Kahului spearfishing forecast — wind, swell, visibility, tides & live cameras

spearo.app / United States / Kahului
PTPortuguêsRUРусскийESEspañolITItalianoELΕλληνικάFRFrançaisTRTürkçeHRHrvatski
Forecast refreshing in the background — reload the page in a minute for the latest read.
◈Kahului · United States
2.7
wave 1.1 m
visibility~3m

Dayisover

Today — sit it out — wave, wind and surge pounding.

Sources: NWS · NDBC · Open-Meteo · Copernicus — high confidence · data 11:29

Sources & confidence

Sources
NWS · NDBC · Open-Meteo · Copernicus
Method
spearo sea-state engine: consensus of up to 6 models + satellite clarity (ZSD) + buoy-bias checks
Freshness
Re-read every hour, per coast

Compiled by the spearo sea-state engine · How it works →

The verdict comes from seven water factors and hard safety gates — not ten tabs. Go or stay.

How we score the water

Our own model

Our own forecast engine — not a third-party widget. It weighs these water factors into one go-or-stay verdict for this coast; the 0–10 dial is that verdict, read out as a number.

01
Swell & wave memory
Height, period and direction of the swell, plus the wake of recent storms — an old storm still stirs the water, and the engine remembers.
02
Wind & gusts
Speed and gusts, hour by hour — wind speed and an onshore push chop the surface and cut visibility.
03
Tide phase
Timing and range of the tide, calibrated per coast — big spring tides pull the verdict toward caution.
04
Water temperature
Sea-surface temperature — sharply cold water vetoes a green verdict.
05
Currents & outflow
Direction and drift of the current — it pushes you, and it drags turbid coastal water across where you dive.
06
Rain runoff & air clarity
Rain muddies the water inshore through land runoff, while fog and haze cut visibility at the surface.
07
Coast shape & exposure
How the coast faces the swell — a sheltered cove keeps the water clean; an exposed, head-on point takes a penalty.

Safety gates

  • Thunderstorm forecast — an instant red, no exceptions.
  • An official warning (MeteoAlarm / IPMA) — yellow, or red for the higher ranks.
  • Missing input data — a would-be green is capped to yellow rather than overstated.
  • Strong disagreement between forecast models — a green day is pulled back to yellow.
  • Night hours — where night spearfishing is banned by law the window is forced red; where it is legal (Australia outside NSW, New Zealand, South Africa) it is capped at yellow, never green.

It all folds into a single 0–10 score and one verdict: go or stay.

A forecast, not a guarantee — the sea has the last word.

Entry pointsNo-take zonesLive cams

Where to get in, where to hunt

Entry points with coordinates
Seabed relief — promising ground

This verdict — in your pocket. Open the app for the week's window.

Coming soon

Get the go / no-go verdict for Kahului by email

Leave your email — and the moment a window opens at Kahului, we'll send the go / no-go verdict. Email is all we need.

Optional: city, channel, phone
What to send
Where to send it
More spots

Spots in United States

🇺🇸United States

USA map →

Hawaii

  • Kihei
  • Lahaina
  • Hana
  • Hawaii Kai
  • Kailua-Kona
  • Honolulu
  • Kaneohe
  • Ocean Pointe
  • Captain Cook (Kealakekua Bay)
  • Haleiwa (North Shore)
  • Waianae
  • Hilo
  • Lihue (Nawiliwili)
  • Poipu

California

  • Mendocino
  • Fort Bragg
  • Bodega Bay
  • Half Moon Bay
  • Pacifica
Feedback

Help us make it better

What's missing? Tell us what you'd like to see — new spots, species, data or features. We read everything.

spearo.app · a private marine instrument · Kahului · a planner, not a safety guaranteePrivacy
Today
Notify me
Map
Download on theApp Store
GET IT ONGoogle Play
Google Play — QR code
point your camera
0 m

Surface

Wind, wave and the swell windows — when to go and the best hours.

