Rough water today
forecastNo weather alert for Makena Big Beach, but the forecast has waves to 4 ft. Fine for a walk, not for a swim.
Rough water today. Overcast, high near 82°. It might rain around 10 AM, 26% chance. Driest stretch: all day, but dry isn't calm. Keep out of rough water.
forecastRain OutlookOpen-Meteo
tap an hourTop rain chance is just 26%, but dry doesn't mean calm today. See the surf and wind above.
Tide
0.3 ft · falling ↘
Next low tide
12:24 PM 0.2 ft
T−…
1.9 ft of drop from the 7:54 AM high; the wet sand is widest from about 11:24 AM.
Wind
5 mph
from the SSW
UV Index
High
reapply every 80 min
Time to Burn
UV 6 · incl. sand glarefor unprotected fair skin (burns easily, tans a little). SPF 30+, reapply every 2 hours and after every swim.
Strongest 12 PM to 1 PM · peaks at UV 6
An estimate from the standard erythemal dose model, not a medical limit. Darker skin burns more slowly than this, people vary either way, and sunscreen only helps if you use enough of it and reapply.
Rip Current Riskestimated
todayDangerous currents likely. Knee-deep only, lifeguarded sand only.
Caught in one? Don’t fight it. Swim parallel to the beach until you’re free, then angle back in.
Beach Flag
Red Flag
knee-deep only
estimated · trust the lifeguard
Water by Monthtypical
avg 2021–2024Warmest around September (81°), coolest around March (76°).
surf’s up (gently)
Tides are NOAA predictions (Makena Big Beach station 1615680); temps, wind, UV, waves and water temp are live from Open-Meteo; rip current risk from the NWS surf-zone forecast. Flag status is estimated from wave height and wind, so always trust the lifeguard’s actual flag over this app.
Rough water today. No weather alert for Makena Big Beach, but the forecast has waves to 4 ft. Fine for a walk, not for a swim. The water at Makena Big Beach is 81°F (27°C) today, about normal for October. For swimming it is warm. Waves are 4–5 ft (rough). The air is 80°F, feeling like 89°F, with light 4 mph winds from the SSW. The UV index reaches 6 (high), strongest from 12 PM to 1 PM.
The water holds steady around 81°F through Thu Nov 5.
The week ahead at Makena Big Beach, day by day: the sky, the high, the strongest wind and the biggest waves, the UV peak and the daytime chance of rain, and the water temperature. The calmest day for a swim looks like Sun Nov 1.
| Day | Sky | High | Wind | Waves | UV | Rain | Water |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Today | Showers | 82°F | 6 mph | 4.4 ft | 6 | 26% | 81°F |
| Sat Oct 31 | Drizzle | 82°F | 7 mph | 4.3 ft | 5 | 3% | 81°F |
| Sun Nov 1 | Showers | 79°F | 5 mph | 3.7 ft | 6 | 18% | 81°F |
| Mon Nov 2 | Partly cloudy | 80°F | 9 mph | 4.2 ft | 7 | 12% | 81°F |
| Tue Nov 3 | Drizzle | 80°F | 6 mph | 4.3 ft | 7 | 12% | 81°F |
| Wed Nov 4 | Drizzle | 79°F | 7 mph | 4.6 ft | 2 | 41% | 81°F |
| Thu Nov 5 | Drizzle | 80°F | 7 mph | 4.9 ft | 6 | 22% | 81°F |
High and low tides for the next 7 days, from NOAA’s predictions for tide station 1615680. Heights are in feet above the average low tide. The shell window is the last hour and a quarter of the ebb and the first three-quarters of the flood around the day’s lowest daylight low, when the most sand is bare; the lowest low of the week is marked.
