THE BEST SURF SPOTS IN HAWAII
Hawaii is the most geographically isolated landmass on the planet,and for some that means only one thing: groundswell!
Everywhere, in every direction, the currents of the Pacific are churning up the winds, storms, and fetch that ultimately source these islands with their world class waves. Below is a list of the best places to get wet if you have never been to Hawaii.
To be sure, there are far better waves than those listed below, but they are unlistable for various reasons. Take Kauai, for instance; there is nothing more to hide – the world already knows what waves exist, just look at a map, but why then is any photo of Kauai’s best wave still flipped, and never named, when it’s printed in any surf mag?
Because respect is a crucial element of the Hawaiian surfing experience; and with reason – the island juice is no myth; ocean conditions here are worlds away from your local beach break.
But still, come surf, it’s Hawaii, the Duke would have wanted you to. For the full rundown of breaks, grab “Frank’s Map” at any surf shop. In no particular order….
O'AHU
NORTH SHORE
Pipeline
Here it is...the mother of all waves.It’s the site most surfers will never be good enough to surf, but dream of riding its perfect crest.
Aptly, it’s located at the island that created surfing, and is one of the heaviest waves in the world, scaling over six meters over a shallow base of razor blade table reef. If you’ve got the balls, charge this flawless water tube and experience one of nature’s finest creations.
Ehukai Beach Park is the common parking lot for those looking to surf Pipe.
It is located across from Sunset Elementary School on the North Shore.
After parking in the lot, Pipeline is just south down the beach.
Pipeline has a reputation as one of the most dangerous waves in the world! The main wave at Pipeline is a left that breaks over a very shallow and treacherous reef. The right at Pipe is called “Backdoor” and can be even more dangerous at times. Pipeline pitches really quickly as the wave moves over first reef, making for some intense late drops straight into the barrel. On massive swells, the takeoff zone can move to second reef, which is a lot further out, and to the south; here the wave is generally more crumbly until it hits first reef and turns into a racetrack. On the biggest of days, Pipe breaks way out in the middle of the ocean at what is called third reef. It is also one of the most famous waves in the world, and all the pros eventually go there to prove their surfing abilities. Pipe is strictly for experts only. Every time it is breaking, there is a big crowd on it, most of whom are locals or visiting pros, so paddling out at Pipe can be intimidating. If you do paddle out and are able to scratch your way into a wave, you can be certain that getting spit out of a Pipeline barrel will be the thrill of a lifetime...
When waves break onto the shallow reef at Bonzai Beach, they form some of the gnarliest tubes anywhere in the world. Newbies are advised to stay well clear of what is usually simply referred to as the “Pipeline” or “Pipe,” and even pros have met their end among its waves. Tahitian Malik Joyeux is just one of five surfers killed there in the past eight years.
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| Photo: Kasia Szczęsna |
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| Photo: surfglassy / CC |
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| Photo: Kasia Szczęsna
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Pipeline breaks on most directions and sizes, but is best on a mid-sized west or northwest swell. Most days of the year the easterly trade winds are blowing, which provide pretty good offshore winds for Pipeline. A slightly lighter wind tends to make Pipe work the best. Every so often, the North Shore will get Kona winds from the south that can really mess things up on the North Shore and at Pipe.