spearo.app
NWS no dataupdated 11:29
Offshore marks — solo, off the rocks
Day is over
spearfishing is banned at night · wave 1.1 m (occasionally up to ~2.3 m)
wave 1.1 mwind 15, gusts 26 km/hsurge pounding the rocksvisibility ~3 m
today, best window 18:00–21:00
fish · Visibility 3 m · Water 27.1°C
confidence low · verdict for the selected day
Best window · next 3 days
borderlinetomorrow · 15:00–18:00
you can see ~2 m ahead fish

ℹ️ Conservative visibility estimate kept

↑ high tide 12:39 · slack water ~11:54–13:24 bite times: 10:00–12:00 · 16:26–17:26

Tell me when it's on

Just your email — nothing else needed.

Before entering, check the camera and the surge
Whole week — tap a day. is driving swell right now.
›
Solo risk: carry a float · tell someone your plan and exit time · doubt = don't go. A model-based planner; the call is made on site.
Selected day

Windows, hours
and the day's trends.

The day is picked above, in the hero. Here are that day's windows, the hour-by-hour map and the trends. Tap a window to break down the conditions.

Saturday · today2026-10-24
06:24–17:54 · full moon
▲ 01:00▼ 07:00▲ 13:00▼ 19:00 · 0.7 m
Hours (06→20)
06
09
12
15
18
Day's trends
Tide0.68 m
Wave1.18 m
Wind12 km/h
Water27 °C
fish activity: moonset 04:59 · moderate · moon underfoot 11:00 · high · moonrise 16:56 · moderate · moon overhead 23:20 · high
Conditions window18:00–21:00
spearfishing is banned at night fish
Hs 1.14 m · roughperiod 10.9 swind 15→26surge 7.3viz 3 m
1.14 mrough · up to ~2.28 · 355° at an angle
10.9 sswell building
15→26gusts 26 km/h
7.3pounding the rocks
0.14m/s
3 mrecent swell
27.1°C5 mm + hood
▲02:00tide turn near
Atmosphere8 kmovercast
lowoff the lunar peaks
  • wave 1.1 m (occasionally up to ~2.3 m)
  • wind-wave — choppy surface
  • first hours of the flood — fish moving in
confidence lownight
Open the seafloor map with entry points →

Your best window — with you. Forecast in your pocket.

Download on theApp StoreGET IT ONGoogle Play
Google Play — QR code
point your camera
−10 m

The water column

Visibility and what drives it — post-storm clearing, river plume, temperature and the thermocline.

What it is

A marine instrument,
go / no-go for solo hunting.

spearo.app folds wind, wave, swell period, visibility, tides, water temperature and risk into a single verdict — go to the spot or not. It computes 7 days ahead from open marine models (Open-Meteo, IPMA), with no sign-up and no accounts. Built for solo spearfishing off the rocks, where any mistake costs dearly.

Now live: 3016 spots across 406 stretches of coast — mainland Portugal, Madeira and the Azores.

See all spots →
−20 m

The seabed

Relief and bottom type, tides, and the depths of each spot.

On the rock

The forecast is the plan.
The call is on the rock.

The models set the window. Whether you go in is read only at the water: count the sets, watch the surge on the entry. If in doubt, you don't get in.

Entry points

Where to get in
off the rocks.

Scouted entries, coloured by today. The colour is the sea state at the spot, not a guarantee: the wash and a slippery entry you judge on site.

Open the seafloor map →
Kanaha reef (offshore break)Nearshore marks
dangerous
⚠️ This point is inside the restricted zone “Lay Net Fishing Prohibited Area — Maui (3 mi around the island)”: fishing there is regulated (season, gear, permit), not banned outright. Read the zone's rules before you go.
in the headland's lee today — swell from the quarter/behind
window
—
Seabed depth of the selected area
≈1.6–3.3 m (bathymetry NOAA CUDEM/CoNED, 3 m)

A defined offshore reef east of Kahului harbour, 3–10 m: taape, uhu, weke, roi and octopus. A windward coast with constant wind and chop — the swim out and back is long, so budget your effort.

