Five-minute Hawaii conditions digest. Every Friday morning.
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Every Friday morning, Aloha Friday lands in your inbox with one quick read on conditions across the islands — surf heights, jellyfish risk, which trails are open, what's happening this weekend, and any new posts worth your time. No daily clutter. No main newsletter. Just Fridays.
It's a separate list from the Aloha Today podcast — subscribe to one, both, or neither. The digest is written for travelers in the planning window: people still 3–12 weeks out who want a weekly pulse on what Hawaii is doing right now.
Surf & Swell
Wave heights and swell direction for all four islands. Good weeks vs. gnarly ones.
Jellyfish Risk
Box jellyfish warning dates for the week ahead — calculated from the lunar cycle.
Trail Status
Open, closed, or permit-required — current status for the most-visited trails.
Events & New Posts
What's on this weekend plus the one or two new posts most relevant to your trip.
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What a Typical Digest Looks Like
Aloha Friday — May 23, 2026
Your 5-minute Hawaii conditions briefing
Surf · All IslandsSouth Shore Oahu 2–4 ft, building to 3–5 ft by Sunday. Maui north shore flat. Big Island east side choppy. Kauai south calm — good week for beginners.
Jellyfish RiskClear this week. Next warning window: June 10–12 on south shore beaches. Hanauma Bay and Ala Moana will be calm through Sunday.
Trail StatusDiamond Head open, no wait. Kalalau Trail fully open — overnight permits required. Waimea Canyon Drive clear. No active storm closures.
Coming UpKing Kamehameha Day (June 11) — free floral parades on all islands. Ukulele Festival at Kapiʻolani Park July 19–20. Pan-Pacific Festival Honolulu June 6–8.
New This WeekHawaii Accommodations Guide — live hotel and vacation rental rates by island, plus which type fits your trip. Also: updated reef-safe sunscreen rules for 2026.
Trade winds are strong right now, with high surf hitting the south shore today. Windward areas are seeing frequent showers through the weekend.
South-facing beaches have dangerous surf today through Sunday—stay out of the water unless you're an experienced swimmer. East-facing shores will build rough water by Sunday or Monday. The bigger picture is a tropical system, Fausto, heading our way. It's weakening but should arrive near the islands by Tuesday or Wednesday as a tropical storm or weaker system, bringing strong winds, rough seas, and heavy rain. The exact track is still uncertain, so check the forecast daily.
Get your beach time and water activities in today through early next week on the leeward side, where conditions stay calmer. Be ready to shift plans by midweek when conditions turn rough.
0:000:52
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Windy conditions across Maui right now, with trade winds gusting strong. South-facing shores have high surf today and will see another big swell Saturday and Sunday—the water's dangerous unless you're an experienced ocean swimmer.
Through the weekend, windward areas will get frequent showers while trade winds stay gusty. The bigger picture arrives midweek: Hurricane Fausto is weakening as it moves toward the islands and should reach Maui as a tropical storm or weaker system Tuesday or Wednesday. That'll bring rough seas, strong winds, and heavy rain. Track and timing are still uncertain, so check updates daily.
Hit the leeward beaches and snorkel south Maui coasts today through early next week, but stay out of windward and south-facing waters through Sunday.
0:000:54
Voice
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Windy conditions dominate right now with strong trade winds pushing across the island. South-facing shores have high surf today—dangerous water if you're not an experienced swimmer.
Through the weekend, those south shores see another big swell Saturday and Sunday, and east-facing shores will build dangerous conditions by Sunday or Monday. Windward areas get frequent showers. A tropical system—the remnants of Hurricane Fausto—is weakening and headed toward the islands as a tropical storm or weaker system by Tuesday or Wednesday, bringing rough seas, strong winds, and heavy rain midweek. Timing and track are still uncertain, so check updates daily.
Leeward beaches on the Kona side stay your best bet today through early next week, but avoid the water on the windward and south shores through Sunday.
0:000:57
Voice
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Strong trade winds are pushing showers across windward areas through the weekend. On Kauaʻi, expect frequent showers on the windward side.
High surf is running on south-facing shores today and will build again Saturday and Sunday—stay out of the water unless you're an experienced swimmer. East-facing shores will also see dangerous swell by Sunday or Monday. Hurricane Fausto is weakening as it moves toward Hawaii. By Tuesday or Wednesday it should reach the islands as a tropical storm or weaker system, bringing rough seas, strong winds, and heavy rain. Track and timing are still uncertain, so check updates daily through midweek.
Beach time on leeward shores works through early next week. Plan water activities for today, but be ready to shift if Fausto's track becomes clearer—conditions will deteriorate by midweek.
Created with AI from the official NWS forecast discussion · verify with NWS before heading out