Surf Equipment:
Pipeline is all about getting into the wave and getting barreled. Most surfers out at Pipe are riding boards often called “Pipe guns,” which are basically mini-guns. The best boards are rounded pin and pintail boards that you would trust to get you through a very fast barrel section. Surfers at Pipeline often have bigger boards than they would surf at other locations, probably because the earlier you get into the wave at Pipe, the more likely you will make it out unharmed. Getting thrown over the falls at Pipeline is not a fun experience.Brief History:
The first recorded surfing at Pipeline took place in the early 1960s, although locals claim that the wave was surfed long before this time. In 1964, Greg Noll rode one of the most famous waves ever caught at Pipeline from all the way out at third reef. By the ‘70s, Pipeline was already very famous in the surfing world, and in 1971 the first Pipe Masters was held, a contest that is still the biggest event in the surfing world today. Over the years, Pipeline has only increased its reputation as one of the most perfect and deadly waves in the world.Surf Contests:
Pipeline is home to the final event of the Vans Triple Crown, which is also the final stop of the ASP World Tour. Pipe Masters, as the event is normally called, has taken place for decades at Pipeline and is the biggest event in the surfing world each year. There are other events that happen each year, such as the Da Hui Backdoor Shootout, which features mostly local talent and is always an amazing show. The trials for the Pipe Masters take place each year before the Triple Crown in order to choose the local wildcards who will get to compete in the main event. One event that has run since 1971 is the Pipeline Bodysurfing Classic, where crazy guys like Mark Cunningham get the chance to bodysurf Pipe with no surfers to get in their way. A more recent event that has taken place is the Tidal 9 Women’s Pipeline Pro, in which women from around the world compete in three disciplines: shortboarding, longboarding, and bodyboarding. No matter what the event, a contest day at Pipeline will provide one of the greatest free shows on earth.Brief Travel Info:
Pipeline is not a very difficult wave to get to, as traveling to Hawaii is pretty simple from most starting points. From the airport in Honolulu, you just have to make your way up to the North Shore and find some accommodations or fly into Dillingham Airport on north shore and get a taxi or drive to Ehukai Beach Park in Pupukea (expect to pay around US$50 for airport transfers).
The only hotel in the region is the Turtle Bay Resort, located on the north end of the North Shore. It’s pretty easy to find other places to rent, such as rooms, houses, and hostels, but make sure you have all of that figured out in advance. There are plenty of good places to eat and fun things to do on the North Shore and in nearby Haleiwa. For a few ideas of what to do when the surf goes flat, check out the flat spell activities in my post "What kinds of other sports can you practise in Hawaii".
More on:
http://www.thebigwaveblog.com/surf-spots/pipeline-oahu
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| picture through Wikipedia |
Watch Pipeline masters from the 80's:
...and nowadays:
Ehukai Beach Park (North Shore, Oahu)
Straight out from the parking lot of the same name, are several shifting peaks that work on everything from a west to a windswell wrap from the east. Sandy bottom is scattered with random fingers of rock. Generally a good place to come if you are beyond a beginner, but still getting used to things.
Great place to get the feel of Oahu’s North Shore. Pipeline is immediately to the left, and when it’s big enough, it essentially swallows all the peaks of the beach park. Come here to watch Pipe or sight Tom Curren; across from Sunset Beach Elementary.
Laniakea (North Shore, Oahu)
On a big north, Lani’s is a freight train right that can connect for an extremely long, fast ride, with four or five makeable sections. Deep water wave, but still barrels with the right conditions. Very consistent with any swell that has a bit of north in it; doesn’t work at all on pure west swells.
Good place if you’re looking to blend in – the “town” crowd from Honolulu loves this wave, and thus there are always different faces in the water. There is a shorter, hollow left as well, that can be very fun. Seen in the big opening along Kam Hwy as you head east from Hale’iwa.
Oahu’s North Shore is home to some of the world’s biggest waves, and Laniakea may be the best point break on the coastline. Strong currents and the nearly exposed reef bottom at low tide make the spot dicey at times. Laniakea is also renowned for the sea turtles that call it home, and the area draws about as many turtle watchers as surfers.
Caution: parking lot thieves run amuck.
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| Photo: TheGirlsNY / CC |
Backyards (North Shore, Oahu)
The first time I surfed ‘Yards it went from a playful head high to a widow-making triple-overhead in 40 minutes, and I had to paddle out and around the entire point in a heap of anxiety to get in, so take note.
Very fast, advanced wave with a steep wall, thick lip, and shallow reef below. Good barrels. Swell magnet from all directions, but works best on a NW swell. Can get very, very big, and often has less of a crowd than other spots. Further out on the point from Sunset. Access from the shallows at the tip of the point.
Caution: reef, clean up sets.
Sunset (North Shore, Oahu)
Sunset is one of the most fabled right hand points there is, and thus attracts many a soul the world over. In that sense, you can surf it without worry (crowd-wise) if you let your hyper-paddling habits subside. Surely not a wave to be taken lightly though, even at a playful three feet Hawaiian. The wave turns very fast and hollow as it emerges and walls up quick from deep water; famous inside bowl throws way out for a good, heavy barrel.
