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Mahai'ula Bay, United States

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

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

All 17 on Kailua-Kona's map

Watch this spot We email you when Mahai'ula Bay is worth the trip.

Kona Mauka
Kailua-Kona, the nearest town, 16 km away. Photo: Travisthurston, CC BY-SA 3.0, Wikimedia Commons

About Mahai'ula Bay

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

The spot faces NW (302°), so it takes swell from the NW. The wind blows offshore from the SE (122°). It is sheltered to the open swell. It suits beginners and up. It works in 2–9 ft of swell. The sea floor shelves gently: 10 m deep about 900 m out (1 in 89). On a typical 5 ft, 11 s swell the waves here would spill softly. The sea is about 25°C in January, its coldest month (no wetsuit), and 27°C in July, its warmest (no wetsuit). The town to stay in is Kailua-Kona. Within 5 km we also list 1 surf spot.

Water about 27°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 11 h 55 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. 25 min from the airport to Mahai'ula Bay.

    Car hire · Discover CarsAd

  3. Accommodation.

    Nearest beds: Kailua-Kona, 16 km (about 30 min by car)Ad

    No town with beds to book is nearer Mahai'ula Bay: plan on the drive each day you surf.

    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, 16 km away 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 Kailua-Kona · GetYourGuideAdBoard and wetsuit hire in Kailua-Kona · GetYourGuideAd

Everything else for the trip

Where it is

Mahai'ula Bay on Google Maps · Directions

The map needs JavaScript. Every place on it is listed on this page, and each place's page links to Google Maps.

One finger scrolls the page; two fingers move the map. Pins are our own positions. Map OpenFreeMap, © OpenMapTiles, data © OpenStreetMap contributors.

Forecast

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

DayScoreSwellEnergyWindTemp
Sun 18Oct373 ft6 smushy61kJ27°C
Mon 19Oct353 ft5 smushy50kJ26°C
Tue 20Oct363 ft5 smushy41kJ26°C
Wed 21Oct252 ft6 smushy42kJ26°C
Thu 22Oct242 ft9 ssoft56kJ26°C
Fri 23Oct282 ft11 ssoft111kJ27°C
Sat 24Oct342 ft11 ssoft142kJ27°C
Sun 25Oct383 ft11 ssoft208kJ27°C
Mon 26Oct453 ft12 ssoft233kJ27°C
Tue 27Oct483 ft12 ssoft259kJ27°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 25 min by road. About 11h 55 door to door

  2. Tue 20 Oct
    Surf Mahai'ula Bay

    Best 17:00 to 20:00 local time: 3 ft at 5 s, wind 3 kn (5 km/h).

  3. Wed 21 Oct
    Rest day

    Too small: 2 ft at best.

  4. Thu 22 Oct
    Rest day

    Too small: 2 ft at best.

  5. Fri 23 Oct
    Rest day

    Too small: 2 ft at best.

  6. Sat 24 Oct
    Surf Mahai'ula Bay

    Best 08:00 to 11:00 local time: 2 ft at 11 s, wind 1 kn (2 km/h).

  7. Sun 25 Oct
    Travel home

    Direct flight ORD to KOA, then 25 min by road. About 11h 55 door to door

The trip from Kailua-Kona, with every spot near it

Rough cost

About £1,110–£2,080 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
Taxiairport and back, shared£15–£25
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£1,110–£2,080

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

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

Nearest beds: Kailua-Kona, 16 km (about 30 min by car) · 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.