6 ft at 6 s, wind 10 kn (19 km/h).
- Thu 22 OctSurf Kapaniah
Best 08:00 to 11:00 local time: 4 ft at 6 s, wind 8 kn (16 km/h).
- Fri 23 OctSurf Kapaniah
Best 08:00 to 11:00 local time: 4 ft at 6 s, wind 8 kn (15 km/h).
- Sat 24 OctRest day
Too small: 2 ft at best.
- Sun 25 OctTravel home
Direct flight ORD to KOA, then 1h 25 by road. About 12h 50 door to door
Rough cost
About £940–£1,790 each for 6 nights, 2 people sharing a room. A guide from typical prices, not a quote: check the real prices before you book. No town nearby, so no stay is in it.
| 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 |
| Hire car | 6 days, shared | £115–£190 |
| Food | 7 days eating out | £260–£480 |
| Board and wetsuit | 5 days, or about £85 to fly your own | £115–£190 |
| Total | £940–£1,790 |
Prices from public sources, checked in 2026: where they come from. Lessons, lift-pass deals and insurance are extra.
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