Kauai: rip current risk and surf forecast

HawaiiNear ‘Ōma‘o, Kauai CountyNWS zone HIZ029NWS HFO

No rip current risk is being issued for these beaches right now. The office issued one, but it does not cover this zone at the moment.

Buoy NWWH1, 12 mi out, measured 81 °F water. Sunset 6:36 PM.

Rip current risk: Not givenNo forecast in issue
Water: 81 °FBuoy NWWH1
Sunset: 6:36 PMHST

Rip current risk on the map

Today’s rip current risk in every surf zone the National Weather Service forecasts for over Kauai. Open it for the live map, where it pans and zooms.

Open the live map with rip current risk

Map layer from NOAA National Weather Service surf zone forecasts. Boundaries from the Iowa Environmental Mesonet.

Alerts in force

No beach hazards statement, high surf advisory or other warning is in force for Kauai. Those are the products a coastal office issues when the water turns dangerous. When one is issued it appears here and on the alerts page for this area.

The surf zone forecast, period by period

Kauai. Issued 8:39 AM HST on Sun, Sep 20 by the National Weather Service in HFO.

__________________________________________________________________
                       Today                     Monday

Shores                  Surf                       Surf
                     AM     PM                  AM     PM
__________________________________________________________________

North Facing         0-2    0-2                 0-2    0-2
West Facing          3-5    3-5                 2-4    2-4
South Facing         5-7    5-7                 4-6    4-6
East Facing          4-6    4-6                 4-6    4-6

Rest of today

Weather: Partly sunny. Scattered showers
High Temperature: In the upper 80s
Winds: East winds around 15 mph
Tides, Hanalei Bay: High 1.9 feet 11:25 AM HST
Tides, Nawiliwili: High 1.8 feet 12:26 PM HST
Sunrise: 6:25 AM HST
Sunset: 6:37 PM HST

Tonight

Weather: Partly cloudy until 12 AM, then mostly cloudy. Isolated showers
Low Temperature: In the mid 70s
Winds: East winds around 10 mph
Tides, Hanalei Bay: Low 0.5 feet 06:39 PM HST. High 0.9 feet 11:34 PM HST. Low 0.4 feet 04:10 AM HST
Tides, Nawiliwili: Low 0.6 feet 08:01 PM HST. High 0.8 feet 12:35 AM HST. Low 0.4 feet 05:32 AM HST

Monday

Weather: Mostly sunny. Isolated showers
High Temperature: In the upper 80s
Winds: East winds around 15 mph
Tides, Hanalei Bay: High 2.0 feet 12:04 PM HST
Tides, Nawiliwili: High 1.9 feet 01:05 PM HST
Sunrise: 6:26 AM HST
Sunset: 6:36 PM HST

The product as issued

FZHW52 PHFO 201839
SRFHFO

Surf Zone Forecast for Hawaii
National Weather Service Honolulu HI
839 AM HST Sun Sep 20 2026

.DISCUSSION...
Surf along south facing shores will remain above average over the next
couple of days as a long period SSW swell holds relatively steady. 
This swell will then fade during the middle of the week, but will be 
followed by another small southerly swell shortly thereafter. West 
facing shores will experience a bit of the southerly wrap.

Breezy trade winds will maintain moderate surf along east facing shores
for the next several days. Surf along north facing shores will remain flat
to tiny through Monday, but will see a slight bump Tuesday into 
Wednesday. Then a small, long period west northwest swell will build
Friday into next weekend, increasing surf along north and west facing
shores. 

HIZ003-029>031-211945-
Kauai-
839 AM HST Sun Sep 20 2026

__________________________________________________________________
                       Today                     Monday

Shores                  Surf                       Surf     
                     AM     PM                  AM     PM 
__________________________________________________________________

North Facing         0-2    0-2                 0-2    0-2 
West Facing          3-5    3-5                 2-4    2-4 
South Facing         5-7    5-7                 4-6    4-6 
East Facing          4-6    4-6                 4-6    4-6 
                                                                  

.REST OF TODAY...
Weather.....................Partly sunny. Scattered showers. 
High Temperature............In the upper 80s. 
Winds.......................East winds around 15 mph.
Tides...
   Hanalei Bay..............High 1.9 feet 11:25 AM HST.
   Nawiliwili...............High 1.8 feet 12:26 PM HST. 
Sunrise.....................6:25 AM HST. 
Sunset......................6:37 PM HST.

