High Surf in Hawaii

Events

9,299

Deaths

45

Injuries

73

Damage

$1.2 million

• High Surf in Hawaii, January 11 to 16, 20194 deaths · 12 eventsA swell from a powerful low far northwest of the Aloha State caused surf of 20 to 35 feet along the north- and west-facing shores of Niihau and Kauai, and along the north-facing shores of Oahu, Molokai, and Maui; 10 to 20 feet along the west-facing shores of Oahu and Molokai;…
• High Surf in Hawaii, January 30 to 31, 19974 deaths · 6 eventsSeveral low pressure centers moving across the north central Pacific generated swell that produced surf of 8 to 12 feet with occasional sets to 15 feet along the north and west facing shores of the islands.
• High Surf in Hawaii, October 12 to 14, 20083 deaths · 10 eventsA deep low far north of the area generated surf of 12 to 18 feet along the north-facing shores of Niihau, Kauai, Oahu, Molokai, and Maui; and 8 to 12 feet along the west-facing shores of Niihau and Kauai. Three individuals died as a direct result from the high surf.
• High Surf in Hawaii, January 17 to 22, 20132 deaths · 17 eventsA swell from a powerful low far northwest of the islands generated surf of 15 to 30 feet along the north- and west-facing shores of Niihau and Kauai, and the north-facing shores of Oahu, Molokai, and Maui; 10 to 20 feet along the west-facing shores of Oahu, Molokai, and Maui; 10…
• High Surf in Hawaii, July 25 to 28, 20152 deaths · 15 eventsA swell from the southern hemisphere generated surf of 8 to 15 feet along the south-facing shores of all the islands. With the unusually high surf, lifeguards made 3000 preventive actions and 39 rescues on south and west shores just on Oahu alone.
• High Surf in Hawaii, July 16 to 21, 20162 deaths · 8 eventsA northeast swell caused by former Hurricane Celia generated surf of 6 to 12 feet along the east-facing shores of Kauai, Oahu, Molokai, Maui, and the Big Island of Hawaii.
• High Surf in Hawaii, August 9 to 11, 20251 death · $530,000 · 4 eventsA large long period south swell brought large surf and dangerous conditions to south facing shores of each island.
• High Surf in Hawaii, October 27 to 31, 20151 death · 3 injured · 13 eventsA swell from a powerful low far northwest of the Aloha State generated surf of 15 to 25 feet along the north-facing shores of all the islands except Lanai; 10 to 20 feet along the west-facing shores of Niihau, Kauai, Oahu, Molokai, and Maui; and 8 to 12 feet along the…
• High Surf in Hawaii, October 8 to 11, 20211 death · 27 eventsThe combination of a trade wind swell and a swell from the southern hemisphere generated surf of 6 to 12 feet along the east- and south-facing shores of all the islands.
• High Surf in Hawaii, May 26 to 27, 19961 death · 3 injured · 1 eventA fall storm in the southern hemisphere, to the south of Tahiti, generated large ocean swell around May 19th. Surf with sets to 6 feet built along the south shores of the Hawaiian Islands during the late morning hours of the 26th.
• High Surf in Hawaii, June 4 to 6, 20131 death · 1 injured · 16 eventsA long period swell from the southern hemisphere generated surf of 6 to 12 feet along the south-facing shores of all the main Hawaiian Islands. In a few instances, water from the high surf flowed over adjacent roads and deposited sand and other debris.
• High Surf in Hawaii, December 21 to 23, 19971 death · 2 injured · 6 eventsDeep storm low that moved from near the dateline far northwest of the Hawaiian Islands to the Gulf of Alaska produced surf of 10 to 15 feet on north facing shores and 12 to 18 feet on west shores of all the islands.
• High Surf in Hawaii, December 20 to 23, 20041 death · 18 eventsA deep storm low northwest of the island chain generated surf of 30 to 40 feet along the north-facing shores of Niihau, Kauai, Oahu, Molokai, and Maui; and 10 to 20 feet along the west-facing shores of Niihau, Kauai, Oahu, Lanai, Maui, and the Big Island of Hawaii.
