Jan 24, 2024
Waves of the North Shore Series 6 – Pupukea
Blog series for the best surf spots on North Shore: Pupukea
This winter, Hawaiian South Shore will be presenting a series of blogs about the best surf spots on the North Shore, sharing a bit of their history, how they break, and what makes them tick. From small longboard waves to the original big wave spot—not to mention the deadliest barrel on the planet—the Seven-Mile Miracle has it all. Whether you are new to the Country or have surfed these waves your entire life, join us as we dive into the best spots on the North Shore.
Photo Courtesy: hawaii-guide.com
Pupukea: The Surf Spot
When many people think of Pupukea, they envision the cool, quiet hill above Waimea Bay and Foodland, where chickens roam free, horses graze, and North Shore veterans move to escape the nonstop circus between Haleiwa and Sunset Beach. But Pupukea is also a surf spot, nestled between Rocky Point and Ehukai Beach Park.
Photo Courtesy: expedia.com
The Break
A user-friendly right reef break that works best in the two- to four-foot range, “Pupes” is popular with the cruiser crowd on the North Shore—resident surfers who don’t necessarily charge, but who still like to get out there when the waves are overhead and enjoy some powerful walls. You’ll see just about everything out there, from shortboards and fish to midlengths, longboards, and even paipos. If you can have fun on it in the water, then it has probably been ridden at Pupukea.
Technically a peak, Pupukea is much better on the right than the left, and primarily ridden in this direction. It likes anything from a WNW to a N swell, with the steep north turning the wave into a sort of point break that can run all the way to the sandbar by Ehukai. The wave is relatively deep (you aren’t likely to hit bottom) and tends to run into a soft closeout section near shore. There aren’t a lot of barrels out there, but if you are looking to perfect your roundhouse or work on your down carve, it’s a great option.
Gas Chambers
Tucked just behind Pupukea is Gas Chambers, which is a slightly heavier peak that breaks on a shallower slab of reef and can serve up barrels when the conditions are right. Groms will be packing surprisingly square barrels on the right on small one-foot days, and both the left and right can be hollow when the swell is pumping.
The crowd at Chambers tends to be a bit more aggressive than at Pupukea, although they both suffer from a congested lineup. Still, they are nowhere as crowded as neighboring Rocky Point or Pipeline/Backdoor, and if you time your sessions right, it’s possible to get a few waves to yourself every now and then.
MORE TO READ📚🔎
WAVES OF THE NORTH SHORE SERIES 1 – VELZYLAND
WAVES OF THE NORTH SHORE SERIES 2 – SUNSET BEACH
WAVES OF THE NORTH SHORE SERIES 3 – BACKYARDS