Chun's Reef surf forecast
Chun's Reef is a very consistent reef on Oahu's North Shore, breaking left and right over coral and sand, with a softer left and a shorter, punchier right. It faces north-west and is at its best from November to January, when most days rate fair or better in our data.
Chun's Reef surf report, hour by hour
This table gives swell, wind and tide for Chun's Reef hour by hour, from our forecast for this break. The reef faces north-west and takes swell from the west round to the north.
Updated 21:58next run 02:40Open-Meteo wave and wind models
11:00–15:00 · cross-offshore
Today 2 Nov
Marginal 11-15: average, well overhead, cross-offshore ENE.
Best window: 11:00–15:00
Tide and daylight
- Low
- 00:30
- High
- 09:30
- Low
- 17:30
- High
- 23:30
- Sunrise
- 06:36
- Sunset
- 17:55
Every hour, 05–21
Tomorrow 3 Nov
Marginal 11-15: average, overhead, cross-offshore ENE.
Kiwi's best shot: 11:00–15:00
Tide and daylight
- Low
- 03:00
- High
- 10:30
- Low
- 17:45
- Sunrise
- 06:36
- Sunset
- 17:54
Every hour, 05–21
Wednesday 4 Nov
Marginal 07-11: wrong swell angle, chest-shoulder, cross-offshore E.
Best window: 07:00–11:00
Tide and daylight
- High
- 00:00
- Low
- 04:30
- High
- 11:00
- Low
- 17:54
- Sunrise
- 06:37
- Sunset
- 17:54
Every 3 hours
Thursday 5 Nov
Marginal 07-11: average, well overhead, cross-offshore E.
Best window: 07:00–11:00
Tide and daylight
- High
- 00:42
- Low
- 06:10
- High
- 11:30
- Low
- 18:00
- Sunrise
- 06:37
- Sunset
- 17:53
Every 3 hours
Forecast point: Chun's Reef (21.622, -158.083). Waves = estimated breaking height at the beach. Data: Open-Meteo wave and weather models (CC BY 4.0). Generated using E.U. Copernicus Marine Service Information. Surf at your own risk.
Watch the wind column first. A south-east wind blows offshore here. In recent reports, strong north-east to east-north-east trades were blowing cross-shore and left the North Shore surf fairly choppy.
Chun's Reef and the breaks around it
Chun's sits on Oahu's North Shore between Jocko's and Waimea Bay, just off Kamehameha Highway near Haleiwa. It is an exposed reef that picks up distant groundswell and has very consistent surf, while summer is mostly flat. Several other reefs and a point lie within about 2 km, so you have options when the lineup is packed.
Chun's Reef
Reef breakIntermediateThe reef is shaped like an elbow, with coral and sand on the bottom. The left spills into deeper water and rolls more gently, while the right is shorter and hits harder.
It holds its shape through most swells and works roughly from 2 to 8 ft. Rocks are listed as a hazard. Sources: mondo.surf · surf-forecast.com
Jockos Point
Point breakNext doorJockos Point is right beside Chun's and is rated fairly consistent. It breaks over coral reef and is said to work on any tide. Sources: surf-forecast.com · mondo.surf
Laniakea
Reef break1 km awayLaniakea is about 1 km from Chun's. It has a coral reef and sand bottom.
On a big north-north-west day, one local report called it 6–8 ft plus while Chun's was 5–7 ft. Sources: surf-forecast.com · mondo.surf · surfnewsnetwork.com
Aligator Rock
Reef breakMid tideAligator Rock is a very consistent reef about 1 km away. It breaks over coral, and medium tide suits it best. Sources: surf-forecast.com · mondo.surf
Leftovers
Coral reefAll tidesLeftovers is one of the nearby spots, with a coral reef bottom and a tide rating of always good. Sources: mondo.surf
What Chun's Reef needs to fire
These are the exact rules behind Kiwi's rating for this spot. Every hour of the forecast is scored on all four, then turned into a rating of 1 to 5 stars.
Swell
West to north swells
Chun's faces north-west and is open to swell from the west round to the north.
Wind
South-east is offshore
A wind from the south-east blows offshore and grooms the faces.
Tide
Mid tide is the sweet spot
Our forecast setup rates mid tide as the best stage for this reef.
