Best season for waves:

Prime time for North Shore is three out of four seasons, from fall through winter to spring. If the North Pacific is rumbling, it will send waves to the North Shore. The season can start as early as August and go as late as June. But prime time are the months from October to March, when the North Shore stands directly in the path of all that swell energy pouring down from the Gulf of Alaska and the Sea of Japan with great vengeance and furious anger.

The ASP World Tour comes to the North Shore from November to the end of December, if that is any indication of when the best waves are. Some winters can get too wild and wooly from December into January and February.

You want to avoid flying to Oahu during one of those 40 days and 40 night spells of bad weather, although they are hard to predict and avoid.

Spring is nice on the North Shore, and overlooked. The waves are still coming, there aren’t as many giant waves, and most of the world overlooks North Shore out of February. So think about it. Just don’t tell anyone.


Weather:
The weather is in constant motion over the Hawaiian Islands. The trade winds blow year around and they bring a non-stop procession of cloud and rain over the islands, broken up by clear skies.

Sometimes high pressure will set in and all goes still and glassy and that is nice.

Other times, the North Shore will get all Biblical and the pattern will bring endless rain and bad winds. No fun. This is what I paid all that money for? Beware.

The Good: Lots of surf. Come to the North Shore and you will paddle over or get caught inside way more waves than you will ever catch. And you will catch more waves in a day or a week than you will in a week or a month, wherever you come from. And beyond that: The place is beautiful, and there are lots of beautiful people running around half-naked. You can go in the water all day, every day here and you usually come out of it healthy, tanned and fit – head buzzing with positive chemicals - and feeling good about yourself and the world.

The Bad: Getting caught inside the west peak on a big day is very bad indeed, and the same is true for any big day at Pipeline, Laniakea, Haleiwa or anywhere along the North Shore. As Rabbit Bartholomew said: “It’s underwater adventure, mate. You just get punished.”

A bad North Shore ocean experience can be very bad indeed, but that is what the place is all about: How much fun do you want to have? How much punishment can you handle? How good of a surfer are you?

Breaks: Make an L with your hand and look at it from the top. Point your index finger at about 2:00. The crook of your thumb is Haleiwa, the tip of your thumb is Kaena Point and your index finger is the Seven Mile Miracle, with Kahuku Point at the top.

Now imagine that space between your thumb and your forefinger pointed directly into 2000+ miles of open ocean, with the next landfall the Aleutian Islands. That’s the beauty of the place, and the other beauty is how many ridiculously well-designed surf spots are in that seven miles to soak up all that swell.

From the crook of your thumb to the tip of your finger, the major North Shore spots are: Haleiwa Ali’i Beach is a right reef – with a shorter left – that is equally popular with keiki and beginners, but also with the world’s best surfers. Good for any level of ability, depending on swell size and direction. A good place to learn. A crappy place to get caught inside on a big day. You just get punished. Off to the west on big days, you will see the Outer Reef known as Avalanche. That is for experts and tow surfers only. Across the harbor from Ali’i is Pua’ena Point. This is where Lost is (was) filmed, but also a good beginner spot. When the surf is huge, guys surf and tow surf the outside, while the inside is sometimes the only place that average surfers can get in the water on a big day. About two miles (of private secret spots) up the beach, Laniakea is the next major spot, a right reef that is very popular for surfers who like to go far, fast. Just across the channel from Laniakea – looking back toward Haleiwa and Kaena Point – there is another outer reef called Himalayas. Experts only, although the inside of Laniakea is good for beginners on smaller days. And the reforms at Himalayas on giant days can be fun if you don’t like giant days.

In the two miles between Laniakea and Waimea Bay are a number of lesser known, inner and outer reef spots that are often overlooked by visitors to the North Shore, but are better than 98% of surf spots anywhere else in the world. The best-known of them is Chun’s Reef. Enough said about that.

Waimea Bay is renowned as one of the premiere big wave surf spots in the world. If you feel your big-wave skills are up to snuff, have a go. Just don’t get in the way of guys who have been surfing the spot for 20 and 30 years.

