Waterfalls, Samoa

No town nearby. No bookable town within 50 km: the nearest, Tāfuna, is 114 km away. Nearest airport: APW (APW), 37 km.

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About Waterfalls

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

The spot faces N (17°), so it takes swell from the N. The wind blows offshore from the S (197°). It is sheltered to the open swell. It suits intermediate surfers and up, because of a steep sea floor. It works in 5–19 ft of swell. The sea floor shelves very steeply: 10 m deep about 50 m out (1 in 2). On a typical 5 ft, 11 s swell the waves here would break hard and thick, like a slab. The sea is about 28°C in August, its coldest month (no wetsuit), and 30°C in March, its warmest (no wetsuit). No town nearby. No bookable town within 50 km: the nearest, Tāfuna, is 114 km away. Nearest airport: APW (APW), 37 km.

Water about 29°C: no wetsuit. Typical sea temperature for the time of year, not a forecast.

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From Chicago: about 22 h 45 door to door, one way. An estimate; the journey never changes the score.

Fly. Chicago O'Hare International Airport (ORD) to APW, changing at Daniel K. Inouye International Airport (HNL).
See flights ORD → APW · Skyscanner from about £605 returnAd
Getting there. 1 h from the airport to Waterfalls.
Car hire · Discover CarsAd
Accommodation.
No town nearby
No bookable town within 50 km: the nearest, Tāfuna, is 114 km away. Nearest airport: APW (APW), 37 km.
Hire and lessons.
Surf lessons in Waterfalls · GetYourGuideAd Board and wetsuit hire in Waterfalls · GetYourGuideAd

Everything else for the trip

Where it is

Waterfalls on Google Maps · Directions

Surf spot

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Forecast

Waterfalls 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

Forecast and score for intermediate surfers at Waterfalls, each day
Day	Scorefor Intermediate	Swell	Energy	Wind	Temp
Sun 18Oct	32, too small	4 ft7 shollow	122kJ	wind from the south, 7 knots, offshore	24°C
Mon 19Oct	12, too small	2 ft7 shollow	48kJ	wind from the south, 6 knots, offshore	26°C
Tue 20Oct	11, too small	2 ft6 shollow	27kJ	wind from the south-south-east, 8 knots, offshore	25°C
Wed 21Oct	9, too small	2 ft5 shollow	24kJ	wind from the south-east, 9 knots	26°C
Thu 22Oct	16, too small	3 ft5 shollow	50kJ	wind from the east-south-east, 9 knots	25°C
Fri 23Oct	12, too small	2 ft6 shollow	35kJ	wind from the south-east, 8 knots	25°C
Sat 24Oct	17, too small	3 ft7 shollow	71kJ	wind from the east-south-east, 11 knots	27°C
Sun 25Oct	30, poor	5 ft7 shollow	177kJ	wind from the south-east, 10 knots	27°C
Mon 26Oct	38, fair	5 ft7 shollow	180kJ	wind from the south-east, 9 knots	26°C
Tue 27Oct	45, fair	5 ft7 shollow	174kJ	wind from the south-south-east, 9 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 Oct
Travel out
Fly ORD to APW, changing at HNL, then 1h by road. About 22h 45 door to door
Tue 20 Oct
Rest day
Too small: 2 ft at best.
Wed 21 Oct
Rest day
Too small: 2 ft at best.
Thu 22 Oct
Rest day
Too small: 3 ft at best.
Fri 23 Oct
Rest day
Too small: 2 ft at best.
Sat 24 Oct
Rest day
Too small: 3 ft at best.
Sun 25 Oct
Travel home
Fly ORD to APW, changing at HNL, then 1h by road. About 22h 45 door to door

Rough cost

About £930–£1,830 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.

Rough cost per person for this trip
What	How we worked it out	Each
Flights	return ORD to APW, estimated from distance and season, changing at HNL, full-service airlines, with a hold bag	£605–£1,255
To the UK airport	parking or the train, there and back	£35–£65
Hire car	6 days, shared	£70–£115
Food	7 days eating out	£155–£290
Board and wetsuit	5 days, or about £85 to fly your own	£65–£105
Total		£930–£1,830

Prices from public sources, checked in 2026: where they come from. Lessons, lift-pass deals and insurance are extra.

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Getting thereAd

Flights · Skyscanner Car hire · Discover Cars

In the waterAd

Surf lessons · GetYourGuide Board and wetsuit hire · GetYourGuide

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