Google Maps
Paukukalo reefNearshore marks
dangerous
⚠️ This point is inside the restricted zone “Lay Net Fishing Prohibited Area — Maui (3 mi around the island)”: fishing there is regulated (season, gear, permit), not banned outright. Read the zone's rules before you go.

One morning glance — and you know.

Download on theApp StoreGET IT ONGoogle Play
Google Play — QR code
point your camera
≈

Surfacing

Cameras, map and reference — to hand as you come up.

Live cameras, map & reference
Cameras · live

Look at the water
right now.

Check the cam BEFORE you leave. Foam, brown/green murk, or waves washing the entry rocks = No-go. At night/in fog the cam is useless — treat it as «unknown», NOT «green».

more: Kahului Harbor Maui Surf Cam ↗
Open the seafloor map →
Reference

What's in season,
what the law says.

In season now
  • uhu (parrotfish)
    Scaridae · 2–20 m · ⚠️ closed season/limit
    The 2 uhu/day bag is STATEWIDE, not Maui-only (HAR 13-95-16(c), amended 22 Feb 2024). Min 10″ (25 cm), and 14″ (36 cm) for 'ele'ele, uliuli, palukaluka and 'ahu'ula. On Maui (HAR 13-95.1) blue terminal-phase 'ele'ele and uliuli may not be taken at all. Kahekili Herbivore FMA: uhu banned year-round. Miloli'i CBSFA: no spearing uhu at night by any gear.
  • ulua (giant trevally)
    Caranx spp. / Carangoides spp. · 2–30 m · legal
    'Ulua and papio' is a LEGAL GROUP, not one species: Caranx ignobilis, C. lugubris, C. melampygus ('omilu), C. sexfasciatus, Carangoides equula, C. ferdau and C. orthogrammus. Min 10″ (25 cm) to take or possess, 16″ (41 cm) to sell. Bag 20 ulua over 10″ per person per day, non-commercial (HAR 13-95-22).
  • kumu (goatfish)
    Parupeneus porphyreus · 2–25 m · legal
    This is specifically Parupeneus porphyreus, not the whole Mullidae family. Year-round. Min 10″ (25 cm) statewide (HAR 13-95-7), 12″ (30 cm) on Maui island. No statewide bag limit, but 1 kumu per person per day on Maui (HAR 13-95.1-20(c)).
  • roi (peacock grouper)
    Cephalopholis argus · 3–30 m · invasive — target
    Invasive: DLNR AIS lists it as introduced — deliberately stocked as a sportfish in 1956, now a dominant reef predator on Kaua'i, O'ahu, Moloka'i, Lana'i, Maui and Hawai'i island. No season, size or bag limit. On ciguatera: no Hawai'i state page asserting it could be found — treat it as a local caution, not a rule.
Eureka
  • Carmel
  • South San Francisco
  • Pacific Grove
  • Corte Madera
  • Monterey
  • San Mateo
  • Santa Cruz
  • Trinidad
  • Soquel
  • Marina
  • Berkeley
  • Alameda
  • San Pablo
  • Menlo Park
  • San Leandro
  • Vallejo
  • San Simeon
  • Crescent City
  • Cayucos
  • Oregon

    • Brookings

    All 367 spots → · Region: Hawaii · spearo.app — All countries

    transparency nearby ~6 m · satellite, 2 days agosatellite estimate · may differ right at the shore

    in the headland's lee today — swell from the quarter/behind
    window
    —
    Seabed depth of the selected area
    ≈0.7–3.0 m (bathymetry NOAA CUDEM/CoNED, 3 m)

    A local reef just outside the harbour, 3–10 m: uhu, weke, kumu and roi. WARNING: stay on the seaward side — inside the regulated Kahului Harbour area take gear is prohibited and a 50-organism daily limit applies.

    Google Maps
    Waihee Reef (off Waihee Point)Offshore marks
    dangerous
    ⚠️ This point is inside the restricted zone “Lay Net Fishing Prohibited Area — Maui (3 mi around the island)”: fishing there is regulated (season, gear, permit), not banned outright. Read the zone's rules before you go.
    exposed head-on to the swell today
    window
    —
    Seabed depth of the selected area
    ≈3.0–5.1 m (bathymetry NOAA CUDEM/CoNED, 3 m)

    One of the widest fringing reefs on Maui, over 300 m across, 3–12 m: uku, uhu, kumu, weke and roi. Summer is the window — in winter north and northwest swell shuts this whole coast down.