.TONIGHT...
Weather.....................Partly cloudy until 12 AM, then mostly 
                            cloudy. Isolated showers. 
Low Temperature.............In the mid 70s. 
Winds.......................East winds around 10 mph.
Tides...
   Hanalei Bay..............Low 0.5 feet 06:39 PM HST.
                            High 0.9 feet 11:34 PM HST.
                            Low 0.4 feet 04:10 AM HST.
   Nawiliwili...............Low 0.6 feet 08:01 PM HST.
                            High 0.8 feet 12:35 AM HST.
                            Low 0.4 feet 05:32 AM HST.

.MONDAY...
Weather.....................Mostly sunny. Isolated showers. 
High Temperature............In the upper 80s. 
Winds.......................East winds around 15 mph.
Tides...
   Hanalei Bay..............High 2.0 feet 12:04 PM HST.
   Nawiliwili...............High 1.9 feet 01:05 PM HST. 
Sunrise.....................6:26 AM HST. 
Sunset......................6:36 PM HST.

$$

HIZ006-007-009-032>035-211945-
Oahu-
839 AM HST Sun Sep 20 2026

__________________________________________________________________
                       Today                     Monday

Shores                  Surf                       Surf     
                     AM     PM                  AM     PM 
__________________________________________________________________

North Facing         0-2    0-2                 0-2    0-2 
West Facing          3-5    3-5                 2-4    2-4 
South Facing         5-7    5-7                 4-6    4-6 
East Facing          4-6    4-6                 4-6    4-6 
                                                                  

.REST OF TODAY...
UV Index....................Extreme. 
Weather.....................Mostly sunny. Scattered showers. 
High Temperature............In the mid 80s. 
Winds.......................East winds around 20 mph.
Tides...
   Honolulu.................High 1.9 feet 12:27 PM HST.
   Waianae..................High 1.8 feet 12:47 PM HST.
   Haleiwa..................High 1.5 feet 11:25 AM HST.
                            Low 0.3 feet 05:47 PM HST.
   Mokuoloe.................High 2.1 feet 12:08 PM HST. 
Sunrise.....................6:20 AM HST. 
Sunset......................6:31 PM HST.

.TONIGHT...
Weather.....................Partly cloudy. Scattered showers. 
Low Temperature.............In the upper 70s. 
Winds.......................East winds around 15 mph.
Tides...
   Honolulu.................Low 0.4 feet 07:52 PM HST.
                            High 0.8 feet 12:58 AM HST.
                            Low 0.4 feet 05:49 AM HST.
   Waianae..................Low 0.4 feet 08:10 PM HST.
                            High 0.8 feet 01:18 AM HST.
   Haleiwa..................High 0.7 feet 11:56 PM HST.
                            Low 0.3 feet 03:44 AM HST.
   Mokuoloe.................Low 0.9 feet 07:47 PM HST.
                            High 1.0 feet 11:00 PM HST.
                            Low 0.4 feet 04:53 AM HST.

.MONDAY...
UV Index....................Extreme. 
Weather.....................Mostly sunny. Isolated showers. 
High Temperature............In the mid 80s. 
Winds.......................Northeast winds 15 to 20 mph.
Tides...
   Honolulu.................High 2.0 feet 01:08 PM HST.
   Waianae..................Low 0.4 feet 06:07 AM HST.
                            High 1.8 feet 01:28 PM HST.
   Haleiwa..................High 1.6 feet 12:06 PM HST.
   Mokuoloe.................High 2.2 feet 12:33 PM HST. 
Sunrise.....................6:20 AM HST. 
Sunset......................6:30 PM HST.

$$

HIZ017-018-045>050-211945-
Maui-
839 AM HST Sun Sep 20 2026

__________________________________________________________________
                       Today                     Monday

