Sources and how status works
Not an ocean safety report
This site collects official notices and forecasts in one place. It never tells you a beach is fine to swim. Conditions change by the hour and from one end of a beach to the other. Ask a lifeguard, or call the Kauaʻi Ocean Safety Bureau at 808-241-4984. Hazard ratings for guarded beaches are at hawaiibeachsafety.com.
How status works
Every 3 hours we read the County of Kauaʻi's press releases and emergency bulletins, DLNR's news releases, and the Hawaiʻi Department of Health's brown water and beach advisories. A notice that names a beach marks it:
- Closed: an official notice says the beach or park is closed.
- Advisory: an official notice advises against swimming, closes parking, or warns of brown water.
- No closures reported (date): no official notice names the beach. It isn't a judgment about the water.
- Status unknown: our last check is more than a day old, so we won't guess.
A notice ends on the date it gives, when a reopening is announced, or after a set time if it gives no date. Health Department advisories last until the Department lifts them. Nick can add a dated note from a visit. It can add a closure but never hides an official one.
Conditions
- Surf: National Weather Service Honolulu Surf Zone Forecast, Kauaʻi block. Hidden if more than 24 hours old.
- Weather and alerts: National Weather Service. Forecasts hidden if more than 6 hours old.
- Tides: NOAA Tides & Currents predictions for five Kauaʻi stations.
- Wave buoy: the Hanalei buoy (CDIP 202) hasn't reported since September 8, 2026. It'll appear here when it's back.
- Map: OpenFreeMap and © OpenStreetMap contributors; aerial photos from USGS The National Map; elevation from USGS via AWS Terrain Tiles.
Who's behind this
[Nick: two or three sentences about you, and how often you're on the North Shore.]