Feb 22, 2024
Waves of the North Shore Series 8 – Off the Wall
Blog series for the best surf spots on North Shore: Off the Wall
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 by: lushpalm.com
The Less Perfect, More Dangerous Neighbor of Pipe
Also known as “Kodak Reef” (due to all of the cameras on the beach and in the water in the late 1990s and early 200s), Off-the-Wall it’s a less perfect, more closed out, arguably more dangerous reef peak located just to the west of Pipe/Backdoor that is always less crowded, but rarely less terrifying than it’s more famous neighbor.
Inhabiting a less-defined chunk of reef that breaks the swells up into hollow, semi-closed out peaks, Off the Wall is the domain of psychos and hell-chargers. It breaks on a shallow lava reef, not dissimilar to the one at Pipe, but instead of a defined channel, the left breaks into the closeout section at Backdoor, while the right runs slightly longer toward Log Cabins. This wave is largely considered a hoax, but on its day—during a slightly broken up northwest swell in the overhead to double-overhead range—it can offer up glimpses of crazy perfection.
Legends of Off-the-Wall
Matt Archibald dominated Off-the-Wall in the late 1990s and early 2000s, building a large portion of his reputation through his heroics at the wave. Reef Macintosh won wave of the winter there in 2011/12, after getting spat out of a terrifyingly large right-hand keg. But on any given swell in any given year, just about any hardcore underground charger on the North Shore could nab the ride of the day, making this wave the ultimate equalizer when it comes to barrels—at least for those who are craziest enough to charge it.
Photo from: surfertoday.com
A Word of Caution
It is important to note that Off-the-Wall is an expert-only wave and poses a high risk of injury for just about anyone who paddles out—particularly those who don’t have the experience and ability to handle it. As with most spots on the North Shore, the best policy is to exercise caution. If in doubt, don’t paddle out.
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
WAVES OF THE NORTH SHORE SERIES 4 – PIPELINE
WAVES OF THE NORTH SHORE SERIES 5 – ROCKY POINT