Makaha – West Shore, Oahu

Wave Description

There are four main breaks at Makaha: the Point, the Bowl, the Blowhole, and the Inside Reef. Makaha is ridable almost every day of the year, whether small or massive, but once a serious swell starts to come in, the wave becomes very challenging. Makaha is a right point break that breaks over a shallow reef. The wave is near perfect no matter what size, but becomes more rippable as it increases in size. That stays true to a certain point; as the size increases, Makaha simply becomes a big wave break where the goal is to catch a wave and ride it in—not too much ripping at that point. The crowd at Makaha is another major thing to be aware of if you head over there to surf. Not only can this spot handle serious surf that can be dangerous, it also comes with one of the gnarliest packs of locals on the island.

Location

Makaha is located at the northern end of the west side of Oahu. To reach this area, you need to drive through the south part of the island. There is no road to get there from the North Shore around Kaena Point. It is just past Waianae on the west side. As you’re driving up the coast, you’ll see firsthand how the west side is different from the rest of the island. It is the last area where life is still very traditional and Hawaiian.

Swell & Weather Conditions

Makaha works best with strong northwest and west swells. Large northwest swells that can turn the North Shore crazy and unridable many times turn Makaha into the perfect big wave surf spot that it is. While the swell dissipates as you go south to other spots on the West Shore, Makaha takes it all in. The best wind is east, and luckily the trade winds blow that way almost every day.

Surf Equipment

If you’re planning on catching Makaha while it’s really pumping, then you’re going to want a big wave gun that will get you into the waves early. A “Sunset”-sized gun works very well, as the wave can break somewhat similarly to Sunset at times. As far as what others are riding, at Makaha you will see everything imaginable, from surfboards to canoes.

Brief History

Wally Froiseth and John Kelly were two of the first surfers to test out the big waves of Makaha in the late 1930s. George Downing was one of the next ones to join the group, and he played a big part in developing boards for big wave surfing. At that point in time, Makaha was the place where big wave surfing took place. Not long after it all started, the North Shore was discovered, and it drew the attention away from Makaha. Then, one day at Makaha in 1969 brought back the spotlight, when one of the biggest swells ever recorded hit Hawaii. The North Shore was unridable, so legendary big wave rider Greg Noll and some friends went to Makaha and found the biggest surf they had ever seen. Greg Noll ended up catching one of the biggest waves ever ridden at that point in time.

Surf Contests

Buffalo Keahulana, local Makaha surfing legend, has held an annual Big Board Classic every year since 1977. The contest is all about the community, and surfers ride waves on whatever type of wave-riding vehicle they desire. In the 1950s, some of the first international surfing contests were held at Makaha. Contests have taken place at Makaha ever since, but not the professional kind that we’re all used to. Most of the contests held nowadays are community-inspired and often feature ways of giving back to the locals.

Brief Travel Info

The locals at Makaha are not very friendly at all. This is what they consider their last spot to protect on the island, now that the North Shore has been practically taken over by tourists and visiting surfers. As an outsider paddling out to Makaha, plan on receiving a not-so-warm welcome and possibly being cut off on every decent wave by local surfers. The west side of the island has a history of unemployment and crime, and this is noticeable in the surf as well.

If your whole trip is centered around surfing Makaha, you will most likely want to find lodging in the Honolulu area, unless you want to stay at the Makaha Resort Golf Club that overlooks the break, but this shouldn’t be the case. You will probably still be centering your trip on the North Shore, with maybe a stop or two in Makaha when the conditions are right for it. From the airport in Honolulu, you just have to make your way up to the North Shore and find some accommodations. The only hotel on the North Shore is the Turtle Bay Resort, located on the northern end. It’s pretty easy to find other places to rent, such as rooms, houses, and hostels, but make sure you have all of that figured out in advance. There are plenty of good places to eat and fun things to do on the North Shore and in nearby Haleiwa. For a few ideas of what to do when the surf goes flat, check out the flat spell activities for Oahu post on The Surfing Blog. For a more detailed travel guide about the North Shore and Haleiwa, check out the Travel Guide found on The Surfing Site.