A quiet day: no spot here rates Fair or better today.
Forecast updated 20 Oct, 01:03 UTC.
The spots
Waimea Bay · point break, advanced, best on NW/NNW/N swell with ESE/SE/E wind, all tides. The bay sits flat or nearly flat most of the year and only breaks for real when a big northwest swell lands, usually 15 ft or more. The right peaks off Waimea Point on…
Banzai Pipeline · reef break, advanced, best on WNW/NW/N swell with SE/ESE/E wind, all tides. The left breaks over a flat lava reef about 80 m off 'Ehukai Beach Park, and Backdoor peels right off the same peak. West-northwest swells clear sand off the reef and…
Rocky Point · reef break, advanced, best on NW/WNW/NNW swell with SE/SSE/S wind, all tides. Rocky Point sits between Ehukai and Sunset, off the rocky outcrop in front of the Rocky Point houses, and splits into a fast right and a left over shallow reef. It…
Chun's Reef · reef break, intermediate, best on N/NW/NNE swell with SE/S/SW wind, all tides. Chun's is a long reef right, with a left, just north of Laniakea, and it keeps its shape best between waist high and about 2 m. North swells line it up and southeast…
Laniakea · reef break, intermediate, best on NW/N/NNW swell with SE/SSE/S wind, all tides. Laniakea is a right that peels off the reef by Pu'u Nenue point, with a shorter left, between Haleiwa and Chun's Reef. North to northwest swells line it up and…
Sunset Beach · reef break, advanced, best on NW/WNW/N swell with SE/SSE/E wind, all tides. Sunset's right breaks on the reef west of Sunset Point, about 350 m out, and the main peak does not really cap until the swell passes about 6 ft. North swells run down…
Velzyland · reef break, advanced, best on N/NW/NNW swell with SE/SSE/E wind, mid tide. V-land is a fast, hollow right off the Velzyland neighbourhood just northeast of Sunset Point, best on north to northwest swells up to about head and a half. The inside…
Haleiwa (Ali'i Beach Park) · reef break, intermediate, best on W/WNW/NW swell with SE/S/E wind, low to mid tide. Haleiwa's main right breaks off the reef in front of Ali'i Beach Park, west of the harbour jetty, and is best on a solid west swell. Above about 6 ft it stays open…
Days per month at the best third of the 8 spots for each level, from three years of wave and wind model data.
Questions
What are the best surf spots in North Shore Oahu?
The best-known are Banzai Pipeline, Sunset Beach, Waimea Bay, Laniakea. In all, 8 spots lie within 7 km: 7 reef breaks, 1 point break.
Where can beginners surf in North Shore Oahu?
North Shore Oahu is mostly for intermediate and advanced surfers: reefs, points or powerful beach breaks. Beginners should take a lesson and stay on the smallest days.
When is the best time to surf in North Shore Oahu?
For intermediate surfers November to March. For beginners March, October.
What wetsuit do I need to surf in North Shore Oahu?
The sea goes from about 25 °C in March (Boardshorts / rash vest) to 27 °C in October (Boardshorts / rash vest).