Shores                  Surf                       Surf     
                     AM     PM                  AM     PM 
__________________________________________________________________

North Facing         0-2    0-2                 0-2    0-2 
West Facing          1-3    1-3                 1-3    1-3 
South Facing         5-7    5-7                 4-6    4-6 
East Facing          4-6    4-6                 4-6    4-6 
                                                                  

.REST OF TODAY...
Weather.....................Mostly sunny. Isolated showers. 
High Temperature............In the mid 80s. 
Winds.......................East winds around 20 mph. 
Tides...
   Kahului..................High 2.2 feet 12:03 PM HST. 
Sunrise.....................6:14 AM HST. 
Sunset......................6:25 PM HST.

.TONIGHT...
Weather.....................Partly cloudy. Scattered showers. 
Low Temperature.............In the mid 70s. 
Winds.......................East winds around 15 mph.
Tides...
   Kahului..................Low 0.9 feet 07:38 PM HST.
                            High 1.0 feet 11:10 PM HST.
                            Low 0.5 feet 04:48 AM HST.

.MONDAY...
Weather.....................Mostly sunny. Scattered showers. 
High Temperature............In the mid 80s. 
Winds.......................East winds around 15 mph. 
Tides...
   Kahului..................High 2.3 feet 12:28 PM HST. 
Sunrise.....................6:14 AM HST. 
Sunset......................6:24 PM HST.

$$

HIZ052>054-211945-
Big Island Windward and Southeast-
839 AM HST Sun Sep 20 2026

__________________________________________________________________
                       Today                     Monday

Shores                  Surf                       Surf     
                     AM     PM                  AM     PM 
__________________________________________________________________

North Facing         0-2    0-2                 0-2    0-2 
East Facing          4-6    4-6                 4-6    4-6 
South Facing         5-7    5-7                 4-6    4-6 
                                                                  

.REST OF TODAY...
Weather.....................Partly sunny. Scattered showers. 
High Temperature............In the mid 80s. 
Winds.......................Northeast winds 10 to 15 mph. 
Tides...
   Hilo Bay.................High 2.2 feet 12:05 PM HST. 
Sunrise.....................6:08 AM HST. 
Sunset......................6:19 PM HST.

.TONIGHT...
Weather.....................Partly cloudy until 12 AM, then mostly 
                            cloudy. Scattered showers. 
Low Temperature.............In the mid 70s. 
Winds.......................North winds around 10 mph.
Tides...
   Hilo Bay.................Low 0.8 feet 07:28 PM HST.
                            High 1.1 feet 11:38 PM HST.
                            Low 0.5 feet 05:15 AM HST.

.MONDAY...
Weather.....................Partly sunny. Scattered showers. 
High Temperature............In the mid 80s. 
Winds.......................North winds 10 to 15 mph. 
Tides...
   Hilo Bay.................High 2.4 feet 12:42 PM HST. 
Sunrise.....................6:09 AM HST. 
Sunset......................6:18 PM HST.

$$

HIZ023-026-051-211945-
Big Island Leeward-
839 AM HST Sun Sep 20 2026

__________________________________________________________________
                       Today                     Monday

Shores                  Surf                       Surf     
                     AM     PM                  AM     PM 
__________________________________________________________________

West Facing          3-5    3-5                 2-4    2-4 
South Facing         5-7    5-7                 4-6    4-6 
                                                                  

.REST OF TODAY...
Weather.....................Mostly sunny. 
High Temperature............In the upper 80s. 
Winds.......................West winds 5 to 10 mph.
Tides...
   Kona.....................High 1.8 feet 12:43 PM HST.
   Kawaihae.................High 2.0 feet 12:21 PM HST. 
Sunrise.....................6:12 AM HST. 
Sunset......................6:23 PM HST.

.TONIGHT...
Weather.....................Partly cloudy. Isolated showers. 
Low Temperature.............In the lower 70s. 
Winds.......................South winds around 5 mph, becoming east 
                            after midnight.
Tides...
   Kona.....................Low 0.6 feet 08:05 PM HST.
                            High 0.9 feet 12:16 AM HST.
                            Low 0.3 feet 05:52 AM HST.
   Kawaihae.................Low 0.5 feet 08:03 PM HST.
                            High 0.9 feet 01:04 AM HST.
                            Low 0.5 feet 05:48 AM HST.