On smaller days, surfers will ride waves from three feet to 15 along the inner point, at a spot called Pinballs. A lot of the Backpacker’s people surf these days, because they are accessible, and you get a taste of the Bay, without getting eaten by the Bay. Pinballs is a better wave than just about 80% of the waves in the world, and it’s ignored by most North Shore residents.

Get some.

The next eight/tenths of the Seven Mile Miracle is a lava flow where you will find great diving on the calm days at Shark’s Cove. There is a weird spot called Rubber Duckies that breaks in front of one of the Backpacker’s buildings. Not sure what classification this wave is, other than “Weird.”

The sand begins again at Ke Iki Beach, which is a gonzo spot popular with bodysurfers and bodyboarders and Clark Little – but not a surf spot. And then from Ke Iki up to Sunset Beach and around the corner is the meat of the Seven Mile Miracle: two point three miles of world-famous surf spots, and not so famous spots in between the world-famous spots that would still cause riots wherever you are coming from.

Running away from Ke Iki beach as fast as possible and heading north, the spots begin at a pile of rocks, which marks the spot called Rockpile, which is a big, treacherous left that some North Shore lovers just adore, because it’s so meaty and challenging.

After Rockpile there’s Off the Wall and then Backdoor and in between them there is an in-between spot that pops up sometimes that is sometimes called Ain’ts, because it ain’t Off the Wall and it ain’t Backdoor. Off the Wall and Backdoor are both Triple Black Diamond, barreling rights that are among the most photographed waves in the world.

A recent article in Surfer Magazine pointed out that the only spot that has made the cover of Surfer more times than Backdoor is Pipeline, which is the left off the peak from Backdoor. If you have never heard of Pipeline than you probably shouldn’t be going to the North Shore to surf.

From Pipeline moving north there is Gums and Pupukea and Gas Chambers – all reef breaks that break over sand, depending on how the sand is moving and how much reef is showing.

Rocky Point is kind of the Lower Trestles of the North Shore: a small to medium performance wave that is usually lined with cameras during prime time. When it isn’t during prime time, Rocky Point is an excellent place for intermediate surfers to get a taste of North Shore flow and power, and decide if they want to keep moving up.

After Rocky Point, Monster Mush is a wave that is even gnarlier and more perfect than Pipeline, but that is a very well-kept secret. Kammieland is named for the old Chinese store that was there for so many decades and isn’t any longer. Maybe they should rename the spot Hasty and Ill-Planned Urban Renewal-land.

Across the channel from Kammieland is Sunset Beach, which is one of the most famous performance big-waves in the world. There are many many surfers who have adjusted and focused their lives to surf Sunset Beach as much as possible. It’s a big, beautiful wave with dozens of different temperaments based on swell direction, wind, time of year and who is around. Sunset is not as famous a wave as it once was, but it’s still more addicting than cigarettes.

After Sunset there’s Sunset Point and Backyards – places that have their own scene, devotees and times when you can get ridiculously good waves with few others around, even on the North Shore in the modern times.

After that is a spot called Velzyland, although it should be spelled VeLzyLand, with two L’s capitalized for Local.

Velzyland and Freddieland are generally considered the northern boundary of the Seven Mile Miracle, but the land and the sea continue to meet for another couple of miles and there are several inner and outer reef breaks along here, but the best-known are the waves that break around the Turtle Bay Resort. Again, these waves are most likely more consistent and powerful than what most people ride at home, and some surfers are perfectly content surfing around Turtle Bay, and leaving all the trouble and strife miles away.

Where you stay:

The North Shore has a wide range of accommodation, from jungle caves to crashing on a friend’s floor to guest houses, rentals and five star resorts. Most surfers traveling to the North Shore who aren’t pros or Trust Fund kids will be looking for places in the low to medium range.

Triple Crown time is prime time, so expect congestion and higher prices from November to December. But it settles down a bit on both sides of that, so factor that in.

The best deal going for non-connected surfers traveling solo or with a friend are the legendary, surfer-friendly Backpacker’s hostels. Started by Mark Foo, a famous Hawaiian surfer who drowned at Mavericks in 1994, Backpackers has rooms in four homes, which range from hostel-style from $27+ a night, to private rooms for $62 - $85 a night to private cabins for $160 - $290 a night.

