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Papaikou Mill, United States

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

Also within 20 km of Papaikou

Watch this spot We email you when Papaikou Mill is worth the trip.

Ku - panoramio
Papaikou, the nearest town, 2 km away. Photo: Eric Marshall, CC BY 3.0, Wikimedia Commons

About Papaikou Mill

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

The spot faces NE (65°), so it takes swell from the NE. The wind blows offshore from the SW (245°). 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 24°C in March, its coldest month (no wetsuit), and 27°C in August, its warmest (no wetsuit). For intermediate surfers the best month is usually September, with about 2 good days in 7. From the weather of past years. The town to stay in is Papaikou, 1.5 km away (about 5 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 30 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 05 from the airport to Papaikou Mill.

    Car hire · Discover CarsAd

  3. Accommodation.

    Stay in PapaikouAd

    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 Papaikou · GetYourGuideAdBoard and wetsuit hire in Papaikou · GetYourGuideAd

Everything else for the trip

Where it is

Papaikou Mill on Google Maps · Directions

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Forecast

Papaikou Mill 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

No forecast for Papaikou Mill yet: it refreshes every three hours.

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. 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 05 by road. About 13h 30 door to door

  2. Tue 20 Oct
    Surf, if the swell comes

    No forecast yet. Typical for the time of year: good on 11% of days.

  3. Wed 21 Oct
    Surf, if the swell comes

    No forecast yet. Typical for the time of year: good on 11% of days.

  4. Thu 22 Oct
    Surf, if the swell comes

    No forecast yet. Typical for the time of year: good on 11% of days.

  5. Fri 23 Oct
    Surf, if the swell comes

    No forecast yet. Typical for the time of year: good on 11% of days.

  6. Sat 24 Oct
    Surf, if the swell comes

    No forecast yet. Typical for the time of year: good on 11% of days.

  7. Sun 25 Oct
    Travel home

    Direct flight ORD to KOA, then 2h 05 by road. About 13h 30 door to door

The trip from Papaikou, 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.

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.