 |
| Party wave at Pipeline in the spring |
After surfing around the world in tropical paradises for the past three years, I thought I would be disappointed by Oahu, Hawaii. I was told the people are your-favorite-word-for-defecatory-orifices, all the breaks crowded, and the living costs expensive. In my experience, only one of those was true.
Vibe
Up in the north, the locals were friendly, feeding and sheltering a complete stranger like me in a welcome relief from my daily commute to the North Shore. They invited me out surfing or to local events. They were funny, kind, astute, and loved surfing and tropical* beach life.
They had their priorities straight. If they had to choose, they would take surfing warm, glassy waves out in the sun over getting a new Louis Vuitton bag. Flip flops over Christian Louboutins. Pavones over Paris. These were my people. If I were forced to stay within the U.S. for my work**, I can rest assured that there is a community out here that I vibe with.
 |
| Storytelling at Waiwai Collective, a coworking space |
In the water, surfers greet each other with a smile and rejoice at being "out here on such a beautiful day," as they invariably put it. I didn't feel much competitive tension. You still need to be assertive in the lineup, but you don't need to get aggro . If you're too nice and let everyone go, they will ignore you and skip your turn. If you're disrespectful and hog up every wave, they will also ignore you then drop in on you.
 |
| Sound bath at Ala Moana beach |
Down in the south shore, things got cringey. There were lots of pale, old, fat men with more liver spots than raw boerewors sausage... and they were all on the prowl. I thought I was just teaching a surf lesson or having a conversation about politics, then they start insisting we share a hammock together on a lonely beach. Or their saggy hand creeps around on my back. Ick. Where's my barf bag?
 |
| Waikiki at night |
Crowding
Lineups won't be as empty as Pomene, Mozambique, but there are loads of surf spots around the island to spread out the surfers. I surfed almost every day for a month yet only half of my sessions had more than 10 surfers at the break I was at. You just have to get out of Waikiki and drive around. I often found myself alone at a peak for at least one magical hour, like when I literally waited for a new swell to arrive at Laniakea in early April. I got there 2 hours early and watched the waves suddenly turn from unrideable slop into sturdy head-high or slightly overhead walls.
Most of the pros and free surfers are gone chasing peak season waves elsewhere anyway, like Fiji or the Ments (or even El Salvador - Kai Lenny was on my flight there in May). So you're dealing with mostly intermediates or beginner surfers that leave the bigger waves up for grabs. In general, the south shore is more crowded than the north because that's where most of the hotels, surf schools, and board rentals are. It's not as clogged as Bali, but you can expect to be in a party wave in Waikiki, whether you like it or not.
Living Costs
The third and final claim - that living costs are expensive - is indeed true. Hawaii is the most expensive state to live in of all 50 states. 90% of the food is imported despite having such rich, volcanic soil. Oat milk was $6 per half gallon. A dozen eggs $9. Other items I would buy at a grocery store are usually about a $1 more than what I would spend in California, which is itself an expensive state.
 |
| $3 per strawberry |
If you want surf coaching or guiding, it's around $125 per hour unless you have friends who are willing to teach you. I didn't even bother checking the prices for surf photographers to capture sessions for video analysis. I assumed it would be astronomical. This is not Sri Lanka or Nicaragua, where you can get a whole 2-hour session for $20-$40, including photos/videos.
 |
| The farmer's market ain't cheap either but the selection kicks ass |
Gasoline is $4.50 per gallon. I'm glad I chose a fuel-efficient car for my daily search for waves. My airbnb was $1500 per month, which is the cheapest I could find that offered a private room and parking. It was down south in Honolulu, which presents more competitively priced accommodations than the north thanks to a more ample housing supply.
 |
| Ono Steaks & Shrimp Shack in Waimanalo |
The north shore is... fuhgeddaboutit. The cheapest airbnb I could find at the time was a tent for $2000 per month. Most airbnbs were around $4k or more. Beyond Airbnb, you will find even more expensive accommodation in the hotels and resorts. It reminded me of the dire housing situation back at home in Sedona, Arizona, also a tourist destination.
 |
| Waikiki condos and hotels |
If you really hate making the 45-minute drive from the south shore and insist on living in the North Shore anyway, maybe you can park along the road or beach parking lots and sleep in your car. Or book one of the campsites or farms on the north and northeast side, like Kaiaka Bay Beach Campsite or Maleka Farms. Or be wealthy. Or take out a jumbo mortgage and airbnb the crap out of your rooms. Or be a pro surfer so you can live at the Volcom or Billabong homes for pro surfers right in front of Pipeline.
