A huge swell is bearing down on Hawaii's north shore, which will host the 2022/23 Eddie Aikau Big Wave Invitational surfing competition this Sunday. This will be the first time the event has run since 2016. 

Satellite imagery below shows a large low pressure system off the Aleutian Islands in the north Pacific, to the northwest of Hawaii, blowing strong gale to storm force winds towards the Pacific islands.

These strong winds, directed towards western and northern sides of the islands, will bring swell heights of 4.5 to 5.5m on Sunday 22nd. Moderately long peak swell periods of about 17 seconds, with the northwesterly direction of the swell, will mean very large waves will break across the famed North Shore of O'ahu. 

Image: Himawari satellite imagery on Friday morning (11am Hawaii Standard Time) showing the large low with associated frontal cloud band pushing towards the Hawaiian Islands, generating large swell. 

East to southeasterly offshore wind over the coming few days will provide cleaner conditions good for big wave surfing, likely bringing pumping 20-25 feet surf at Waimea Bay on Sunday.

The event has been given the go ahead by the organisers, after an early false start earlier this month. The event needs prime big wave conditions to run, with the last time the event ran being in 2016, when world champion John John Florence won the event.

An amazing day of big wave surfing is likely, with notable invitees including John John Florence, and his brother Nathan, 11-time world champion Kelly Slater, and father and son combo of Michael and Mason Ho, amongst a field of about 40 surfers. 

Image: John John Florence dropping into a walled out Waimea Bay wave during the last Eddie in 2016. Source:(WSL/TomServais).