Waipio Valley, United States
No town nearby. No stay checked for this site yet: Kapalaoa, 40 km away, is the nearest town we list. Nearest airport: MUE (MUE), 16 km.
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About Waipio Valley
Facing, offshore wind, exposure, level and swell range are estimated. Facts: verified, surf details estimated.
The spot faces N (14°), so it takes swell from the N. The wind blows offshore from the S (194°). 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 moderately: 10 m deep about 250 m out (1 in 23). On a typical 5 ft, 11 s swell the waves here would crumble. 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 January, February, March and April, with about 2 good days in 7; in July, about 0. From the weather of past years. No town nearby. No stay checked for this site yet: Kapalaoa, 40 km away, is the nearest town we list. Nearest airport: MUE (MUE), 16 km.
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 55 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 Waipio Valley.
Accommodation.
No town nearby
No stay checked for this site yet: Kapalaoa, 40 km away, is the nearest town we list. Nearest airport: MUE (MUE), 16 km.
Hire and lessons.
Surf lessons in Waipio Valley · GetYourGuideAdBoard and wetsuit hire in Waipio Valley · GetYourGuideAd
Where it is
Waipio Valley on Google Maps · Directions
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Forecast
Waipio Valley 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
| Day | Scorefor Intermediate | Swell | Energy | Wind | Temp |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sun 18Oct | 45, fair | 4 ft7 smushy | 153kJ | wind from the east-south-east, 8 knots | 24°C |
| Mon 19Oct | 9, poor | 6 ft7 smushy | 239kJ | wind from the east, 10 knots | 25°C |
| Tue 20Oct | 10, poor | 5 ft7 smushy | 212kJ | wind from the east-south-east, 9 knots | 25°C |
| Wed 21Oct | 32, poor | 5 ft6 smushy | 197kJ | wind from the east-south-east, 7 knots | 24°C |
| Thu 22Oct | 58, good | 4 ft6 smushy | 109kJ | offshorewind from the south-south-east, 5 knots, offshore | 25°C |
| Fri 23Oct | 50, good | 4 ft6 smushy | 98kJ | offshorewind from the south-south-east, 3 knots, offshore | 26°C |
| Sat 24Oct | 31, too small | 3 ft7 smushy | 57kJ | wind from the east-south-east, 7 knots | 25°C |
| Sun 25Oct | 37, fair | 3 ft6 smushy | 58kJ | wind from the east-south-east, 6 knots | 24°C |
| Mon 26Oct | 34, poor | 3 ft6 smushy | 48kJ | wind from the south-east, 6 knots | 23°C |
| Tue 27Oct | 36, fair | 3 ft5 smushy | 42kJ | wind from the east-south-east, 6 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 55 door to door
- Tue 20 OctSurf Waipio Valley
Best 17:00 to 20:00 local time: 5 ft at 7 s, wind 9 kn (16 km/h).
- Wed 21 OctSurf Waipio Valley
Best 14:00 to 17:00 local time: 5 ft at 6 s, wind 7 kn (13 km/h).
- Thu 22 OctSurf Waipio Valley
Best 08:00 to 11:00 local time: 4 ft at 6 s, offshore wind.
- Fri 23 OctSurf Waipio Valley
Best 08:00 to 11:00 local time: 4 ft at 6 s, offshore wind.
- Sat 24 OctRest day
Nothing worth paddling out for: the best window scores 33 of 80.
- Sun 25 OctTravel home
Direct flight ORD to KOA, then 1h 25 by road. About 12h 55 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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