Check them out at http://backpackers-hawaii.com

The North Shore also has an underground network of residents who rent out attic space, garage space, guest houses and entire homes for prices that range from reasonable to stratospheric.

Check out www.craigslist.com for short and medium-stay vacation rentals. A very good source. Or just plug “north shore oahu accommodation” into Google or any Internet browser, and you will find dozens of possibilities.

Getting around:

Because the Seven Mile Miracle is only seven miles, it is possible to bicycle, skateboard, walk or even paddle the length of it without too much strain. Some surfers will come and hoof it, others will rent cars or buy cheap ones.

Rental cars are available in Honolulu/Waikiki, from Rent a Wreck to all the top companies. Use the Internet, shop around but pay heed to one thing: When they tell you not to leave anything in your car, and don’t lock it. Listen to them.

The Bus route 88A – the North Shore Express - leaves from Ala Moana Center and goes to the North Shore then down the east side and back to Ala Moana Center. That entire trip takes four hours, but the buses leave every half an hour which makes for a semi-reliable way to get from Town to the North Shore – and also from point to point along the North, as The Bus stops at Haleiwa Beach Park, Pupukea and Turtle Bay.

If you’re a bodyboarder, you’re stoked because The Bus regulations allow “Soft boogie board without skeg or fin, dried and washed clean of sand and other debris.” But don’t consider sneaking your beautiful 10’ 6” Brewer gun on board for a run down to Waimea because the wind just shifted. The driver and passenger will most likely ridicule you, and call you a Barney.

Water temps: According to the National Oceanographic Data Center (www.nodc.noaa.gov) the water temperature around Honolulu range from 76 in January to a peak of 81 in September and October and all the way back down to 77 in December. North Shore is not much different than that, and that sounds pretty close to all right.

Equipment:
Equipment for the North Shore? You could write a book. A surfer could fly there with nothing, buy a used longboard in Haleiwa and spend many happy hours and days surfing the small to medium days at Haleiwa, or Laniakea, or Chuns or Sunset, and have the surf trip of a lifetime. Anything in your quiver from alaia to SUP will have a happy time, somewhere on the North Shore.

But this area also demands a specialized quiver of boards for specialized waves like Sunset and Pipeline. That is why, when you are driving around the nooks and crannies of the North Shore, you will see a lot of houses with a wide range of surfboards stuffed into every rafter, nook and cranny. The North Shore has two dozen different breaks and as many ocean moods, and so quivers are mandatory.

Talk to your shaper.

Wetsuits:
Xcel is a wetsuit company born on the North Shore, so they must use the things somehow. The North Shore will get cold in times of cloudiness or high wind or stormy weather, and surfers will wear vests and short johns at times – for protection either from the elements above the surface, or the reef below.

But for the most part, the North Shore is as simple as trunks and a surfboard, although rash guards and sun protection are recommended for most.

Locals:
Look at it this way: You surf a place or an area all day, every day, for all your life. And then for a month or two in the winter, the whole damned world shows up, in prime time and completely throws out of whack the flow and camaraderie and relationships of your favorite spot. At the best time of year.

That’s how it is for North Shore locals. They were born there and/or grew up surfing there and/or moved there because they fell in love with the waves. And because their area is famous they must deal with a fast-revolving front door of ever-changing faces by the dozens and hundreds – a new busload of green recruits, every day. Some of those faces are famous, some of those faces are clueless. But they all add up to crowds, congestion and vibes in a place with so much surf, none of that should exist.

So yes, the North Shore locals get edgy when there are too many strangers in the water, or rules and covenants and unwritten laws are being disrespected by outsiders who either don’t have a clue, or don’t give a damn.

If North Shore locals seem pissed it could be because they don’t like haole, or they want Hawaii back for the Hawaiians, or they don’t like media hype or the circus that comes with it. Or maybe Foodland ran out of poki again.

They might just want to find the perfect wave on the perfect day and be alone with their thoughts. But that is almost impossible when the whole world zeros in on your seven-mile block.

