🏄 Where to learn, where to watch, what the ocean is doing now · checked 12 October 2026
Surfing on Oʻahu
Two seasons decide everything: big winter swells on the North Shore (November to April) and summer swells on the South Shore (May to October). Learn in Waikīkī, watch Pipeline and Waimea from the sand, and check the buoys and the surf forecast below before you paddle out.
The ocean right now
Live from NOAA buoys · updated every 30 minutesNorth Shore
Waimea Bay
3 ft
14s period · from NW · water 80°F
Mon 6:26 AM
Buoy 51201 ↗South Shore
Pearl Harbor entrance
2.6 ft
17s period · from SSE · water 80°F
Mon 6:30 AM
Buoy 51211 ↗Windward
Mokapu Point
4.6 ft
8s period · from ENE · water 81°F
Mon 6:26 AM
Buoy 51202 ↗West (White Plains)
Barbers Point
3.6 ft
15s period · from S · water 81°F
Mon 6:30 AM
Buoy 51212 ↗Early warning for North Shore swells
NW Hawaiʻi offshore
6.2 ft
from NNW · water 79°F
Mon 6:20 AM
Buoy 51101 ↗
Significant wave height out at the buoy (the average of the biggest third of waves) — not the face height on the beach.
Surf forecast · NWS Honolulu
| Shore | Today AM | Today PM | Tuesday AM | Tuesday PM |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| North-facing | 4-6 ft | 4-6 ft | 6-8 ft | 6-8 ft |
| West-facing | 3-5 ft | 3-5 ft | 3-5 ft | 3-5 ft |
| South-facing | 5-7 ft | 4-6 ft | 3-5 ft | 2-4 ft |
| East-facing | 2-4 ft | 2-4 ft | 2-4 ft | 2-4 ft |
Face heights, trough to crest. Issued 306 AM HST Mon Oct 12 2026.
A long-period south swell will hold through Monday, producing elevated surf along south and west-facing shores, but it will remain below advisory levels. South shore surf will decline gradually Tuesday into Wednesday, but a new long-period south swell arriving late Wednesday will provide another bump in surf for Thursday and Friday.
Buoy data: NOAA National Data Buoy Center, CDIP (Scripps Institution of Oceanography) and PacIOOS. Forecast: National Weather Service Honolulu.
The seasons
- Summer (May–October): the South Shore gets the swells; Waikīkī’s soft waves over reef and sand are at their best. The North Shore is small to flat. Source
- Winter (November–April): consistently huge and dangerous swells on the North Shore. Beginners should stay out of the water there in high surf; Waikīkī is small but usually still rideable. Source
- West shores can get wrap-around north swells in either season; east (windward) shores get rough trade-wind waves year-round. Source
- High-surf warnings start at 25 ft faces on north-facing shores, 20 ft west, 15 ft south and east (advisories at 15 / 12 / 10 / 10 ft). Source
Where to surf
Where to learn
Gentle, sandy or well-guardedCanoes
South shore · Waikīkī, by the Duke statue · Beginner
- When
- Summer, south swells
- Watch for
- Very crowded: rental boards, canoes and catamarans coming in
- Lifeguard
- Yes (towers 2B, 2C)
- Getting there
- Walk from Kalākaua Ave; lessons and rentals on the beach
Queens
South shore · Waikīkī, Kūhiō Beach · Beginner–intermediate (longboard)
- When
- Summer, south swells
- Watch for
- Crowds; a home break for good longboarders, so mind the etiquette
- Lifeguard
- Yes
- Getting there
- Kalākaua Ave
Pops (Populars)
South shore · Waikīkī, outside Canoes · Beginner–intermediate
- When
- Summer, south swells
- Watch for
- A long paddle out, so fewer people
- Lifeguard
- Towers on the beach, not at the break
- Getting there
- Where most Ty Gurney lessons go
White Plains Beach
West shore · Kalaeloa · Beginner
- When
- Best in summer; rideable most of the year
- Watch for
- None noted in the sources we read
- Lifeguard
- Not on the city or state tower lists
- Getting there
- Parking and showers; board rentals on site
Puaʻena Point
North shore · Haleʻiwa · Beginner, small days only
- When
- Small days, with an instructor
- Watch for
- Winter swells; turtles — keep your distance; surfboards banned in the swim zone next door
- Lifeguard
- No (nearest: tower 31, Haleʻiwa Aliʻi)
- Getting there
- Small lot where the surf schools meet; TheBus 52
Once you can turn
More power, more reef, more localsChun’s Reef
North shore · Kawailoa · Beginner–intermediate on small days
- When
- Summer or small winter days
- Watch for
- Reef
- Lifeguard
- Yes (tower 30A)
- Getting there
- 61-335 Kamehameha Hwy
Haleʻiwa Aliʻi Beach Park
North shore · Haleʻiwa · Intermediate
- When
- Calmer spring and summer
- Watch for
- Winter waves and currents can be extremely dangerous
- Lifeguard
- Yes (tower 31)
- Getting there
- Plenty of parking
Mākaha
West shore · Waiʻanae · Intermediate and up
- When
- Year-round
- Watch for
- Strong localism — locals go first; winter wrap-around swell
- Lifeguard
- Yes (47A/47B)
- Getting there
- Parking on site
Experienced surfers
Shallow reef and strong currentsDiamond Head
