next spot over from Backdoor is one more high status venue in the world of surfing. Off The Wall is another of those places specializing in gutsy barrels. The main part of the wave is an accelerated right that bowls from takeoff to wave's end. Waves are super quick, and it takes years of adapting to figure out which ones to pick (kind of like mushrooms in a field). A right pick and you're flying through tunnel vision with an exit. But a wrong choice equals the above sans the exit. Beware of the shallow inside, and crowds that are always a nuisance. Lefts that drive toward Backdoor can be an option, but they tend to clamp shut over a shallow inside section. Getting caught inside here is also not in your best interest. Off The Wall (or OTW) got it's name from the concrete wall facing the break at the end of the public right-of-way going towards the beach. The steep drops characteristic of Off The Wall may also have contributed to its name.
Insanities is yet another properly-christened peak that looks straight into the right at OTW. Its waves can jack and sometimes get good, so keep an eye on it.
The left straight out from the outcrop of rocks on the beach (right by the lifeguard tower) squeezes out some serious juice. Rockpiles, as it's called, features a thick left that doubles-up and warps over a boil in the takeoff spot, and then rolls down the line. Big barrels are a possibility, but risky. Getting caught on the inside may push you over the rocks, so beware. From the beach, the size of the waves can be deceiving, and they are guaranteed to be bigger once you get out the back. Rock-piles handles some serious size, and usually has a minimal crowd of surfers. Totally in view from the coastal highway.
The right winding off of Rockpiles, Logcabins by name, is a thumping wave that can turn on in small to medium north swells. Shallow rock patches line the bottom here, so extreme caution should be exercised. When going off, Logs can be as intense and tubey as anywhere else on the North Shore. Logcabins may have been named (uh, duh?) after the log rental house on the beach facing this break.
When the Waimea river reaches its maximum capacity, the boys head down with their shovels and dig a stream to the ocean. As the flow strengthens, a stationary wave forms over the sand. Great filler-fun, but take heed of the less-than-sanitary water. Photo: Mana
Waimea Bay (say "wy-may-uh"). A sacred panorama in the world of surfing. Photo: Steve Wilkings
Rubber Duckies, once voted the "Stupidest Surf Spot on the North Shore" in a Surfer magazine survey, is nothing to get excited about. A sometimes mushburger right that is rarely ever good comes in on a reef at the beach called Three Tables. Possibly fun on a longboard, but you are probably better off just relaxing on the beach with your rubber ducky.
Winding up at Waimea
Waimea Bay is a beautiful crescent-shaped bay that on big swells holds what may be the premier big-wave right in the world. Under 15 feet, the wave here hugs the point and is known as Pinballs. When waves start hitting the 18-foot and up range, however, the activity shifts to the outside and true Waimea jumps into gear. The whole deal here is about making the drop and then escaping to the safety of the deep channel, a ploy that is way easier said than done. Waves hitting the outside boil can jack and lunge with great ferocity, creating a complex drop, one that can get even harder when it is being blasted by stiff trade winds. These mountainous entities have been known to form barrels big enough to drive a truck through. If all this wasn't enough, there is even a freak left that sometimes shoulders off the right (but which is not recommended), and which has so far only been attempted and made by two all-around wave maniacs, Shawn Briley and Marvin Foster. Waimea comfortably holds swells up to the 25-foot range and sometimes bigger. At this height, the Bay reaches its capacity and may start closing out. The crowds that clog the lineup definitely make surfing here even more dangerous than it should be, and, as some Waimea vets say, have killed the mythical magic of the place.
The inside and close to the beach Waimea shorebreak is world-famous for its necksnapping power. Surfers paddling in and out of the Bay have to deal with this phenomenon first, which can be rudely annoying because this fierce sandpounder reaches up to 15 feet on the face on seriously big days. Boogeyboarders and bodysurfers take much pride in riding these liquid time bombs, locking into enormous, frothing sand-dredging pits before they implode on the shoreline. Some stand-up surfers even take their chances here, usually on smaller days. Breaking your board and/or back may result from a session out here, so the buyer of such goods should beware. On days when the Bay shows its stuff, it seems as if the whole island stops to watch. Traffic along the Kamehameha Highway creeps slowly by the lookout cliff as drivers rubberneck and try to see the breaking waves, and parking spots around the cliff and beach park are snatched up as quickly as they become available.
Here, in the heart of the winter season, a prestigious invitational big-wave riding contest, "The Quiksilver in Memory of Eddie Aikau," goes into a wave-waiting period. Conditions have to be just right, meaning solid Waimea lines of 20-foot plus swell coming through with pleasant wind and weather patterns. If these contest requirements are met, then the Eddie goes ahead. If not, the whole show is put on hold until the next season. Competitors in the event are all fully-certified hellman/chargers, and they push the limits in this event for a first place check of fifty grand, one of the highest prize purses around. Eddie Aikau was a well-known Hawaiian waterman who took off fearlessly on some of the biggest waves at Waimea during his time. He was also a respected lifeguard on the North Shore, but was tragically lost at sea in 1978 while attempting to swim to shore for help while serving on the crew of an experimental ancient Hawaiian sailing canoe named the Hokulea. The Hokulea had been damaged and was threatening to go under in rough seas. Eddie's body was never recovered. When the waves are huge and local surfers are scared, they will often look at each other and say, hopefully, that if he were still here, well, "Eddie would go."
The surf coming in from Wai-mea Bay to Haleiwa is a considerable downshift from the heaving action around Sunset Beach. The waves are still excellent, however, and reek of 100 percent pure North Shore juice. For those looking for a fun and not-too-threatening peak to surf, Leftovers is a good option. The lefts coming in here are nice and wally, providing ample space to boogie on. The odd tube will make a guest appearance at times.
Rightovers are the rights that roll off just up from the lefts; they get fun and give you sufficient room to play. Take heed of the shallow inside that pops up on lower tides. It sounds good, but take into consideration that a boogeyboarder once disappeared from this lineup during an early session, and all that was recovered later was his sponge with a good-sized shark bite taken out of it. A much-visited memorial to him was put up next to the bushes near the checkout spot here.
Acrose the narrow channel from Leftovers lies Alligator Rock. Gator's is a sometimes happening right and short left that stands up and does its thing before going impotent in the channel. Easily checked from the beach, or from out at leftovers.
Before arriving at the wide-open view of Laniakea, you'll come to another open beach clearly visible from the road. There are two waves here—a left and a right— which break towards each other, and on small to medium size swell days, they can send any sane surfer mad in trying to decide which way to go. A channel in the center of the two separates the movement on both sides and provides a safe paddle-out spot. The rights are known to the world as Chun's Reef, and are some of the easiest and fun waves to ride. A myriad of peaks makes up Chun's, and they all turn off and on, depending on local swell, tide and surf-god conditions. The peak by the channel offers a short, fun ride before withering away into the deep water. The outside peak can be the best bet, with good rides pushing all the way through to the other side, baby. Chun's features a fine performance-tuned wall that is great for any maneuver you may have lingering in your mind. It all sounds good, except when you see the packed water crew that is sure to be there on any respectable day. The odd left is up for grabs, and it's a good way to sneak one away from the pack. A shower is strategically