    Google Maps

    SOLO is the biggest risk: underwater you can black out from lack of oxygen silently and fatally, with no one around. Solo is never truly «safe». Below are the best weather windows; carry a buoy, tell someone your plan and exit time, and any doubt — don't go.

    ta'ape (bluestripe snapper)
    Lutjanus kasmira · 3–40 m · invasive — target
    Invasive, confirmed by DLNR AIS: first found in Hawai'i in 1955, deliberately stocked from French Polynesia, now established through the main islands on reefs, shallow lagoons and outer reef slopes. No season, size or bag limit. 'Removal encouraged' is community practice, not a published DAR position.
  • kole (goldring surgeonfish)
    Ctenochaetus strigosus · 2–25 m · legal
    One of the most-speared reef fish in Hawai'i. Year-round statewide. Min 5″ (13 cm) — a NEW rule: §13-95-25 was created by the 22 Feb 2024 amendment, so any older 'kole is unregulated' note is stale. No statewide bag. Miloli'i CBSFA: closed Mar–Jun, 20/person/day Jul–Feb.
  • moi (Pacific threadfin)
    Polydactylus sexfilis · 0–10 m · ⚠️ closed season/limit
    The only clean three-month statewide closure in the façade: Jun 1–Aug 31 it is unlawful to take, possess or sell any moi (HAR 13-95-23(c)). September through May: min 11″ (28 cm), 15 per person per day. A classic shorebreak and sand-channel target.
  • uku (grey / green jobfish)
    Aprion virescens · 10–60 m · legal
    The blue-water target of Hawaiian spearfishing. Year-round. The size rule is written specifically for spearfishers: 'unlawful to take with spear or possess any speared uku less than one pound' (0.45 kg) — HAR 13-95-15(b). No state bag limit; the federal stock is managed by an annual catch limit, not a recreational bag.
  • kala (bluespine unicornfish)
    Naso unicornis · 2–25 m · legal
    A staple reef meat fish. Year-round. Min 14″ (36 cm), HAR 13-95-11(a); kala 'opelu (Naso hexacanthus) 16″ (41 cm), §13-95-12. Bag 4 kala per person per day; a commercial kala permit ($100) is needed to exceed it. Kahekili Herbivore FMA on Maui: all surgeonfish including kala are prohibited.
  • 'omilu (bluefin trevally)
    Caranx melampygus · 2–30 m · legal
    The everyday reef-edge trevally — and legally it IS an ulua: regulated inside the 'ulua and papio' group (HAR 13-95-22), which most divers do not know. Min 10″ (25 cm), bag 20/day SHARED with all other ulua/papio, not a separate allowance.
  • manini (convict tang)
    Acanthurus triostegus sandvicensis · 0–15 m · legal
    Shallow-reef bread-and-butter for shore divers on every island. Year-round, min 6″ (15 cm), HAR 13-95-5. No statewide bag limit. Prohibited inside the Kahekili Herbivore FMA (north Ka'anapali, Maui).
  • mu (bigeye emperor)
    Monotaxis grandoculis · 3–40 m · legal
    A top Hawaiian spear target with NO state size or bag limit. The evidence is negative: mu appears nowhere on the DAR 'Marine Fishes and Other Vertebrates' regulated-species page (read in full 2026-09-03) nor in HAR 13-95. Hence conf 'partial' — this is an absence of rule, not a written allowance. Check local and county rules separately.
  • 'u'u / menpachi (soldierfish)
    Myripristis spp. · 3–30 m · legal
    The archetypal Hawaiian night-dive fish. Unregulated statewide — absent from the DAR regulated list, hence conf 'partial'. But genuinely regulated inside Miloli'i CBSFA: closed April–June, and no spearing 'u'u inside the Puakai'a Miloli'i sub-zone.
  • he'e (day octopus / tako)
    Octopus cyanea · 0–20 m · legal
    Do not confuse it with the crustacean ban: he'e is a mollusc, so the statewide ban on spearing crustaceans does NOT reach it — three-prong tako hunting is legal. Year-round, min 1 lb (0.45 kg), HAR 13-95-55. No state bag limit.
  • 'ama'ama (striped mullet)
    Mugil cephalus · 0–8 m · ⚠️ closed season/limit
    The façade's second statewide closed season: December through March take is prohibited (HAR 13-95-8, HRS 188-44). April–November: min 11″ (28 cm). No statewide bag limit; in the Hilo Bay FMA it counts inside a combined 20/day cap. A shallow flats and harbour-mouth target.
  • 'o'io (bonefish)
    Albula glossodonta · 0–10 m · legal
    A sand-flat target adjacent to most of our HI city spots. Year-round, min 14″ (36 cm), HAR 13-95-10. No state bag limit.
  • Not a target — don't shoot
