Buoy 51208
Hanalei
Nearshore confirmation buoy
Useful for checking what is arriving now or within the next hour on the north shore.
Latest Snapshot
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Station Context
Region: Hanalei Bay, Kauai
Station type: Nearshore directional buoy
Position: 22.285°, 159.574°W
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.
Historical Swell
Blue shows swell height over time. Hover points to see period and direction.
Historical swell chart unavailable for this buoy right now.
How to Use This Buoy
What to Watch
- Use it to confirm what is actually arriving on the north shore now.
- Compare it with 51001 to see how much swell energy made it through and how quickly it filled in.
- Watch for short-term changes in swell direction and period close to surf time.
How to Read It
- If 51208 is rising, the swell is already showing at the coast rather than just offshore.
- This station is much better than 51001 for final go/no-go checks before you paddle out.
- Wind observations can be intermittent here, so modeled wind fallback can still be useful.
Swell Travel Time
Swell timing from this buoy uses the same deep-water group-speed and signed-distance method documented in the technical guide.
See the swell timing method