With Hawaii's best Local Pros and Lifeguards.

The Big Island is a big place to guess where the surf's going to be good. Kona town, the Kohala Coast, and Hilo don't all face the same direction, so the swell that lights up one zone can leave another completely flat. Here's a zone-by-zone breakdown of which swell direction — and which wind pattern — turns on each of our main surf areas, so you can make a smarter call before you drive anywhere. This covers the basics. The Big Island's got no shortage of secret spots out ther

If you're planning a surf session or a lesson at Kahalu‘u Beach here in Kona, the tide matters just as much as the swell. Kahalu‘u is a low-tide spot, plain and simple — and knowing when low tide falls each season is one of the biggest edges you can have going into a session. Why Kahalu‘u Surfs Better on Low Tide At Kahalu‘u, low tide consistently produces the best-quality waves. As the water pulls back off the reef, the wave faces clean up and the surf breaks with more shape