| Day | Tide 1 | Tide 2 | Tide 3 | Tide 4 | Shell window |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Today | High 6:08 AM 2.5 | Low 10:44 PM 0.0 | — | — | — |
| Sat Oct 31 | High 7:30 AM 2.4 | Low 11:50 PM 0.3 | — | — | — |
| Sun Nov 1 | High 8:54 AM 2.4 | Low 6:06 PM 0.8 | High 8:40 PM 0.9 | — | 4:51 PM–6:51 PM |
| Mon Nov 2 | Low 1:43 AM 0.6 | High 9:59 AM 2.3 | Low 5:40 PM 0.7 | High 10:50 PM 1.2 | 4:25 PM–6:25 PM |
| Tue Nov 3 | Low 3:39 AM 0.7 | High 10:45 AM 2.3 | Low 5:49 PM 0.5 | High 11:47 PM 1.5 | 4:34 PM–6:34 PM |
| Wed Nov 4 | Low 4:59 AM 0.8 | High 11:20 AM 2.2 | Low 6:04 PM 0.3 | — | 4:49 PM–6:49 PM · best |
| Thu Nov 5 | High 12:29 AM 1.9 | Low 5:59 AM 0.8 | High 11:48 AM 2.1 | Low 6:21 PM 0.1 | 4:44 AM–6:44 AM |
The average sea temperature at Makena Big Beach for each month (2021–2024). The water is warmest in September (81°F) and coolest in March (76°F). It averages 74°F or warmer, comfortable for most swimmers, in every month.
| Month | Water °F | Water °C | For swimming |
|---|---|---|---|
| January | 78°F | 25°C | Comfortable |
| February | 77°F | 25°C | Comfortable |
| March | 76°F | 25°C | Comfortable |
| April | 77°F | 25°C | Comfortable |
| May | 78°F | 26°C | Comfortable |
| June | 79°F | 26°C | Comfortable |
| July | 80°F | 27°C | Comfortable |
| August | 81°F | 27°C | Warm |
| September | 81°F | 27°C | Warm |
| October (now) | 81°F | 27°C | Warm |
| November | 80°F | 27°C | Comfortable |
| December | 79°F | 26°C | Comfortable |
Rip currents. If a current pulls you away from shore, don’t fight it: swim parallel to the beach until you are out of it, then swim back in. If you can’t, float and wave for help.
Sun. The UV index peaks at 6 today, when unprotected fair skin burns in about 24 minutes. Wear SPF 30 or higher, reapply every two hours and after swimming, and find shade in the middle of the day.
Dogs. Dogs are not allowed on this beach.
Swim near a lifeguard when one is on duty, and follow the beach flags and posted signs. The Makena Big Beach rules page covers dogs, alcohol, fires and more.
Under 1 ft is calm, good for small children and floating. 1–2 ft is small, fine for most swimmers. 2–4 ft is moderate: fun for bodyboarding, harder for weak swimmers. 4–6 ft is rough, and over 6 ft is dangerous for swimming. Today at Makena Big Beach it’s rough.
Under 8 mph is light and pleasant. 8–15 mph is breezy, good for kites and cooler on a hot day. 15–25 mph blows sand and whips up the water. Over 25 mph most people pack up. Today at Makena Big Beach it’s light.
0–2 is low, 3–5 moderate, 6–7 high, 8–10 very high and 11 or more extreme. At 8 or more, fair skin can burn in under 20 minutes. The UV index is highest around midday even when it is cloudy.
Under 60°F is cold and most people want a wetsuit. 68–73°F is cool but swimmable. 74–79°F feels comfortable, and 80°F or more feels warm.
81°F (27°C), about normal for October.
At 81°F the water is warm. Waves are 4–5 ft, which is rough.
4–5 ft, which is rough. The wind is 4 mph from the SSW.
High tide is at 6:08 AM, and low tide is at 10:44 PM. Times are NOAA predictions.
The UV index peaks at 6 (high). At that peak, unprotected fair skin burns in about 24 minutes. Wear SPF 30 or higher, reapply every two hours and after swimming, and find shade in the middle of the day.
Highs run 79–82°F over the next 7 days. No day has a strong chance of rain. The calmest day for a swim looks like Sun Nov 1.
The water at Makena Big Beach averages about 81°F (27°C) in October.
September is the warmest month, averaging 81°F. March is the coolest, at 76°F.
The water averages 74°F or warmer from January to December. September is the warmest, at 81°F.
The usual water temperature in October at the nearest beaches. Tap one for its live conditions.
| Wailea Beach conditions | 3 mi | 81°F |
|---|---|---|
| Ka'anapali Beach conditions | 25 mi | 80°F |
| Kapalua Bay conditions | 29 mi | 80°F |
| Hapuna Beach conditions | 60 mi | 81°F |
| Hanauma Bay conditions | 92 mi | 80°F |
| Lanikai Beach conditions | 97 mi | 80°F |
More for Makena Big Beach: parking · sunset time tonight · things to do · US water temperatures today →