Size
Best from 1.2 to 3 m
Below about 0.6 m it is too small, 1.2–3 m is the ideal range, and past 4.5 m it gets too big.
Shortcut: a 1.2–3 m swell from the north-west with a south-east breeze around mid tide is the day to go.
The best months to surf Chun's Reef
We replayed Kiwi's rating on every day of the last year and counted how often Chun's Reef's best window reached 4 or 5 stars.
Nov–JanPrime time
December is the best month in our data, with 84% of days fair or better and 48% good, and January has the most good days at 55%. November is strong too, with 70% of days fair or better.
OctFirst winter swells
October brings the first pulses, with 39% of days fair or better and 21% good. Local guides count winter here as running from about October to February.
Feb–MayShoulder season
From February to April about a third of days rate fair or better, falling to 26% in May, and good days are scarce.
Jun–SepMostly flat
Our data shows no days rated fair or better from June to September. This matches the source that says summer at Chun's is mostly flat.
Before you go
Hazards
The reef is shallow, and currents can run strong on big days. Rocks are listed as a hazard as well.
Reef booties help on the inside sections, where the bottom is shallow and sharp. Sources: surf-forecast.com · mondo.surf
Getting there
Chun's is on the North Shore between Jocko's and Waimea Bay, just off Kamehameha Highway near Haleiwa.
The closest passenger airport is Dillingham Airport (HDH), 14 km away in a straight line, and the next is Kaneohe Bay (NGF) at 38 km. Sources: mondo.surf · surf-forecast.com
Parking and access
You park by the road in marked spots along the highway, and there are no facilities at the spot.
Car break-ins are a known problem here, so leave nothing in view inside your car. Sources: mondo.surf
Crowds and etiquette
The lineup is often crowded. Weekends in peak winter are the busiest, so bring patience and good manners. Sources: surf-forecast.com · mondo.surf
Water temperature and wetsuit
The sea stays warm all year, from about 24.6 °C in March and April to 26.8 °C in October.
A rash vest is also worth wearing to keep the sun off your skin. Sources: surf-forecast.com
Tides
Surf guides say Chun's works on all tides. Our own setup leans towards mid tide as the best stage.
The nearest tide station is at Haleiwa, Waialua Bay, about 4 km away. Sources: surf-forecast.com · mondo.surf
Checking the surf
The closest wave buoy is at Waimea Bay, about 6 km away.
Surf News Network includes Chun's in its North Shore report, for example calling it 5–7 ft on a big north-north-west swell. Sources: surf-forecast.com · surfnewsnetwork.com
Where the numbers come from
The method
Kiwi takes Open-Meteo's wave and wind models (ECMWF WAM, Météo-France, NOAA GFS and Open-Meteo's best-match blend) at a point about 5 km off Chun's Reef. There is no buoy correction here yet: these are the models as they come.
Each hour is scored on the four rules above (swell, wind, tide, size). The stars are calibrated on a full year of data for USA, so 4 stars at Chun's Reef is a genuinely good day by that country's standard.
What we can say
The season chart and the stars use the same rules, replayed on the archive: a month marked good was good by these rules, not by a surf report.
Without a buoy nearby, the size at the beach is our model's estimate, not a measurement.
Chun's Reef surf questions
Is Chun's Reef good for beginners?
Not really, since it is rated a spot for intermediate surfers. The reef is shallow and the lineup gets crowded, so we rate it intermediate and up.
When is the best time to surf Chun's Reef?
Go from November to January, when our data shows the most fair-or-better days, peaking in December at 84%. From June to September it is usually flat.
How cold is the water at Chun's Reef in December?
The sea averages about 25.8 °C in December. Staying comfortable is not a problem, but wear at least a rash vest to keep the UV off.
What swell and wind work best at Chun's?
The best days come from a north swell with an offshore wind from the south-east. Local guides also name north-west to north-north-west swells as the winter staple.
What tide is best at Chun's Reef?
Surf guides say it works on all tides. Our setup rates mid tide as the best stage.
Is Chun's Reef crowded?
Yes, it is often crowded. Weekends in peak winter are the busiest.
Check Chun's Reef before you paddle out
Open the hour-by-hour forecast above to see when swell, wind and tide line up at Chun's. Then pick your window and enjoy the session.