Living Standards
Yes, Hawaii is expensive and, yes, you can find similar world-class waves for cheaper elsewhere (and in warmer water***). But you're paying a premium for first-world quality infrastructure, medical/rescue services, sanitation, and the freedom to walk around any beach in your swimsuit (unlike the Maldives). There are also plenty of things to do on Oahu aside from watersports - gymnastics, dance, concerts, pickleball, etc. If you're a digital nomad, there are coworking spaces, cafes, and fast wifi galore.
 |
| One of many feral roosters roaming the island |
The beaches and water are clean, with bathrooms, showers, parking, 4G/5G phone reception in most places, and hot, tanned lifeguards with six-pack abs well-equipped (no pun intended ;) with jetskis, dune buggies, and rescue boards. They're not overrun with stray dogs nor littered with trash and poop. You can drink the tap water without contracting Bali belly or Tanzanian cholera. It's a well developed island.
 |
| Lifeguards, parking, benches, showers, bathrooms, etc. |
Wave Quality
Springtime surfing in Oahu is so much fun for beginners and intermediates. Swells hit both ends of the island during the seasonal transition from the north to the south. The waves weren't as powerful as in other countries (but this is comparing their peak season with Hawaii's shoulder season) but the shape was clean in most places, with beautiful peelers on some days. Wind varied from day to day... unless you're on the east side, where it's howling almost everyday. You can find protected breaks in Waikiki and farther north.
Most days in April, waves were between waist to head high and occasionally overhead. I was comfortable. Sometimes too comfortable, perhaps even a little bored, so much so that my mind starts wandering over to my grocery list or ruminating about the job market.
I surfed with my biggest board (6'0" 35L) for all but one session because it's a good beater board for scouting out new (to me) breaks and both the waves and paddle out were mellow. More often than not, the waves weren't gnarly enough to warrant a board I can duck dive deep. So Nikki (5'8" 24L) only came out once, though I wish I had her the few times it was firing at Sunset Beach, Haleiwa, Lighthouse, or even Turtle Bay when it was overhead.
Beyond the congested breaks of Waikiki, you can find loads of less crowded spots. Most are reef breaks but the reef is not as sharp as Indonesia or Mauritius nor as spiky as Senegal's minefields of sea urchins. You also don't have to worry about stepping on an actual mine on the way to the beach like in Mozambique. I left Hawaii with my limbs intact. No reef tattoos all over my back nor spikes in my feet either.
 |
| My only injury was a fin cut from a corpulent longboarder who dropped in on me |
Conclusion
I see now what makes Hawaii such a prime training and proving ground for surfers. There are breaks for all levels and all kinds of watercraft; you just gotta know what side of the island and which spots to go to depending on the conditions. The island is small enough that you can drive from one side to the other in less than an hour (or one hour if you don't beat the 3pm rush hour traffic).
 |
| Road to North Shore |
Given its combination of livability and wave quality, Hawaii has made it to my list of places that have potential to be a long-term home. It's up there with Mauritius, Maldives, and the Philippines. The only thing that worries me is the vog - volcanic fog - which I learned I'm sensitive to. I coughed and wheezed my first two weeks as if I had TB. This long surf trip began 3 years ago as a search for a new home due to severe allergies on the mainland****. If I lived in Hawaii, would I be replacing my allergies with vog sickness?
 |
| Boat life is best life |
Maybe I'm doomed to be a forever nomad, chasing the seemingly impossible combination of good waves year-round, warm water, a stable group of friends, and clean air.
She felt the loneliness of making the entire universe your playground, yet having no home.
-excerpt from Ken Liu's "The Waves"
Appendix: Surf Spots
I couldn't see or surf all of Oahu's breaks - there were so many - but here's a quick rundown of the ones I nibbled on. Clockwise around the island, from north to south to west (I skipped the east side because it was often blown out and better for windsurfing):
Haleiwa
A shallow reef break that acts like a beach break with sometimes high-performance lefts and rights. Betty Lou Sakura's home break, though I didn't see here there. She was probably off surfing in Fiji or something. Channel on the left (when standing on the beach, looking towards the ocean). Riptide in front of the toilet. Gentle re-form on the inside if you get stuck waiting out the rest of a set.
Pua'ena
Forgiving reef break shaded by casuarina trees (a.k.a. filao) and a favorite spot for schools and longboarders. Independent surfers camping out on the outside peak can occasionally snag some beautiful A-frames with ramps to practice turns while beginners hang back on the inside. Wave fades out quickly into deeper water on either side of the cove. Channel on the right, hugging the rocky coastline. Good snorkeling too - I brought goggles and saw turtles and fish in between sets.
 |
| Pua'ena State Park |
Laniakea
2-3 peaks that sometimes connect into one long, sectiony wall. Rights are longer than lefts but watch for a shallow reef inside of the takeoff zone. Channel on the right lies along the rocks between Laniakea and Jocko's. Channel on the left starts from the beach west of the lifeguard tower. Parking lot is small but offers a great view of the break from your car.
