Seasonal· Hawaii (Big Island)· Hawaii
Kona Coast Land and Sea Breezes
19° 38.2′ N · 155° 59.8′ W · approximate
Behind 13,000-ft Mauna Loa and Mauna Kea the Kona coast sits in a trade-wind lee 40 miles long that often reaches 100 miles offshore. Instead of trades you get a thermal cycle: a gentle onshore sea breeze by day and an offshore land breeze at night, which makes for flat-water cruising but a lot of motoring.
Practical
Coordinate is a representative point (Kailua Bay). Noodle's Notes: on a typical day the sea breeze fills in at about 9am, strengthens to about 10 kt by around 2pm, and dies completely by about 8pm; at about 10pm the offshore land breeze fills in at about 5 kt and blows all night until just after sunrise. Cloudy or rainy days weaken the cycle; the breeze is strongest close to shore. Coast Pilot (October 2026) agrees: except at Mahukona, the sea breeze sets in about 9am and continues until the land breeze springs up after sundown. The exception is north of Keahole Point: trades spill through the 3,000-ft Mauna Kea-Kohala saddle mid to late afternoon until well after dark, and downslope gusts off the Kohala Mountains can exceed 30 kt at Nishimura Bay; the Coast Pilot warns of very strong offshore winds between Keahole and Upolu Points and advises being ready to use two anchors. Plan anchoring so you will not swing onto the reef when the night land breeze arrives, and expect to motor most of the coast.
Best for
Planning passages and anchor swing on the Kona coast
Season
Year round during trade-wind weather
Nearby
- Kailua-Kona Pier and BayRight here
- Kamakahonu Beach and Ahu'ena Heiau0.1 NM away
- Fish Hopper (Kailua-Kona)0.2 NM away
- Hawaiian International Billfish Tournament0.2 NM away
- Hulihee Palace and Mokuaikaua Church0.2 NM away
- Ironman World Championship (October)0.2 NM away
- Kona Coffee Cultural Festival (November)0.2 NM away
- Kona Inn Restaurant0.2 NM away
Place data includes © OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL).