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Makapuu, United States

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

Also within 20 km of Waimanalo

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Waimanalo - South
Waimanalo, the nearest town, 7 km away. Photo: The original uploader was Tijuana Brass at English Wikipedia., CC BY-SA 3.0, Wikimedia Commons

About Makapuu

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

The spot faces NE (44°), so it takes swell from the NE. The wind blows offshore from the SW (224°). 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 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 January, February, March and April, with about 1 good days in 7; in June, July and August, about 0. From the weather of past years. The town to stay in is Waimanalo, 7.4 km away (about 15 min by car). Within 5 km we also list 4 surf spots, 1 wind sports spot and 2 dive sites.

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 12 h 20 door to door, one way. An estimate; the journey never changes the score.

  1. Fly. Chicago O'Hare International Airport (ORD) to Daniel K. Inouye International Airport (HNL), direct.

    See flights ORD → HNL · Skyscanner from about £420 returnAd

  2. Getting there. 50 min from the airport to Makapuu.

    Car hire · Discover CarsAd

  3. Accommodation.

    Stay in WaimanaloAd

    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 Waimanalo · GetYourGuideAdBoard and wetsuit hire in Waimanalo · GetYourGuideAd

Everything else for the trip

Where it is

Makapuu on Google Maps · Directions

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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 18Oct123 ft7 smushy101kJ26°C
Mon 19Oct164 ft7 smushy141kJ26°C
Tue 20Oct134 ft7 smushy110kJ26°C
Wed 21Oct163 ft7 smushy105kJ26°C
Thu 22Oct183 ft7 smushy70kJ26°C
Fri 23Oct163 ft9 shollow99kJ26°C
Sat 24Oct202 ft9 shollow86kJ26°C
Sun 25Oct102 ft10 smushy113kJ26°C
Mon 26Oct203 ft10 shollow121kJ26°C
Tue 27Oct423 ft11 shollow170kJ26°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 HNL, then 50 min by road. About 12h 20 door to door

  2. Tue 20 Oct
    Rest day

    Too small: 2 ft at best.

  3. Wed 21 Oct
    Rest day

    Nothing worth paddling out for: the best window scores 28 of 80.

  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 China walls

    Best 14:00 to 17:00 local time: 3 ft at 11 s, offshore wind.

  7. Sun 25 Oct
    Travel home

    Direct flight ORD to HNL, then 50 min by road. About 12h 20 door to door

The plan picks the best of 8 spots near Waimanalo each day: Baby Makapuu, China walls, Irmas, Makapuu, Makapuu Beach, Sandy Beach Oahu, Secrets, Turtles.

The trip from Waimanalo, with every spot near it

Rough cost

About £1,145–£2,140 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 HNL, estimated from distance and season, 2 airlines on the route, with a hold bag£420–£870
To the UK airportparking or the train, there and back£35–£65
Taxiairport and back, shared£45–£80
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£1,145–£2,140

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

Places to eat near Waimanalo

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

Places to stay · Booking.com

In the waterAd

Surf lessons · GetYourGuide Board and wetsuit hire · GetYourGuide

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