A "Surfer's Crossing" indeed! Photo: Joe Carini
Up the reef, however, is Sunset's classic north peak, a sea mount fueled by good north swells which break way outside, and which can present the most diffident of waverunners with a big and contentious wall that can run on through to the inside. This inside section is yet another story because this realm of the reef can push waves into some of the most intense and fat barrels around. Making it through one of these mothers is yet another crapshoot, usually rated at about a 50/50 chance of survival. Woe to those who find themselves inside a thick barrel that claps shut on their head and pile-drives them into the shallow reef below. Those who emerge from such a sick insider are deemed legends, and will surely be buzzing from the resultant euphoria and adrenaline rush for the rest of the day.
Northwest swells do this place the most justice, and anything from 6 to 15 feet is fair game. It's always bigger out there than it looks from the beach, so you may want to consult the lifeguards before paddling into something way over your head. Or you may want to stick to Val's Reef over the inside with the local groms before heading out into the open sea.
Crowds are an everpresent dilemma at Sunset, and on some days, you will see more than a hundred tiny heads bobbing in the water. Whatever your intentions, Sunset requires top physical conditioning, a primo set of lungs, a big board and even bigger balls. Getting caught inside and pounded is a fact of life when surfing here, as are broken boards. To actually wire Sunset's shifty peaks takes years of dedication.
Paddle straight out from the beach, but time your entries and exits carefully so as to not make a fool of yourself in the heavy inside shorebreak.
More Than Just A Market
Back on shore, let's repair to Kammies Market, a local foodery that has become a bit of an institution in the Sunset Beach area (and which caters to all a surfer might need). Kammies even serves up waves. Well, not exactly, but the fun left/right peak parallel to the store is called Kammies and can fulfill your desire for waves on smaller North Shore days. The waves out here can be bowly and fun, so just check it out from the beach, brah. Usually not too crowded either.
The next two spots going towards Haleiwa from Kammies are Stone Zone and Monster Mush. Both are better on small swell days when almost every other spot on the North Shore is manageable. They can also sometimes be a great escape from the madding crowds. Stone Zone can have juicy fun peaks and Monster Mush features a usually mushy right-hander and left. The Mush is right across from Rocky Point, which we will discuss next. Again, think small.
And on a mild day at Waimea Bay, it's crosstown traffic, or perhaps— "Ho! Hey! Going! Got it!"—more like a misplaced Malibu on Oahu's constantly busy North Shore. Photo: Jeff Divine
If there was ever a spot made for shooting pictures and for catering to the needs of a photo slut, it would have to be Rocky Point. That's not to say that the waves at Rocky's suck; it's just that they get really, really, REALLY crowded. On any given sunny day with decent waves, you're sure to find enough cameramen on the beach to convince the clueless that a major motion picture about surfing was being shot. Rocky's features an unreal left that is super shredable, uniformly hollow, and which can link up and peel a fair way on down the beach. A short right completes this peak, but if you're looking for rights, paddle a tad on down to Rocky Rights, where dreamy rights peel off like something out of the World's Most Rippable Waves textbook. Beware of the rocky beach and inside waters when floating closeout end sections, or when paddling in or walking out. Inside of the rights is a big rock sticking prominently out of the water which you should avoid at all costs. The most auspicious and safest paddle out to Rocky's is from the little sand beach just north of Rocky Lefts. When big winter swells bomb this coast, all the sand that settled here during the summer gets washed away (thus revealing the rockiness). Best ridden at under 8 feet.
Those looking for cheap thrills in life should head just across the way from Rocky Rights to the peak at Gas Chambers. Fast-breaking lefts and rights are the go, and roomy barrels can be snagged if you're patient. Making it out of them is hard, and trying not to hit the reef when eating it on the inside is just as difficult. Chambers is one of those places where wearing a condom-like helmet isn't such a bad idea. The lefts sometimes close out with Rocky Rights, so choose your waves wisely—you may just score a spitting dream.
Pupukea is another one of those rock bottom spots that fills in with shifting sand from summer. Whether it's sand or rock that you're surfing over, Pupe's still comes up with the goods, delivering thick rights and lefts that spiral up and down the beach. As perfect for high-performance waveriding as any other spot. Pupukea handles up to about 8 feet solid, and even at that size will still be manageable, though quite heavy. The beach is also a favorite place to sift and burrow for cute little puka shells, or to just hang out and get a tan. Pupukea is situated just to the right (towards Sunset) from Ehukai Beach Park.
The breaks fronting Ehukai Beach Park usually materialize over a sand bottom until a proper monster swell buffs the bottom clean and leaves only a bare butt reef below. Smaller days yield fun peaks up and down the beach at Ehukai (in front of the beach park) and at Gums (aspot just before Pipeline). The grand Pipeline itself is in full view and just to the left of this little beach park.
Pipelines
The Banzai Pipeline is without a doubt the most famous wave in the world, and it conveniently does its extraordinary thing just to the left side of Oahu's Ehukai Beach Park. You'll know it when you see it: super thick, swift-moving mountains of water that unload their strength with pounding vigor over an obscenely shallow lava reef below. All the rumors, stories, video clips and photos that you've ever seen of the place will come into focus before your eyes on any day that da pipe is in action. Some of the most colossal, fear-inducing, liquid-tripping, awe-inspiring, simply straight-up insane left-hand tubes on earth—ones that can make you poop your pants in a heartbeat—spin through this place with great regularity. (Whew, that was a mouthful). Eh, but how you figgah, brah: no other wave in the world has been as ardently documented as this one, and we ask you to watch and you will very soon learn why. This place f*#king smokes, brah!
Big Isle slasher Shane Dorian may be one of the most famous and highly-paid surfers in the world, but he didn't get there by sitting on his couch. Yes, presenting Shane, moving fast on the North Shore. Photo: Art Brewer
As the wave action rises here, you surf over different parts of the volcanic reef. Under, say, 8 feet, most of the surfing is done on the inside reef. As the swell rises, Second Reef Pipe awakens, presenting big rolling faces that lead to mental double-ups over the inside. Waves that cap over the second reef but don't quite break unload straight over the inside with an extra force that seems to have come from the depths of a watery hell. When Second Reef Pipe is happening and online, just the sight of it causes mouths to drop and remain wondrously agape. When the action gets serious, Third Reef Pipe comes into "play," peaking way outside and steamrolling in down the line. Heavy stuff.
To actually surf Pipe, you've got to have a considerable number of years of surfing heavy waves under your belt, along with an advanced level of tuberiding skills and a gung-ho, go-for-broke attitude. You also need boards that can negotiate the supersteep and sucking drop, and also be able to explore the immense magnitude of a Pipe-bomb cave. Above all, you have to really want one of these beasts. There are basically two groups of people out on the Pipe. The first group are those who are addicted to and desire Pipe-drainers like junkies looking for a fix. The others are just, well, out there, but not quite sure if they've made the right choice by stroking out to the lineup, or if they actually do want to confront these demonic waves. You can almost see it in their eyes as they paddle out—whether they've got the fire or not.
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