.MONDAY...
Weather.....................Sunny. 
High Temperature............In the upper 80s. 
Winds.......................Southwest winds around 5 mph.
Tides...
   Kona.....................High 1.9 feet 01:20 PM HST.
   Kawaihae.................High 2.1 feet 01:07 PM HST. 
Sunrise.....................6:13 AM HST. 
Sunset......................6:22 PM HST.

$$


__________________________________________________________________

Product Legend: 

Surf:        Height of the surf from trough to crest (face value)
             in feet.

Tides:       Heights displayed are relative to the Mean Lower Low
             Water (MLLW) datum in feet.

Surf heights can vary significantly from beach to beach along a
coastline. Surf larger than the upper end of the range provided in
the forecast will occur periodically, sometimes up to a few hours
apart. Expect to encounter rip currents in or near the surf zone,
with rip current strength increasing with surf size. Swimmers are
urged to exercise caution at all times and enter the water near a
lifeguard.

For the latest beach hazard and safety information at individual
beaches in Hawaii refer to:

https://hawaiibeachsafety.com

__________________________________________________________________

$$

The water now, measured

Buoy NWWH1, 1611400 - Nawiliwili, HI, 12 mi away, reported 7:54 AM.

Water temperature: 81 °F
Air temperature: 80 °F
Wind: 13 kt from the NE

From NOAA's National Data Buoy Center. Wave height is the significant height, the average of the highest third; the largest waves run half again as high. Offshore buoys read bigger than the surf at the beach.

Tides today

Port Allen, Hanapepe Bay, 10 mi away. Feet above mean lower low water.

Low tide4:13 AM0.5 ft
High tide12:18 PM1.9 ft
Low tide7:55 PM0.5 ft

Low tide often exposes the sandbars and channels that shape rip currents, and the risk can run higher for an hour or two either side of it. Full tide table for Port Allen, Hanapepe Bay.

Sun and daylight

Sunrise today: 6:26 AM
Sunset today: 6:36 PM
Sunrise tomorrow: 6:27 AM
Sunset tomorrow: 6:35 PM

Times are Hawaii-Aleutian Standard Time. Lifeguards are off duty outside posted hours, and the rip current risk does not fall with the light.

Beaches in this forecast

Hanalei Bay
Poipu
Kapaa
Polihale

As the National Weather Service lists them in its surf zone forecast.

What this means

The three levels the National Weather Service issues, and what to do at each.

High	Life-threatening rip currents are likely. The surf zone is dangerous for swimmers of every level. Stay out of the water.
Moderate	Life-threatening rip currents are possible. Swim near a lifeguard, and follow the beach patrol and its flags.
Low	Life-threatening rip currents are not expected, but they can still form near groins, jetties, reefs and piers. Swim near a lifeguard.

If a rip current carries you out

Do not fight the current. It pulls you away from the beach, not under the water.
Stay calm and keep your head above water. Float or tread water until the pull eases.
Swim parallel to the beach, along the shore, until you are out of the current, then angle in toward the beach.
If you cannot escape, face the shore, wave your arms and call for help.
If someone else is caught, do not go in after them. Get a lifeguard, call 911, and throw them something that floats.

Thunderstorms and lightning

Thunderstorms build fast over water on a summer afternoon. Water and open sand leave you the tallest thing around. When thunder roars, go indoors: leave the water and the beach for a building or a hard-topped vehicle, and wait 30 minutes after the last thunder before going back.

A rip current is a narrow stream of water flowing away from the beach, through the surf and past the breakers. It pulls swimmers out, not under. Rip current and lightning safety guidance from the National Weather Service.

More for this place

Sources

Rip current risk, surf, water temperature and UV from the National Weather Service surf zone forecast and beach forecast, office HFO. Original at NWS. Waves and water temperature measured by NOAA's National Data Buoy Center. Tides from NOAA CO-OPS. Alerts from the National Weather Service for zone HIZ029.