Swell direction
SSW to SSE (170°–200°), with summer S swells dominant
West Side · Maui
South-swell paradise. Lahaina to Olowalu, glass for days.
Get West Maui live dataFreeBuoy CDIP 239 · Lanai SW
The Lanai SW buoy (CDIP 239) sits about 2.5 miles southwest of Kaumalapau Harbor off Lanai's southwest tip — in the open Hawaiian island channel between Lanai and Kahoolawe. It's the data feed for the entire West Maui surf zone — Lahaina Breakwall, Olowalu, Launiupoko, Ukumehame, and the rest of the south-facing breaks. Sheltered from trade winds by Maui's volcanoes, this coast gets glassy mornings most of the year.
What you want to see on the buoy before you paddle out.
Swell direction
SSW to SSE (170°–200°), with summer S swells dominant
Swell period
14–20 seconds (long-period south)
When it breaks
Lahaina Breakwall and Launiupoko: 2 ft @ 14 s. Olowalu likes 3+ ft.
Wind
Sheltered from trades — glassy most mornings, light onshores by afternoon.
239 sits off the SW corner of Lanai, partially shadowed by the islands — readings are smaller than what reaches Maui's open south shore. A 2 ft @ 16 s reading on 239 typically produces head-high waves at Olowalu.
When North Shore Maui (Ho'okipa, Pauwela) is blown out by trades, West Maui is glass. The mountains block the wind, the channel filters the swell, and the breaks stay clean from sunrise until early afternoon. It's not big wave country, but it's the most consistent clean surf in the state.
Buoy 239 sits off Lanai's southwest coast, so it reads island-attenuated swell. Add 30–50% to the reading to estimate what'll show at Olowalu. Direction matters more than height — straight S swells line up beautifully, SE swells get blocked by the Big Island's shadow.
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