Hawaii (Big Island) Travel Forum

I will be arriving in Waikoloa tomorrow (May11). I have heard there is a problem with Vog from the volcano. Does anyone know if there will be vog in the Waikoloa area?

Thanks

Having just left Kailua-kona last Wednesday May 7, after a month long stay... you're definitely going to see an affect from the Vog. The amount of gases being emitted by the craters is substantially greater "730 tonnes/day compared to a background rate between 150-200 tonnes/day. " quoted from: http://volcano.wr.usgs.gov/kilaueastatus.php May 10. From our experience this is the first time in years that the Vog has created undesireable skies over Kona and the areas North (including Waikaloa). Nonethless, it is not, unless you are an asmatic, or have problems with your lungs, in our opinion (my wife and i spend two months a year there, one in Spring and one in the Fall...) a need to cancel plans at a cost to yourselves. If, on the other hand, you 'have to' make your vacation to Hawaii one free from Vog, look to Kauai, or Oahu (even Maui is somewhat affected by the Big Islands vog). Happy trails to you!

We recently spent a bit of time in vog-ridden Kona. We were told (but did not check out) that the kohala coast is fairly vog-free, though I'm certain it depends on the winds. The last poster suggested oahu, but we also spent a few days there, and you might get a fair bit of vog on oahu since it seems to hang together rather than dissipate as the vog travels to oahu. Kaui might be the only safe bet

That said, my partner and I were both asthmatic as kids and were fine for the week we were in captain cook, specifically to see if we could breathe the vog since we are in escrow on a house there. Also the lower on the hillside, the less vog - stay near the coast.

We were just on the BI a couple weeks ago. We had two rental houses and one condo at three different places around the island: near Pahoa; Kona; and up at Waipio. These were all affected by vog at one point or the other and it all depended on wind patterns. If the Trades are blowing strong, all of the vog is carried off-island. As we encountered, when the Trades were soft or nonexistant, we had the vog in all places around the island.

It was not to the extent that it was choking us, but you could smell it and see the haze from it.

You're probably enjoying clearer skies today as the winds are southerly which tends to push the "vog" to the east side of the islands, primarily the Puna and Hilo areas.

It really comes down to what was said earlier, it depends upon the winds.

You can take a look at this site from the Volcano National Park. Provides advisories.

http://www.nps.gov/havo/closed_areas.htm