    • paku'iku'i (Achilles tang)🚫 no-take
      MORATORIUM. In the West Hawai'i Regional FMA take or possession is prohibited before 18 December 2026 (HAR 13-60.4-4(a)(7), am. 2 Jan 2025) — that directly covers Kailua-Kona and Captain Cook. In Miloli'i CBSFA prohibited before 1 July 2027, then 5/day at a 5″ minimum. ⏳ Both dates need a diary re-check or this card goes stale.
    • ula (spiny lobster) and ula papapa (slipper lobster)🚫 no-take
      NEVER by spear: 'unlawful to spear any crustacean (except introduced freshwater prawn), turtle or aquatic mammal at any time' (HAR 13-75 / HRS 188-23). Hand-take only, whole and unmutilated. Closed season May–August statewide; min carapace 3¼″ (8.3 cm), ula papapa 2¾″ (7.0 cm) tail width. No taking female ula. Maunalua Bay FMA bans lobster take outright; Miloli'i CBSFA caps ula at 2/day.
    • mano (sharks) and hihimanu (rays)🚫 no-take
      HANDS OFF: it is unlawful to intentionally or knowingly capture or entangle ANY shark or ray, alive or dead, or to kill any shark or ray in state marine waters (HRS 188-39.5 sharks, HRS 188-40.8 rays). Possessing, selling or distributing shark fins is also prohibited. For a spearo this matters more than the turtle line.
    • honu (sea turtles) and Hawaiian monk seal🚫 no-take
      There is no open season. Sea turtles: closed, state and federal endangered-species law both apply (HRS 195D-4). Monk seal: unlawful to molest, kill, capture or possess at any time. Spearing any turtle or aquatic mammal is separately unlawful under HAR 13-75. Keep your distance and never pursue.
    Law
    • ✓No licence for residents; non-residents need the Nonresident Recreational Marine Fishing License ().
    • ✓MLCDs — no-take. West Hawai'i — scuba-spear banned. Uhu (Maui): ≤2/day, no blue males. Roi/ta'ape invasive — removal encouraged.
    • •It is unlawful to spear any crustacean (lobster, all crabs), turtle or aquatic mammal at any time; spearfishing is allowed for all fishes. Taking any fish, crustacean, mollusc, turtle or marine mammal with firearms is prohibited, except tuna or billfish already gaffed.
    • •A dive flag is mandatory: spearfishers and divers must mark their position and may not surface more than 100 ft (30 m) from it in ocean waters (50 ft in navigable streams) except in an emergency. Minimum 12×12 in, or 20×24 in with a blue-and-white alpha flag if vessel-mounted on a boat over 16 ft.
    • •Night spear-ban zones. Maunalua Bay , O'ahu (Kawaihoa Pt to the Diamond Head buoy — this covers Hawai'i Kai and east Honolulu, HAR 13-48.5): from half an hour after sunset to half an hour before sunrise it is unlawful to use or possess a spear while diving, or to hold dive gear and a spear together.
    • •The Kahekili Herbivore off north Ka'anapali, Maui (HAR 13-60.7) sits directly on the lahaina city: it is unlawful to injure, kill, possess or remove ANY parrotfish (uhu), rudderfish (nenue) or surgeonfish, or any sea urchin — everything else is fair game.
    • •Miloli'i CBSFA (HAR 13-60.10) runs from the shoreline to the 100-fathom contour on the SW Hawai'i island coast, south of the captain-cook city, with the tightest spear rules in the state: no spearing uhu at night by any gear; no uhu 'ele'ele or uhu uliuli at all; uhu 'ahu'ula/palukaluka closed March–May; ula capped at 2/day.
    • •West Hawai'i RFMA: it is unlawful merely to POSSESS SCUBA gear and a spear at the same time, or SCUBA gear plus any speared fish, anywhere in the region (HAR 13-60.4-4(a)(6)). The same subsection bans taking or possessing paku'iku'i before 18 Dec 2026.
    • •Licence: residents need none and no registration; non-residents aged 15+ need the — $20 for 1 day, $40 for 7 days, $70 for 1 year plus an online processing fee, sold ONLY at fishing.hawaii.gov. Statutory basis HRS 188-72 (Act 48, 2021).
    • ⛔ 🚫 Marine Life Conservation Districts (Hanauma/Molokini/Pupukea etc.) — no-take: spear nothing. West Hawai'i — scuba-spear banned.
    • ⛔ 🚫 Sea turtles, monk seal and cetaceans — protected, don't disturb. Uhu: blue terminal males (Maui) may not be taken.
    • ⛔ 🚫 Sharks and rays: capturing, entangling or killing ANY shark or ray in is unlawful (HRS 188-39.5, 188-40.8) — for a spearo this matters more than the turtle line. Shark fins may not be possessed, sold or distributed.