You need some length and paddling strength in your board here; very thick wave and can be difficult to get into. Prepare yourself to get washed and bashed around on the reef when you see that rogue set swing wide from the west; you’ll certainly be caught inside.
Caution: shallow reef, heavy lip, clean-up sets.
Velzyland (North Shore, Oahu)
Everything considered, VLand is probably the most risky inclusion on this list. Shallow, extra sharp reef, a heavily localized pack, and a barrel that seems to suck dry, make for a serious North Shore experience. Respect here (for everything) is vital.
This marks the end of the “seven mile miracle,” the opposite end being Haleiwa’s Ali’i Beach Park. Park along Kam Hwy, and walk through the gate at Sunset Beach Colony. Paddle out from directly in front of the peak. The wide open barrel is unreal, but caution: sharp reef, shallow, crowd factor, locals.
SOUTH SHORE
Canoes (South Shore, Oahu)
Canoes is the endpoint of Duke Kahanamoku’s legendary mile long ride. At its best during the summer season, this spot is accessible to beginners, but can get a bit crowded as a result...
This is the jumping off point for the Waikiki surf adventure, and the rest of the south shore as well. Every surfer must come at least once, and there are few waves as friendly to teach your new ladyfriend. While generally a friendly wave, this whole shore turns on several times a summer, firing off exceptional waves. Those roadbumps beneath your board are not coral heads – they’re either the innocently ignorant Japanese tourists, or the equally benign, pasty-white Oklahomans.
On the south shore you can surf fifteen different spots in a single session, so paddle around and explore – that’s what the Duke did. Straight out, fittingly, from the Duke Kahanamoku statue in Waikiki. For more juice on this side of the island, seek Bowls, Kaisers, or the wave in between the two, aptly named Inbetweens. Looking out towards Diamond Head, imagine the Hawaiian legend of the wave the Duke caught way out on the point and connected all the way to the sand, right where you get your favorite mai-tai – the restaurant by the name of Duke’s.
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| Photo: jmcd303 / CC |
Ala Moana Bowls (South Shore, Oahu)
Ala Moana Beach Park spreads over 76 acres, just west of Waikiki spots like Castles and Canoes. The channel was dredged, so the waves hit especially shallow ground, resulting in big bowls and an often crowded lineup. It take a bit of work to paddle the 200 yards to the reef, but once you’re there, it’s well worth it.
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| Photo: madmarv00 / CC |
Diamond Head Lighthouse (South Shore, Oahu)
Diamond Head, the volcanic tuff cone that crowns Oahu,
protects the waters off its shore from trade winds and provides a steady supply of four to six foot waves. It's also good windsurfing spot.
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| Photo: mattk1979 / CC |
Castles (South Shore, Oahu)
Castles in Oahu is an exposed beach and reef break. Summer offers the optimum conditions for surfing. Works best in offshore winds from the north northeast. Tends to receive a mix of groundswells and windswells and the optimum swell angle is from the south southeast. A reef breaks left. Even when there are waves, it's not likley to be crowded. Beware of rocks,etc.
Originally known as Kalehuawehe, this spot was renamed for the home of Samuel Northrop, the 19th century missionary turned businessman whose “castle” was once a prominent Waikiki landmark.
Castles is where Duke Kahanamoku, the Hawaiian who can be called
the Babe Ruth of surfing (and five time Olympic medalist in swimming), reportedly rode a wave for more than a mile in 1917.
His statue now graces the beach:
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| Phpto: LukeGordon1 / CC |
MAUI
If you also like windsurfing, then Maui will become your No. 1 place in Hawaii...
Jaws (Maui)
Jaws (Pe’ahi in Hawaiian) is the biggest and baddest surf spot in all of Hawaii. With waves that are rumored to reach 120 feet, the reef break was largely inaccessible to surfers before the advent of tow-in surfing, led by Laird Hamilton. But the epic spot’s fame has brought an influx of inexperienced surfers, angering locals who must share precious real estate and worry about injuries.
