Seasonal· Oahu· Hawaii
Winter North Swell (Oahu North Shore)
21° 38.4′ N · 158° 3.8′ W · approximate
From about October to April, long-period swells from North Pacific storms slam into the North Shore, building the surf at Waimea, Pipeline and Sunset to world-class size and making every north-facing anchorage untenable.
Practical
Position is a representative point at Waimea Bay. Noodle's Notes: north-to-north-west swells occur between October and April and are reliable enough that anchorages exposed to them should usually be avoided from October through April; June-August is the best cruising season because the north swells disappear. Swells arrive several days ahead of the storm (Wikipedia, Waimea Bay); the Eddie Aikau contest only runs on open-ocean swells of 20 ft or more (30-40 ft faces in the bay). Track forecasts daily (the guide's author uses Surfline, picking a surf spot facing the same way as your anchorage) and monitor NOAA VHF weather. Haleiwa harbor stays enterable in all but the most violent storms, but entrance breakers and surfers crowd the channel; the Coast Pilot gives a storm anchorage about 1 mile off in 20-30 fathoms.
Best for
Planning: summer for North Shore anchoring, winter for surf-watching
Season
October-April
Nearby
- Eddie Aikau Big Wave Invitational (Waimea Bay)Right here
- Waimea Bay Summer Anchorage0.1 NM away
- Puu o Mahuka Heiau State Historic Site0.3 NM away
- Three Tables0.4 NM away
- Foodland Pupukea (Waimea Bay)0.5 NM away
- Waimea Valley0.6 NM away
- Shark's Cove (Pupukea Marine Life Conservation District)0.7 NM away
- Sunset Beach and Banzai Pipeline1.7 NM away