South shore · Diamond Head Rd · Intermediate–expert
- When
- Summer
- Watch for
- Reef break; give regulars room
- Lifeguard
- No
- Getting there
- Street parking on Diamond Head Rd
Ala Moana Bowls
South shore · Ala Moana / Magic Island · Intermediate–expert
- When
- Summer
- Watch for
- Shallow reef with urchins
- Lifeguard
- Beach towers only
- Getting there
- Ala Moana Regional Park parking
Watch from the sand
Some of the heaviest waves on earthBanzai Pipeline
North shore · ʻEhukai Beach Park · Watch from the sand
- When
- Winter
- Watch for
- Powerful, massive waves over shallow reef
- Lifeguard
- Yes (tower 26)
- Getting there
- Ke Nui Rd parking
Waimea Bay
North shore · Waimea · Watch from the sand
- When
- Winter
- Watch for
- Massive waves and currents; tow-in only during a High Surf Warning
- Lifeguard
- Yes (tower 29)
- Getting there
- Parking lot (fills early on big days)
Sunset Beach
North shore · Paumalū · Watch from the sand
- When
- Winter
- Watch for
- Powerful waves and currents
- Lifeguard
- Yes (tower 25)
- Getting there
- Parking on Kamehameha Hwy
Lessons and board rentals
| School | Group lesson | Private | Board rental |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hans Hedemann Surf School ↗Waikīkī (Diamond Head end) · 150 Kapahulu Ave | $100 per person (14+) | $180; semi-private $150 each | 2 hrs $25 (+$5/hr); day $60 |
| Ty Gurney Surf School ↗Waikīkī (lessons at Pops) · 205 Lewers St | Semi-private 2:1 — 1 hr $110, 2 hrs $155 each | 1 hr $135, 2 hrs $190 | Up to 2 hrs $20; day $50; week $250 |
| Faith Surf School ↗Waikīkī (in front of the Outrigger) · 2335 Kalākaua Ave | $95, 80 min, 4–5 per instructor (13+) | $190, 80 min | 1 hr $20, 2 hrs $30, 4 hrs $45 |
| Waikīkī Beach Services ↗Waikīkī (Royal Hawaiian, Sheraton) · 2259 Kalākaua Ave | About 75 min: $95 each in a party of 4, $130 for two | $150 (required under 12) | Not published |
| Gone Surfing Hawaii ↗Waikīkī · 2169 Kālia Rd, Ste 102 | On the booking page | $205 off-peak / $225 peak, 90 min | 1 hr $25–30, day $60–70, 5 days $190–220 |
| Surf N Sea ↗Haleʻiwa · 62-595 Kamehameha Hwy | $90 each, 2–3 hrs | $180 (required 12 and under) | Longboard $10 first hr, $35/day; shortboard $7, $30/day |
| North Shore Surf Girls ↗Haleʻiwa (Puaʻena Point or Chun’s) · Meets at the break | Not published — (808) 637-2977 | Not published | Boards included |
Stay safe
- Surf at a beach with a lifeguard tower and ask the guard first. Towers are staffed 8am–6:30pm daily.
- Emergency: call 911 and ask for lifeguards (the Fire Department answers outside tower hours).
- Caught in a current: stay calm, float, don’t fight it; swim parallel to shore or diagonally across it, and wave for help.
- Portuguese man-o-war wash in on strong onshore winds; box jellyfish come to south and leeward shores about 9–10 days after a full moon. Stay out where either is posted.
- Honolulu warns with posted signs, not flags: High Surf, Strong Current, Dangerous Shorebreak, Sharp Coral and others. Take them literally.
The rules
- Waikīkī: no surfing within 50 yards of the water’s edge between the Natatorium and Fort DeRussy, except beginners with a permitted instructor. Source
- Haleʻiwa: Zone B is the surfing zone; surfboards are banned in the Zone C swimming area by Haleʻiwa Beach Park. Source
- Tow-in surfing is legal only during an NWS High Surf Warning, in designated areas. Source
- Since 2021 it has been illegal to sell sunscreen with oxybenzone or octinoxate in Hawaiʻi; bring a mineral one. Source
Etiquette in the lineup
- The surfer closest to the peak has the wave; locals and elders go first.
- Never drop in on someone already riding (Waikīkī’s shared waves are the exception).
- Paddle out wide through the channel, never across a rider’s line.
- Wear a leash, and watch a break from shore before you paddle out.
- Beginners: stay at the learning breaks and ride soft-tops.
Contests to watch
- Pipe Masters, Pipeline: contest window 8–20 December 2026 (World Surf League).
- The Eddie, Waimea Bay: the city holds a window from 6 December 2026 to early March 2027, but it only runs on consistent 40-ft faces; last held in 2024. The 2026–27 call is announced by the organisers.
- Sunset Pro, Haleʻiwa Pro and the North Shore contest season run on city permit periods from mid-November to April; only one contest can run per day.
Waikīkī breaks are a walk from most hotels. TheBus 52 runs to Haleʻiwa; North Shore parking fills early on big-swell days.
- Buoy wave height is the significant height out at the buoy, not the face height at the beach — the NWS forecast gives face heights by shore.
- Lesson prices were read on 12 October 2026 and change with the season.
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