Kanaha Surf Guide
Surf spot guide
Ideal Surf Conditions
Swell Direction
NW to NE
Wind
Calm or offshore from the ESE clocking S to SW during passing fronts.
Surf Height
Waist high-2X overhead
Tide
Medium to high
Kanaha Surf Guide
Kanaha Beach sits mere yards from Kahului International Airport and less than two miles away from Town. Because it has a fairly unobstructed window to the North Pacific, Kanaha is consistently fun, though not a very critical wave. Reaching the peak involves a bicep-burning, near-half-mile paddle out to the edge of the reef, where the crumbly rights and lefts are dominated by SUPs and longboards. And like nearby Ho'okipa, Kanaha becomes shredded by the prevailing NE-ENE tradewind in the late-morning and afternoon, at which point the lineup becomes the domain of sail and kiteboarders.
Local Vibe
Mellow to none. Be cool and keep it that way.
Crowd Factor
Minor and spread out.
Spot Rating
Usually always pretty soft, but gets more vertical when bigger.
Shoulder Burn
Very long paddle out initially, but not bad once you're out there.
Water Quality
Pristine most of the time. There is a rivermouth here that will flow during periods of significant rain.
Hazards
Reef.
Access
Easy
Bottom
Reef
Best Season
Winter is best. Tradeswell in summer can be OK, at least rideable, but usually with strong sideshore wind.
Do you have local knowledge about Kanaha?
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