Chun's Reef
Often crowded on weekends and when a new swell comes in. Small group surf classes populate the inside. Channel on the left. The outside can be a long right that ends in the channel or a long left that ends in a closeout that strands you on the inside. There's a submerged coral bommie on the inside when paddling in.
Turtle Bay
Right-hand point break in Kiliuma Bay that wraps around the sharp rock outcropping on which Turtle Bay Resort sits. Takeoff is right in front of the drunk spectators gawking at you from the resort bar (which is a great spot to watch sunset, by the way). It's the classroom for Jamie O'brien's surf school but it closes at 5pm, and I only did sunset sessions here so I never saw it busy with students. Careful with the metal stairs down to the water; they can be slippery.
Lighthouse
Beautiful A-frame over shallow reef in front of the Diamond Head lighthouse. Long rides but long paddle out through the channel between Lighthouse and Cliffs. Often very windy. Strong, swirling currents had me paddling constantly the entire session to stay in place.
Waikiki Walls
A spot just for bodyboarders, at least until the lifeguard leaves. Then one or two surfers sneak in but leave soon after when they realize there are kids everywhere. Long but easy paddle to the outside break which looks like it dies halfway to the beach then re-forms on the rocky inside for a quick little barrel. Paddle out from the beach through the channel on the left or jump off the end of the jetty. Backwash keeps people from actually hitting the wall or the jetty.
Queens
Not as crowded as Canoes next door but still crowded enough to make me look elsewhere even though it's a well-shaped wave with long rights that can barrel closer to the rock jetty. Even if you take the wave hogs away, there are seldom enough waves to go around for everybody that's there. You'll have a better chance at catching waves with a longboard as the takeoff is not very steep and the loggers rule the roost here.
Rockpiles
Range of peaks in front of the Ala Moana Marina and the Hilton lagoon. Sectiony and tends to close out. Not the cleanest shape but the walls can be steeper and the crowd more disperse than Queens. The reef in front of the beach where you paddle out is so shallow, I was able to walk halfway out to the break. It's a deeper right next to the rocks, but then it gets really shallow again. Most of the reef ain't sharp though.
 |
| Rockpiles in the distance |
White Plains
Beach break on the western side, about 30 minutes drive north from Waikiki. I never saw this place crowded as there are so many peaks to spread out on but it's a choppy mess. It's very windy. Lots of channels shutting down and opening back up all over the place. Hard to predict where waves will break. Many jack up and look promising then they melt into nothingness by the time they reach you.
Spots I checked but didn't go in because it was flat, too big, crowded, or I was already tired from surfing elsewhere:
Avalanche / Wolves
The mountains of water to the left of Haleiwa break. The tall A-frames on the outside is Avalanche and rolling closeout on the inside is Wolves.
Jocko's
That rocky break between Laniakea and Chun's Reef with crispy corners for people who like brownie edges.
Jocko's
Pipeline
The iconic break of Hawaii. Very pretty wave in very shallow water. Shoulder season is probably the only time of year that mere mortals can surf here but, even then, getting caught under the lip looks like a pain in the neck, literally. It's fun to watch hotheaded shortboarders throw a tantrum at the end of every wave because it's too small or it ended too soon for them to throw another snap. Drama queens all of them. Now I know why it's called high-performance surfing.
Sunset Beach
The beach with bipolar disorder. One day it's flat, the next day it's barreling. Multiple peaks here. Kammieland is the lonely one on the left side of the rip, with long lulls and peaks that popup from nowhere. West Peak and Main Peak are the crowded ones on the right side of the rip. They fire more often the farther east you go. Main peak is largely a hollow right. West Peak is more symmetrical.
Makapuu
Mellow bodyboarding and bodysurfing shore break in a protected cove on the southeast side.
 |
| Makapu'u |
Kaloko
Windy, choppy break on the south side. Parking lot is covered in bowling-balled sized rocks. Low-clearance cars stay away.
Sandy Beach
Exposed reef break for surfers and bodyboarders on the left. Hollow shore break for bodyboarders and bodysurfers on the right. Good way to fill your pockets with sand.
Footnotes
*At 23°N, Hawaii is actually subtropical, not tropical, and I felt this in the climate and the water but not the scenery. Lush green mountains rising above palm-fringed beaches with turquoise water would have you believe it's a tropical paradise.
**Remote work is increasingly rare and the ones left no longer allow "work from anywhere", meaning you can work outside the office but you must stay within U.S. borders (or whatever country in which you have citizenship or work authorization).
***The weather was warm but not too hot or humid. I needed a springsuit to cut down the wind chill and keep me warm in the water because I got accustomed to surfing near the equator in 85°F water.
****The search also began due to a hatred of cold winters and a lack of waves.
Reviewed by beachplease
on
May 13, 2025
Rating:
