Surfing
Surfing
The best 10 waves in Hawaii
A trip to the Hawaiian Islands is a surfing rite of passage. These are the 10 waves you'll want to put on your bucket list, even if only to sit and watch them at their wildest.
From Tahiti to Tonga, surfing has long been a part of Polynesian culture, but Hawaii is truly the mecca for the modern art form. Known as the Sport Of Kings, thanks to Hawaiian royalty in the 1700s, who chose wave sliding as their preferred form of recreation, the lineage has continued into the modern day.
Legendary Hawaiian swimmer and surfer Duke Kahanamoku at Waikiki
© Unknown
From the likes of Hawaiian waterman and surfing champion Duke Kahanamoku in the early 1900s up to modern world champions like John John Florence, Andy Irons and Carissa Moore, and onto big wave icons like Kai Lenny and Ian Walsh, for a small archipelago, the Hawaiian Islands will forever play a huge part in surfing and surfing folklore.
Kai Lenny during The Eddie at Waimea Bay in Haleiwa, Hawaii
© Trevor Moran / Red Bull Content Pool
Hawaii doesn't just boast heavy water and huge barrels. It's everyone's classic tropical island holiday for a reason. Whether you're an aspiring pro or a weekend warrior, there are waves to cater to surfers of all levels, and while some are strictly off-limits to all but the planet's best, they still make for incredible viewing from afar.
Here's a list of lineups that will get you booking your next flight to Honolulu International before you know it.
Oahu
While Oahu's Honolulu is a tourist mecca, with the white sands of Waikiki the major drawcard, surfers from around the world are drawn to the incredible waves of the North Shore in winter. From Haleiwa to Velzyland, the 'Seven Mile Miracle' boasts a list of the planet's finest and fiercest lineups, has crowned world champions and big wave champions for years, and has long been known as surfing's ultimate proving ground. Here's a handful of waves on Oahu you just have to surf or see at their finest.
01
Pipeline
4 min
The Addiction of Pipeline
Pipeline. Surfing’s spiritual home. Not the first wave ever surfed, but the first wave ever feared.
The Banzai Pipeline is the most famous wave world in the world. Although it plays home to the legendary Pipeline Masters and Pipe Pro, amongst other events, competition is even more fierce on No Contest days. A hypnotic barreling peak that breaks over a series of shallow reef ledges out to sea, Pipeline is the left while Backdoor is the right, before moving down to Off The Wall, Rock Piles and Log Cabins.
2 min
A First Hand Look at Surfing Pipeline
Imagine you’re staying a few hundred feet from the most famous reef in all of surfing.
To the east of Pipeline is the Ehukai Beach Park, a magnet for local families to hang out and splash around when the ocean is a little more laidback, while across the road sits Sunset Beach Elementary, surfing's most esteemed halls of education.
- Experience level: Pipeline is best left to the experts, and it's well worth watching them put on a show.
02
Waimea
4 min
No Contest: Behind The Scenes At The Eddie
It's the most famous big wave event in the world, but what goes on behind the play? Find out here.
Even when the ocean lays dormant, Waimea Bay is spectacular. A crescent of golden sand lies at the foot of a church, while headlands reach from sea level for the sky. Then winter hits, and the Bay turns ugly as 30-foot waves strafe the shore and bulldoze the beach. Surfing's original big wave has been a bucket list item for watermen the world over since the 1950s, and although these days there are nastier waves that appeal to surfing's most daring, the romance and appeal of Waimea has never waned.
Opening Ceremony at The Eddie
© Zak Noyle
Waimea is home to the Eddie Aikau Invitational, which has run only 10 times since 1985 when conditions merit that "the Bay calls the day" and one of the waves of choice for Red Bull Magnitude competitors, too.
3 min
What is Red Bull Magnitude?
Red Bull Magnitude, the only all-women, big wave surf competition has officially kicked off for the season.
- Experience level: Waimea will take your breath away. Probably best to leave that strictly as a viewing experience.
03
Sunset Beach
14 min
Every heat's a final
For Jack Robinson it comes down to Hawaii's Sunset Beach to make his life’s dream come true and win a spot on the Championship Tour.
Sunset Beach is a North Shore classic. For a powerful, deep-water wave, figuring out its moods and shifting peaks is a science all unto itself. The rewards for unlocking the mysteries are huge, however, with big tubes rearing up and racing across Sunset's infamous inside bowl.
Molly Picklum flies through the Sunset Bowl and straight onto the podium
© Brent Bielmann/World Surf League
The Sunset Pro has long been a fixture on the WSL's calendar, and while some surfers figure the wave out and repeatedly strike success – take a bow Jordy Smith, Jack Robinson and Molly Picklum – for others, famously Kelly Slater, it is an enigma to never be solved.
- Experience level: Like most North Shore surf spots, unless you're a strong paddler and have some experience under your belt it's best left to those who do.
04
Waikiki
Hawaiian locals like Carissa Moore will always love surfing in Honolulu
© Trevor Moran
On Oahu's southern coast, the famed volcano Diamond Head monopolizes the Honolulu horizon. At its base, surfers of all experience levels can enjoy the friendly waves of Waikiki.
While the South Shore definitely boasts waves that can pack a punch, see Carissa Moore above. Tourists and novices can find their feet on any of the surf craft that the Waikiki beach kiosks have for rent. Whether you want to ride a soft top, a SUP, a longboard, an outrigger canoe, or even just sail off into the sunset with a cocktail in hand, Waikiki is the place to be.
'The Ambassador of Aloha,' Duke Kahanamoku, still keeps an eye on Waikiki
© Red Bull Content Pool
Don't think you can play up, though; a statue of the legendary 'Ambassador of Aloha' himself, Duke Kahanamoku, plays gatekeeper to the famous ribbon of sand.
8 min
Made In Hawaii: The Other Side
A look at the family side of the North Shore of Oahu.
- Experience level: Waikiki is one of those rare spots that can be as fun for beginners as it is for accomplished aquatic athletes.
05
Sandy Beach
Not necessarily regarded as a traditional surf spot, Sandy Beach, on the southeast corner of Oahu, is revered by bodysurfers, bodyboarders, and more recently, the softtop riding participants of Red Bull Foam Wreckers. It's also an incredible beach in its own right, well worth visiting simply to sit on the sand and soak up some sun.
28 min
Soft-Top Summer | A Red Bull Foam Wreckers Film
Zak Noyle cut his teeth shooting the enchanting lineups of his local beach, the champion swimmer drawn to the shapes of a powerful ocean slamming into a shallow seafloor.
- Experience level: Sandy Beach can be very dangerous, so please follow the lifeguards' instructions and exercise caution at all times.
Maui
While Oahu is the big name in Hawaiian surfing, a couple of islands to the east lie Maui, with no shortage of its own world-class waves.
06
Honolua Bay
Heaven is a day at Honolua
© Surfing/DJ Struntz
The roping and reeling rights of Honolua Bay have long been a magnet to surfers from across the planet. Author William Finnegan recalls surfing Honolua in the 1970s in his Pulitzer Prize-winning novel Barbarian Days, while until recently, the long, hollow walls of Maui's greatest wave regularly crowned surfers like Carissa Moore and Stephanie Gilmore world champion as the closing women's event on the WSL Championship Tour.
As well as being one of the world's classic point breaks, Honolua Bay is also Maui's busiest surf spot. On a classic day, you'll find the lineup logjammed with locals and tourists alike, so it's not just the ocean you need to be aware of. Still, how much effort are you prepared to invest for the best wave of your life?
Stephanie Gilmore celebrates another world title at Honolua Bay in Maui
© Ed Sloane/WSL
- Experience level: Honolua Bay is best suited to advanced surfers prepared to do battle with a strong current and heavy crowd.
07
Jaws
9 min
Filmer Ryan Moss takes us inside an epic sessions at Jaws
In late January 2020, a huge swell at Jaws saw a star-studded cast of big wave surfers put on a show.
While Pe'ahi, or Jaws, is geographically only a few hundred metres off the North Shore of Maui, the world's most spectacular open ocean peak is metaphorically locked deep in the brains of big wave surfers from all corners of the planet.
