Kua Bay (Maniniʻōwali)

Kua Bay's winter shorebreak is the seasonal hazard visitors regularly underestimate. Northwest swells from November through April produce a hard, fast shorebreak that has caused serious spinal injuries and deaths. Respect lifeguard warnings. Children especially are at risk; the wave knocks adults down. If you don't know how to handle shorebreak, do not enter the water on big-surf days. Reef-safe sunscreen only — Hawaiʻi state law bans oxybenzone and octinoxate. Sea turtles sometimes rest in the bay; stay ten feet back, do not touch, do not feed. Arrive early; parking fills by 9 AM most days. Gate closes at sunset.