    US spearfishing law is state-by-state. License, spearable species, powerhead rules and distances vary; federal sanctuaries (Gray's Reef, the Keys, Flower Garden Banks) ban spearfishing. Always confirm with the state agency and local ordinances.

    Safety protocol
    • Sets: watch the wave trains ≥15 min before entering; Hmax ≈ 2×Hs, the wash can run 50 m past the foam line. A lull >10 min with period >12 s = a big set «overdue», do NOT enter; enter right after a full set passes and re-check at minute 30.
    • Exit FIRST: find your exit AND a backup before entering. On a rocky/boulder shore a 0.5 m rise in swell can make the exit impossible — getting pinned/unable to climb out is the main killer.
    • Headland rip: prominent points often have a permanent topographic rip regardless of the model — locate it, enter/exit on the windward side, never swim against it.
    • Cold: wetsuit per the SST chip; the first shiver = a metabolic surge and a drop in breath-hold → get out at the first steady shiver. Cap the session at 45–60 min below 15 °C.
    • Solo discipline: buoy up; tell someone the spot and exit time; conservative breath-hold (never push it in cold/murky/surfy water); visibility <3 m — don't enter.
    • Afternoon wind: on many coasts the wind builds from midday — plan to be out of the water by midday; the chop builds — get out.
    • UV 11:00–15:00 (UVI ≥6): sunscreen and cover up on the surface interval.
    • Solo is a fundamental risk (hypoxic blackout with no buddy). Any doubt = No-go.
    Local guide · Kahului

    Spearfishing in Kahului: spots, seasons and rules

    Updated 2026-07-09 · By Oleksandr, spearfisher

    Spearfishing Kahului is about choosing the right side of a north-facing Maui reef day. Waihee Reef spreads wide off Waihee Point and is the broadest option; Kanaha reef sits as a defined offshore break east of the harbor; Paukukalo is closer to town and must be kept outside the Kahului Harbor FMA basin. Uku, weke, kumu, uhu, roi and ta'ape are the working fish list. For Kahului water visibility, the best pattern is summer calm, low north swell, light wind and a clean NOAA 51205 trend.

