Jan 15, 2024
Waves of the North Shore Series 5 – Rocky Point
Blog series for the best surf spots on North Shore: Rocky Point
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.
Rocky Point is ground zero for high-performance surfing on the North Shore. It always has been, and it likely always will be. Anytime the waves are under six feet, the entire pro surfing world is out there redefining what’s possible on a shortboard—particularly mid-winter, when everyone is in town for the contest circuit. Infinitely rippable, with everything from barrels to ramps to turn sections, this is the wave you have to surf if you want to get noticed on the manageable days in the Country.
The Jones house was the center of the North Shore surfing scene in the 1990s and early 2000s, with its backyard overlooking Rockys serving as the de facto base of operations for pro athletes and photographers alike.
John Jones was staff photographer for Surfing Magazine, and his children—Malia, Mikala, and Daniel—were as close to Hawaiian surfing royalty as it got. Virtually everyone in the surf industry around the turn of the Millennium stayed in that house at some point, and the board shed still houses hundreds of boards that have been stashed by the biggest names in surfing over the years.
From the Jones’ backyard, you can look straight into the peak at Rocky Point—a peak that has arguably done more to establish reputations on the North Shore than any other wave except Pipeline/Backdoor. The right is hollow and relatively long (two to four turns, or two to five seconds in the barrel, depending which route you take), and works well on any northerly swell between two and six feet, particularly when the wind is from the east. The left tends to handle a bit more west in the swell a bit more north in the wind.
Photo Courtesy: yeeew.com
In fact, the air crew tends to like the wave best when the ENE trades are up, as they blow straight into the left ramp, keeping feet glued to boards through the biggest air rotations.
In addition to being one of the most rippable waves on the Seven-Mile Miracle, Rocky's is also centrally located. In fact, from a perch on the beach next to the rocky point (which, if you hadn’t guessed, gives the wave its name), it is possible to look east directly into the barrel at Sunset’s Inside Bowl and west directly into the barrel at Pipeline.
Photo Courtesy: thesurfingblog.com
You can’t ask for a better location than that, which is why Rocky Point maintains its status as the figurative center of the surfing universe, even after all these years.
More to Read📚🔎
WAVES OF THE NORTH SHORE SERIES 1 – VELZYLAND
WAVES OF THE NORTH SHORE SERIES 2 – SUNSET BEACH