Ocean SafeHawaiʻi Island Beach Safety
Kaʻū (South)

Whittington Beach Park (Honuʻapo) today: live conditions and our beach score

A rocky lava shoreline on Honuʻapo Bay, NOT a sand swimming beach, with no lifeguard.

Live conditions Kaʻū (South)
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

A rocky lava shoreline on Honuʻapo Bay, NOT a sand swimming beach, with no lifeguard. Rough surf, strong currents, and rocks make the open shoreline dangerous for swimming; surge can sweep the rocks and tidepools. Stay to the sheltered tidepools/old fishponds and treat the open water as a no-swim zone.

Open Whittington 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

A rocky lava shoreline on Honuʻapo Bay, NOT a sand swimming beach, with no lifeguard. Rough surf, strong currents, and rocks make the open shoreline dangerous for swimming; surge can sweep the rocks and tidepools. Stay to the sheltered tidepools/old fishponds and treat the open water as a no-swim zone.

Beach facts

ShoreKaʻū (South)
LifeguardNo lifeguard
Best forWatching from shore, photography
ParkingFree county park lot off Hwy 11 near Honuʻapo (94-4995 Mamalahoa Hwy, Nāʻālehu). Restrooms, pavilions, camping by permit.

Questions visitors ask

Is it safe to swim at Whittington Beach Park (Honuʻapo) today?
Whittington Beach Park (Honuʻapo) is flagged as a hazard beach. A rocky lava shoreline on Honuʻapo Bay, NOT a sand swimming beach, with no lifeguard. 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 Whittington Beach Park (Honuʻapo)?
No. Whittington Beach Park (Honuʻapo) is not lifeguarded, so conditions are yours to judge. If the surf looks marginal, choose a guarded beach instead.
Why is Whittington Beach Park (Honuʻapo) dangerous?
A rocky lava shoreline on Honuʻapo Bay, NOT a sand swimming beach, with no lifeguard. Rough surf, strong currents, and rocks make the open shoreline dangerous for swimming; surge can sweep the rocks and tidepools. Stay to the sheltered tidepools/old fishponds and treat the open water as a no-swim zone.
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