    TL;DR

    • Kahului spearfishing is a north-central Maui reef plan: Waihee is the broad fringing reef, Kanaha is the offshore break, and Paukukalo sits near the harbor edge.
    • The season shape is unusual for Hawaii visitors: summer is the cleaner window, while winter north and northwest swell can shut the coast down.
    • NOAA station 51205 is close, but read it with the Kahului Harbor cam and a direct look at whitewater over the reef.
    • Maui rules are not generic Hawaii advice: nonresidents need the NRMFL, MLCDs are no-take, uhu limits are specific, and blue terminal male uhu are protected.

    Best spearfishing spots in Kahului

    These are north-shore reef entries with moderate solo severity. Because the coast faces the winter swell window, a dry reef check from shore is not optional. If the outside line is feathering or the harbor water is brown, save the dive for another day.

    SpotTypeDepthLevelAccessNotes
    Waihee Reef off Waihee PointWide fringing reefReef flat to outer edgeIntermediateShore or careful paddle/boat support in calm weatherOne of Maui's wider fringing reefs, with uku, uhu, kumu, weke and roi. Summer gives the realistic window.
    Kanaha reef offshore breakOffshore reef breakReef crest and outer waterIntermediate to advancedOnly when wind, surf and exits are manageableTa'ape, uhu, weke, roi and tako habitat. Avoid it when trade wind chop stacks over the reef.
    Paukukalo reefTown reef outside the harborShallow reef and edge waterIntermediateShore entry with boundary awarenessUhu, weke, kumu and roi are noted here. Keep ocean-side of the Kahului Harbor FMA and do not enter the basin.

    When is Kahului diveable?

    Kahului faces north, so the bad swell sector is roughly northwest through north. That makes winter the wrong default even when the air is warm and the island looks calm elsewhere. Summer and small shoulder-season pulses are better because the reef has time to settle. NOAA station 51205 sits close to Maui and is useful for wave height and period, but the final test is visual: if Kanaha is breaking hard or Waihee has whitewater marching across the flat, visibility and exits are gone.

    What can you target on Kahului reefs?

    Uku, weke, kumu and ulua or papio are the cleanest legal reef-fish conversation. Roi and ta'ape are invasive targets, with roi carrying a ciguatera caution. Uhu need special care on Maui: the rule set limits take and protects blue terminal males, so do not treat every parrotfish as available. Turtles, monk seals and whales are protected wildlife. Tako appears in the habitat notes, but invertebrate and gear rules should be checked before any take.

    What Hawaii rules matter in Kahului?

    Residents generally do not need a marine recreational license, while nonresidents need the Nonresident Recreational Marine Fishing License. Hawaii allows spears for finfish subject to closed areas, size rules and special restrictions, but MLCDs are no-take; sea turtles, monk seals and cetaceans are protected. Marine Life Conservation Districts such as Molokini and Honolua-Mokuleia are no-take for spearfishing purposes. Around Paukukalo, respect the Kahului Harbor regulated area; if the boundary is uncertain, stay out with the gun unloaded.

    FAQ

    Is winter good for Kahului spearfishing?

    Usually no. North and northwest swell make winter the shutdown season for these reefs.

    Which NOAA station is closest?

    NOAA NDBC station 51205 is the listed Kahului-area buoy.

    Can nonresidents fish without a Hawaii license?

    No. Nonresidents need the NRMFL for marine recreational fishing.

    Can you spear blue male uhu on Maui?

    No. Maui rules protect blue terminal male uhu, and uhu take is limited.

    Is Paukukalo inside Kahului Harbor?

    The reef is outside the harbor edge. Do not enter the harbor basin or uncertain regulated water.

    Sources

    • Hawaii DLNR DAR, Maui County regulated fishing areas
    • Hawaii DLNR DAR, gear restrictions
    • NOAA NDBC, station 51205 Kahului

    Nearby towns

    • Lahaina spearfishing guide
    • Kailua-Kona spearfishing guide
    • Spearfishing in Honolulu
    • Haleiwa (North Shore) conditions today
    • Lihue (Nawiliwili) conditions today
    Data partners
    dive centres that send us real visibility readings
    Águas VivasMilfontes · Sagres

    buoy Mokapu Point, HI: 27.0° · 42 min ago