How to Surf Waimea Bay: North Shore Oahu
This past season I have entered into a whole new category of surfing…big wave surfing. Having lived on the North Shore of Oahu for a couple of years now, I’ve always had this desire to get out in the water on those super swells when every normal spot is closed out. And when everywhere on the North Shore is closed out, you are left with only a few options: Pipeline, Sunset, Waimea Bay, or some other outer reef. I know a lot of guys that charge big waves and they convinced me this was the year to do it. It is not as hard as it seems, but it does take some guts. Here are a few pointers to surfing the legendary Waimea Bay.
Start off Small
Try getting out to Waimea on an 8-12 foot day (Hawaiian Scale). On these days it is a lot easier to make it into waves and the consequences of falling aren’t nearly as severe. The crowd is a lot mellower, with just a few guys out usually. The currents aren’t as strong, and the shore break is not as treacherous. Also make sure you have a good-sized big wave gun, at least in the 9-foot range. Without the right board you will struggle to get into a wave. I started out with an 8’4 gun that was really meant to surf a place like Sunset or maxed out Pipe, and it didn’t go so well for me. All these things combined and you’ll have a perfect first-timer’s session at one of the most famous big wave spots in the world.
Know the Conditions
Make sure you know what the conditions are like. Study the time between sets on the outside and shorebreak. Check out how strong the currents are and watch for a little bit to get an idea of what the ocean is doing out there. Paddle out on the side of the bay farthest from the jumping rock. In the beginning of the paddle, stay close to the rocks, right in front of the wave, and then the current will start to pull you to the middle of the bay, right out to the channel. Make sure you know how to swim in without your board. This is extremely important out there, because it is fairly likely you’ll have a situation where your leash or your board breaks and you have to get in without it. If you can’t handle yourself swimming out there, then don’t paddle out. To swim in, swim as close as you can to the rocks so you can avoid the current that pulls you out and to the other side of the bay. If you do this you also get some help from the massive walls of whitewater pushing you to shore.
Have Fun
Waimea Bay is one of the few spots in the world where sharing waves is acceptable. On a big day out there it is a really cool experience. A lot of surf spots around the world are very quiet when they are crowded. People tend to not want to make a scene, and will carry on quiet conversations with a person or two but in general they aren’t very loud. Out at Waimea, everyone is stoked for everyone else. They cheer people into waves, share waves with friends, and look out for one another. Taking the time to prepare for surfing Waimea and getting out there on a big day should be something every surfer attempts to do in life. It will be the experience of a lifetime.
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How long did you train before paddling out at Waimea? What do you recommend?
Honestly I felt out of shape for it, because everyone out there looked super fit. But I noticed a lot of ordinary looking people out there. Obviously you will be safer if you train for it. I try to run everyday, and surf as often as I can. Keeping my cardio and paddle-strength up helps the most for those gnarly hold-downs.
I would love to share the awesome waves with my friends in Waimea Bay. Thanks for the advice about the conditions in Waimea because I would really like to be ready when I surf there.
Hey Tim,
What’s your mindset when your being held down by a huge wave at Waimea. I want to surf larger waves, but I’m afraid of running out of breath on a hold down. Should I just work on cardio as you mentioned, and is there any other activities that work on my paddling, or is that only gained from surfing?
-Thanks
I think the best thing you can do to be prepared for those hold downs is work on your cardio, and also do anaerobic training. Do things like ride a bike or run and have a way of timing yourself holding breaths in intervals. At first try holding your breath for 15 seconds then breathing for 45 seconds and repeating it for a 30 minute workout at a steady pace. This really builds your lung capacity. Increase the amount of time you hold your breath during such workouts as you get in better shape. A good goal is to ride a stationary bike at a pace that is difficult, and hold your breath 30 seconds, then breath for a minute, and repeat for 30 minutes. This is what Mark Healey does…my big wave hero.
As far as my mindset….scared to death. Haha. I’m not sure there is a way to be prepared for how gnarly the beatings can be, but one thing that made me comfortable was realizing how few drownings there have been at Waimea in the past. You are more likely to get killed on the reef at Pipe then drown at Waimea. So I figured as long as I am in shape I could handle it. I’ve been over the falls and smashed by the lip a couple of times each and it sucks, but it never made me feel close to death. I always knew I would get through it.
Last word of advice. If you go down early in the set and there are big waves behind it, there are two different approaches to handling the beating of the next few waves. If the lip is going to land on you, then dive as deep as you can and try and swim through it. You probably won’t make it at all, but the beating won’t be as bad as the lip landing on your head while you are on the surface. But if you are pushed in a little and the giant wall of whitewater is coming at you, it is better at Waimea to stay shallow. The whitewater will smash you around, but at the same time, it pushes you in toward the channel. I fell on a big wave a month ago and got worked. Turned around and saw a massive wall of whitewater, and just went under about 2 feet before it hit me. It then pushed me straight into the channel. I watched the next 5 waves from the channel. If I had tried to swim deep there would have been more of a chance that the whitewater would wash over me and I’d have to take 5 more waves on the head before it was over. Hope that helps. I’m definitely no expert out at Waimea, but I have learned a lot this year and I love it out there. Let me know if you have other questions.
-Tim
I’m glad I read this article. It confirms my suspicions that I’m not ready to surf Waimea…AT ALL!