Ocean SafeHawaiʻi Island Beach Safety
Hilo & Puna (East)

Pohoiki (Isaac Hale Beach Park) today: live conditions and our beach score

Brand-new (2018 lava) black-sand beach with a dangerous shorebreak and strong currents along the sand.

Live conditions Hilo & Puna (East)
Reading today's ocean conditions…

Ocean Safe scores conditions from public NOAA and Open-Meteo data. We don't certify any beach as safe or unsafe, and this is a modeled estimate, not an official forecast. Always check posted signs, county lifeguards, and weather.gov, and decide for yourself. How we score beaches.

⚠ Not a swimming beach

Brand-new (2018 lava) black-sand beach with a dangerous shorebreak and strong currents along the sand. Lava boulders make ocean entry hard even on calm days. This is NOT a swimming beach. Lifeguard coverage is not on the official State list and any tower is staffed only seasonally — do not rely on a guard being present. The DOH also warns against entering the warm geothermal ponds with any open wound (bacterial-infection risk).

Open Pohoiki in Ocean Safe: live map & beach score →Live conditions, our beach score, lifeguard info and what to do today. Free, no signup

The one thing to know

Brand-new (2018 lava) black-sand beach with a dangerous shorebreak and strong currents along the sand. Lava boulders make ocean entry hard even on calm days. This is NOT a swimming beach. Lifeguard coverage is not on the official State list and any tower is staffed only seasonally — do not rely on a guard being present. The DOH also warns against entering the warm geothermal ponds with any open wound (bacterial-infection risk).

Beach facts

ShoreHilo & Puna (East)
LifeguardNo lifeguard
Best forWatching from shore, photography
ParkingGravel lot at the end of Hwy 137 (Pohoiki Rd) in lower Puna. Boat ramp, restrooms.

Questions visitors ask

Is it safe to swim at Pohoiki (Isaac Hale Beach Park) today?
Pohoiki (Isaac Hale Beach Park) is flagged as a hazard beach. Brand-new (2018 lava) black-sand beach with a dangerous shorebreak and strong currents along the sand. No reading of today's surf changes that — check the live conditions above for context, but treat this as a watch-from-shore spot, not a swim.
Is there a lifeguard at Pohoiki (Isaac Hale Beach Park)?
No. Pohoiki (Isaac Hale Beach Park) is not lifeguarded, so conditions are yours to judge. If the surf looks marginal, choose a guarded beach instead.
Why is Pohoiki (Isaac Hale Beach Park) dangerous?
Brand-new (2018 lava) black-sand beach with a dangerous shorebreak and strong currents along the sand. Lava boulders make ocean entry hard even on calm days. This is NOT a swimming beach. Lifeguard coverage is not on the official State list and any tower is staffed only seasonally — do not rely on a guard being present. The DOH also warns against entering the warm geothermal ponds with any open wound (bacterial-infection risk).