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| Jaws Beach provides the biggest, scariest waves in Hawaii. Photo: Ron Dahlquist/Corbis |
Check the latest video from 31st of December 2012:
Ho'okipa (Paia, Maui)
Between Haiku and Paia is Maui’s most consistent wave, or waves, and it happens to double as one of the best windsurfing spots in the world!
All the various peaks can be seen from the bluff along the Hana Hwy heading east from Paia. The most hierarchical spot is Pavillions, the right that comes off the far east point; otherwise, there is much range of skill found in the lineups of the other peaks; still, keep respect.
Catches everything from the big WNW’s to the easterly windswells.
Very exposed to the wind, so get up early before the wind does, and then hit it again late in the afternoon; with Kona winds, you score! Park in the parking lot below the bluff, and follow someone else into the water (and out).
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| Photo: amarette / CC |
Honolua (North Shore, Maui)
Honolua is one of the magical waves of the world, a flawless right point that seems to peel into infinity – when you happen to catch one. The crowd here is dense, but the joy of one ride makes it all worth it, especially that crisp barrel through the cave section.
Somewhat sheltered from the islands to the north, the swell window here is smaller than most other spots, and thus it works much less often; best on a big NNW swell. The trades that plague most of the rest of Maui, work fine here, to make a consistent side-offshore breeze. Again, when you connect one, the wave is simply magical.
A right-hand squeaky-clean point break should keep you occupied, but getting to it is tricky business. Locals may tell you to "go back home" and your valuables may get nicked from your car while you’re in the sea, but a little cash is a small price to pay for a world-class ride like this which comes with the added bonus of spotting whales.
This bay on Maui’s North Shore doesn’t have much of a beach, but that doesn’t mean it’s not a great spot to snorkel and swim.
The best time for surfing is in the winter, when swells bring the big waves.
Getting there: Fly in to Kapalua West Maui Airport and, depending on where you’re staying, you may get a free shuttle from the airport all the way to the beach, or just get a taxi directly there or if you got a rented car park on the bluff above, follow someone out ;)
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| Photo: surfglassy / CC |
Ma'alaea Pipeline (Maui)
Ma’alaea is best known as the home of the world’s fastest rideable wave, generated when the southerly swell hits Maui.
In winter, migrating humpback whales visit the harbor of the small fishing village.
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| Photo: iStockphoto/Thinkstock |
Hanalei (North Shore, Kauai)
The two-mile long crescent shaped beach was named the best in the United States in 2009. It’s underdeveloped compared to Hawaii’s better known surf spots, and a view of Kauai’s gorgeous mountains is the reward for getting on top of a big wave. Surfing is best in the winter; the water is calm during the summer months.
Set in a white sandy horseshoe-shaped bay, Hanalei is the largest on Kauai Island, particularly pretty with waterfalls in the background.
This spot is not all style and no substance. Pros love it for its overhead tubes and consistently fine waves.
This is maybe the only wave on Kauai that you are allowed to mention in a public arena. Lucky for us, it’s a great wave, a peeling right point that works on most winter swell directions. Good fun when it’s smaller to grab a longboard and go make friends in the lineup – then you might find out about those other waves around the way. The bay here is pristine, and so is the town by the same name. On the far north east side of the point, towards the Princeville. Can get very big, and very good.
Getting there: Fly into Princeville Airport and get a taxi, which is only five kilometers away from the beach.
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| Photo: keepitsurreal / CC |
HAWAI'I
Ke’ei, Kealakekua Bay (Big Island - Hawai'i)
Ke’ei Beach is one of relatively few great surf spots on Hawaii’s main island,
and is a surprisingly well-kept secret. You won’t Jaws or Banzai-level waves here, but the underwater reef that stretches for 300 yards can provide long, consistent rides when the conditions are right. You can also see there dolphins.
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| Photo: apasciuto / CC |
LANAI
Lopa Beach
Swimmers are advised to stay clear of Lopa Beach’s strong ocean currents and rocky seafloor, as are inexperienced surfers.
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| Photo: Jeff Flindt/NewSport/Corbis |
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