Surfing
North Shore Swell Direction Cheat Sheet
Don't know where to surf when they're saying it's a "straight west?" Let us be your guide.
Carlos Muñoz Surfing in Hawaii
© Agustin Munoz/Red Bull Content Pool
Just because the North Shore of Oahu is called the Seven Mile Miracle doesn’t mean that the waves of your life will just come right up and smooch ya on the kisser. It helps to have a little insider knowledge.
Like when the contest announcers are babbling on about a “Big West” coming through overnight from such and such degrees, or when a friend says he’s surfing some wave called Lanis because the swell looks north.
So, how does one know where exactly to go on this little slice of heavenly shore? What direction swell makes what place tick? In short, the North Shore faces predominantly Northwest, so receives swell from four different angles: North, West, Northwest and Northeast.
Here’s the cheat-sheet:
Jamie O'Brien - Action Hawaii 2011
© Brian Bielmann/Red Bull Content Pool
Straight West Swells: Straight west swells, or swells coming from the left (when facing out to sea on the North Shore) make most lefts and some rights go. This is Pipeline’s magic direction. Backdoor might even be nonexistent when the swell is really west.
But other lefts like Rocky Lefts, Jocko’s, Gas Chambers, Marijuanas, Leftovers and Himalayas will all be rocking, plus some rights that are a little further out to sea, like Haleiwa, Sunset and V-Land. For the most part, Straight Wests are also the most powerful and fast-breaking swell directions on the North Shore.
Straight North Swells: Inversely, swells funneling in from the north, (or coming straight at you while looking out to sea over there) make all the rights happen. Waves like Backdoor could be 6-feet and firing, while Pipeline might not even be breaking.
Other rights like: Log Cabins, Rocky Rights, Sunset, Backyards, Alligators, Pupukea, Laniakea, Puena Point and Kammie Land work perfect from this direction. Not only that, but waves like Laniakea and Rocky Rights will turn into leg burners from the sudden direction switch and length of ride.
Plain Northwest: Basically, a swell that’s pretty even keeled, not too north, not too west is pretty perfect for most spots. Split peaks like Rocky Point, Pipe/Backdoor, Haleiwa, Off the Wall and Ehukai Beachpark will all work well. The lefts just might not have the same push and bite of an angled straight west. Waimea Bay faces this exact direction too, and is good on this swell-path.
The Rare Northeast: Not a lot swells come in from this angle, wrapping over from Kahuku Point on the upper east side. But when they do… Sandbar rights form from Rocky Point through Off the Wall and drain like a mini Kirra. Usually triggered by a rogue storm or even North-Pac tropical depression, look for the clumps of cars parked at lesser-ridden spots on the side of Kam Hwy.