All of this is just a warning to behave yourself, as much as possible. Don’t do anything stupid in front of or near other surfers – either stupidly or on purpose. Because very often people are on edge along the North Shore – for a variety of reasons – and you don’t want to spark that emotional tinderkeg.

Dangers:

Pipeline is still the deadliest wave in the world. Teahupoo and Mavericks and Shipstern’s might be heavier, but more people have been hurt and killed at Pipeline – and continue to be hurt and killed at Pipeline – than any other surf spot in the world.

Anyone who surfs the spot is in a constant state of amazement that more people aren’t badly injured or killed every day. Part of that is the wave, part of that is the crowd pressure. But make no mistake, the North Shore is dangerous.

But that warning extends to all corners of the North Shore and the dangers include death by drowning from wiping out or getting caught inside, paralysis or death by hitting the bottom, severe injuries from colliding with another surfer, or getting punched by another surfer. And the North Shore also has had tiger shark issues in the past, and that possibility is always lurking.

But that is part of the attraction of the place, to those who are attracted to danger.

Attractions: Nature and the ocean and waves and beaches and sunshine are the main attractions of the North Shore, but there is good shopping in Haleiwa and in the smaller stores, and there also are some great places to eat. Just around the corner from the North Shore, the Polynesian Cultural Center is a Mormon-run institution celebrating Polynesian culture from New Zealand to Tonga to Hawaii. Few surfers get it together enough to go there, but they should.

Where to Eat and Drink: From a pound of poke at Foodland to garlic shrimp at the food carts to $300 dinners at LeLe’s at Turtle Bay, the North Shore is good eating. The North Shore has a long history of surfers learning to eat seriously and eat well, to have the energy to throw themselves into physically strenuous waves. You will see that style running through every place to eat on the North Shore: Fresh vegetables, fresh fish. Food to make you feel good and look good. Café Haleiwa is the most famous breakfast place, owned by Duncan Campbell, one of the inventors of the Bonzer, the 70s surfboard that led to the 80s Thruster. It’s also open for lunch. On the other end of the North Shore, Turtle Bay is home to LeLe’s which has become a popular place to splurge on a fancy dinner. The food here is North Shore healthy, and during contest scene it’s as big a scene at night as Café Haleiwa is during the day.

And in between Café Haleiwa and LeLe’s: everything. You won’t go hungry on the North Shore, unless you are poor, and then God bless you.
Oh and lest we forget. Ted’s Bakery: for breakfast and lunch, coffee and doughnuts and sandwiches and pies. Ted’s is an ono factory that is as perfectly positioned and appreciated as the Pipeline.

Shopping: Although Honolulu/Waikiki is a shopping mecca, the North Shore has some surprisingly cool small shops for Hawaiian trinkets and baby clothes and aloha shirts and things that you will have around the house, to remind you of the warm water and trade winds.

Events: The ASP World Tour rolls into the North Shore in November and refuses to leave until the middle of December. And with all the contest apparatus and megaphones, the world’s best surfers and a whole lot of other guys who want to be the world’s best surfers, or around them. North Shore at contest time is congested and chaotic by land and sea, but also the Greatest Show on Earth, whether you are sitting under a palm tree at Backdoor, or sitting next to Kelly Slater in the lineup at Haleiwa. There is a lot of energy coming toward the North Shore from sea, and a lot of impressive energy coming from land to meet it.

Nightlife: Over in Town, the strip clubs are very popular with young gentlemen, as they feature young women toned and tanned by good Hawaiian living, and all that fish and rice. Waikiki is one of the tourist nightlife capitals of the world, and a little of that leaks over to the North Shore – mostly at late-night bars and restaurants.

For the real scoop on nightlife all around Oahu, look to the Matty Liu Party Event Page at http://www.facebook.com/mattyliu8#/events.php

Routes and Timetables for The Bus
http://www.thebus.org/Route/Routes.asp

Backpackers Hostels and Accommodation
http://backpackers-hawaii.com

ASP World Tour website, for contest information
www.aspworldtour.com

Air Fare Watchdog site for comparing excess baggage charges:
http://www.airfarewatchdog.com

Vacation Rentals at www.northshoreclassifieds.com
http://northshoreclassifieds.com/sites/vacationrental.htm