Kai Lenny stands strong at the bottom of a Jaws beast
© WSL/Cait Miers
Even backhand, Lucas Chianca attacks big waves like no other man on Earth
© WSL/Cait Miers
Ian Walsh running and gunning at XXL Jaws
© WSL/Keoki Saguibo
Originally the realm of a keen band of local windsurfers, in the 1990s, that same crew, which included Laird Hamilton, Dave Kalama, Pete Cabrinha, Darrick Doerner and Rush Randle, started to ponder how they could tackle the waves in other ways. With the help of Zodiacs and some home engineering, the strapped revolution was launched, and towing into waves led to the biggest performance breakthroughs in big wave surfing history.
11 min
Following – Ian Walsh
Get an insight into the existence of a surfer who goes into the water thoroughly prepared, leaving nothing to chance.
While the straps gave way to a paddling revolution, they still have their place, and local legends like Kai Lenny and Ian Walsh have forged global names for themselves on the back of their performances at Jaws.
- Experience level: Jaws is best enjoyed as a spectator sport, from the Pe'ahi Overlook at the top of the facing cliffs.
08
Ma'alaea
Across the seven seas, every surfing town has one: a mythical wave that is spoken of more than it is ever sighted. You can live somewhere your whole surfing life and only ever hear of the perfect point that has to be seen to be believed or the ballistic beach break that only exists for a few hours before sinking into the sand as quickly as it surfaced, not to be seen again for another dozen years.
In Maui, that wave is called Freight Trains, and so rare is this gem that the island's own Kai Lenny, rider of the world’s wildest waves, had never surfed it before 2022 when conditions finally saw it roar to life along with a crowd of hundreds.
“I think this goes down as one of the all-time greatest days on Maui, at least in my lifetime,” concluded Kai after the day of days. "The waves were all-time, all day long. I can’t believe what just happened."
- Experience level: Freight Trains is near on impossible to surf, and the crowd is even worse. You can try your best, but unless you're an elite surfing samurai, we don't like your chances of success.
09
Lahaina
According to local star Eli Hanneman, in summer Lahaina Harbour Breakwall "gets south swells that are pretty fun, nothing crazy, but good enough to stay sharp." In winter, the waves turn on, and you can even find rights that run from the other end of the wall.
Maui's tradewinds offer Eli Hanneman the ramps he needs to hone his craft
© Trevor Moran
Lahaina is where Eli sharpened the skills that saw him qualify for the 2024 WSL Championship Tour, but the greatest success of his competitive career came in the shadow of his hometown's greatest tragedy when wildfires razed his hometown in August 2023.
Receiving the 2024 Muhammad Ali Sports Humanitarian Award at the ESPYs
© Jodie Nelson/Red Bull
In times of crisis spirit is forged, and in 2024 Maui surfing was presented the Muhammad Ali Sports Humanitarian ESPY Award, in recognition of the effort they put into resurrecting their town from the ashes. If you're in Maui, looking for a fun surf, and have a few dollars to support local businesses trying to get back on their feet, why not swing through for a meal and a wave?
- Experience level: Lahaina caters to beginners on small swells and advanced shredders when they are solid. Know your level and there's no reason you can't really enjoy yourself when the time is right.
Kauai
Andy Irons at home in Kauai
© Mike Coots
Kauai's surfing spots are seasonal, with the north end of the island a great choice for the winter months and the south end ideal in summer. A notoriously low-profile island with reportedly incredible surf means visitors need to keep their wits about them at all times, and local lore suggests giving respect to gain respect.
Some of surfing's greats, including Titus Kinimaka, Andy and Bruce Irons and Keala Kennelly, all hail from 'The Garden Island,' which tells you all you need to know about the standard of waves around these parts.
10
Hanalei Bay
Hanalei Bay
© Jarred Decker on Unsplash
Hanalei Bay lies on Kauai's North Shore and boasts waves year-round. A perfect semi-circle, there are swell magnets on the headlands and a multitude of waves of all sorts as you get deeper into the bay. The famed Pine Trees is where the Irons Brothers first learned to surf, and it is a great wave for everyone from grommets to grandparents.
- Experience level: Hanalei Bay is the ideal spot for surfers of all levels. Get out there!
Hawaiian waves are hard to beat. If you show respect, smile widely, always take your shoes off before walking into someone's home, and are realistic about your own abilities, there's no reason you can't have the time of your life and take your surfing to the next level in The Islands. Enjoy!
