Kauai Buoy Network
Buoy directory for surf planning
Each buoy now has its own page, so we can keep adding more station-specific context, interpretation, and historical detail as your network grows across north shore, south shore, and offshore lead stations.
Buoy 51000
Northern Hawaii One
Northeast offshore checkpoint
A deep-water buoy northeast of Oahu that can help track broader north and northeast swell energy moving through the Hawaiian chain.
Region
Northeast of Honolulu
Deep-water offshore buoy
Distance to Hanalei Bay
328.1 nautical miles
NDBC lists this station as 245 NM northeast of Honolulu. It is not as direct for Kauai as 51001, but it can still be useful for tracking larger-scale swell energy and seeing how events are evolving across the Hawaiian waters.
Buoy 51001
NW Kauai
Offshore lead buoy
Best early heads-up for north shore swell before it reaches Kauai.
Region
Northwest of Kauai
Deep-water offshore buoy
Distance to Hanalei Bay
194.6 nautical miles
NDBC lists this station as 188 NM NW of Kauai. It is useful for seeing longer-period energy many hours before it hits the reef.
Buoy 51208
Hanalei
Nearshore confirmation buoy
Useful for checking what is arriving now or within the next hour on the north shore.
Region
Hanalei Bay, Kauai
Nearshore directional buoy
Distance to Hanalei Bay
5.9 nautical miles
This buoy sits just offshore of Hanalei, so it is much better for confirmation than for long lead time.
Buoy 51002
SW Hawaii
South swell lead buoy
A useful offshore reference buoy for tracking south swell energy headed toward Kauai.
Region
Southwest of Hawaii
Deep-water offshore buoy
Distance to Poipu
304.2 nautical miles
NDBC lists this station as 215 NM SSW of Hilo. It can be a useful early indicator for south swell energy before it reaches Kauai’s south shore.
Buoy 51214
King-Poloa
Samoa south swell proxy
A far-upstream American Samoa buoy that can give an early read on long-period south swell energy aimed toward south Kauai.
Region
American Samoa
Directional wave buoy
Distance to Poipu
2273.3 nautical miles
This station is far from Kauai, so it is best used as a broad upstream signal rather than a tight local timing buoy.
Buoy 51212
Barbers Point
Oahu south swell checkpoint
A useful Oahu-side checkpoint for south swell energy as it moves through the islands toward south Kauai.
Region
Kalaeloa, Oahu
Directional wave buoy
Distance to Poipu
80.3 nautical miles
NDBC lists this station as Barbers Point, Kalaeloa, Hawaii. It reports swell height, period, and direction and is a strong mid-chain reference for south swell tracking.