• High Surf in Hawaii, October 14 to 16, 20241 death · 2 injured · 1 eventA north-northwest swell brought surf into the fourteen to eighteen foot range to north facing shores. This large and dangerous surf caused strong currents, beach runup, and rogue waves.
• High Surf and Heavy Rain in Hawaii, March 13 to 15, 20091 death · 16 eventsA strong low north of the Aloha State generated surf of 15 to 25 feet along the north-facing shores, and 8 to 15 feet along the east-facing shores, of all islands except Lanai. The especially high surf kept lifeguards busy helping people in distress.
• High Surf in Hawaii, June 1 to 3, 20151 death · 16 eventsA swell from a powerful low in the southern hemisphere generated surf of 6 to 12 feet along the south-facing shores of all the islands. Lifeguards on Oahu alone rescued 90 people over the 1st and 2nd of the month, and performed more than 1350 preventive actions.
• High Surf in Hawaii, February 21 to 29, 20161 death · 16 eventsLarge swells from the northwest generated surf of 20 to 40 feet, with sets as high as 55 feet, on the north- and west-facing shores of Niihau and Kauai, and the north-facing shores of Oahu, Molokai, and Maui; and 15 to 25 feet, with sets as high as 35 feet, on the west-facing…
• High Surf in Hawaii, June 12 to 14, 20021 death · 1 injured · 7 eventsA storm low east of New Zealand generated surf of 6 to 12 feet along the south-facing shores of all the Hawaiian Islands.
• High Surf in Hawaii, January 2 to 7, 20031 death · 1 injured · 6 eventsA powerful storm low northwest of Hawaii generated surf of 15 to 30 feet along the northwest-facing shores of all the islands.
• High Surf in Hawaii, November 13 to 15, 20131 death · 14 eventsA swell from a powerful low north of the islands, in combination with a strong high far to the northwest, generated surf of 20 to 30 feet along the north-facing shores, and 10 to 20 feet along the east-facing shores, of Niihau, Kauai, Oahu, Molokai, Maui, and the Big Island of…
• High Surf in Hawaii, November 6 to 12, 20161 death · 13 eventsA swell from a powerful low far northwest of the islands produced surf of 25 to 40 feet along the north- and west-facing shores of Niihau, Kauai, and Molokai; and the north-facing shores of Oahu and Maui; and 20 to 30 feet along the west-facing shores of Oahu and the…
• High Surf in Hawaii, December 16 to 18, 20041 death · 11 eventsA strong low northwest of the state caused surf of 15 to 25 feet along the north-facing shores of Niihau, Oahu, Kauai, Molokai, and Maui; and 10 to 15 feet along the west-facing shores of Niihau, Kauai, and Oahu.
• High Surf in Hawaii, January 28 to 31, 20171 death · 11 eventsSwells from powerful lows far northwest of the islands produced surf of 15 to 30 feet along the north- and west-facing shores of Niihau and Kauai, and the north-facing shores of Oahu, Molokai, and Maui; and 10 to 20 feet along the west-facing shores of Oahu and Molokai.
• High Surf in Hawaii, November 8 to 9, 20011 death · 7 eventsA deep storm low far northwest of the state produced surf of 15 to 25 feet , with some sets as high as 30 feet, along the north- and northwest-facing shores of all the islands. A woman was swept out to sea by the pounding surf on the north shore of Oahu around 1 P.M.
• High Surf in Hawaii, January 21 to 24, 20171 death · 7 eventsA large swell from the north in combination with strong trade winds produced surf of 8 to 15 feet along the east-facing shores of Kauai, Oahu, Molokai, Maui, and the Big Island. A man drowned in windward Big Island waters in the rough surf on the 22nd.

High Surf everywhereEvery kind of event in Hawaii

NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information, Storm Events Database, compiled from the National Weather Service’s monthly Storm Data. Complete through 2026-06; NCEI adds each month about 75 days after it ends and revises past years a few times a year. Rebuilt 2026-09-24.