North Shore Of Oahu

**kootenayskier** · 11-09-2022, 05:20 PM

I’m going to be on Oahu next week, visiting family, but with lots of time to get some waves. The forecast for the North Shore looks promising (6-10’), but flat and blown out elsewhere. Where does a 54 year old life-long surfer that hasn’t been in the water since Covid get a wave on the North Shore? I’m thinking perhaps Laniakea or Turtle Bay?

**Long duc dong** · 11-10-2022, 01:49 PM

Originally Posted by kootenayskier

I’m going to be on Oahu next week, visiting family, but with lots of time to get some waves. The forecast for the North Shore looks promising (6-10’), but flat and blown out elsewhere. Where does a 54 year old life-long surfer that hasn’t been in the water since Covid get a wave on the North Shore? I’m thinking perhaps Laniakea or Turtle Bay?

My guess is Turtle Bay.

I have only been to the North Shore 3 times, and all three trips were the last week in September. We stayed at Turtle Bay and got okay surf. We did got to Lani's and Gas Chambers and Rocky Point. We never got a ton of surf, it never got above head high, but that is not surprising for that time of year. We were able to get in the water most of the days we were there.

When you are going the things are usually much more active. Turtle Bay is usually pretty gentle compared to lots of the other spots, so with some solid swell in the water it would probably be fun.

Lanis is fun too. It can get pretty big with some swell in the water. I have never surfed it over head high, but I have enjoyed it.

It does appear from the reports that there will be quite a bit of swell out there. If you are looking for something that's not too crazy I would say Turtle Bay.

**TahoeJ** · 11-12-2022, 11:03 AM

Turtle Bay is (relatively) mellow and can be really fun but the other side of the resort - Sunset Beach - is legit. Pipeline further down the way of course gets all of the press but the waves at Sunset can be damn heavy at times too. I was just surfing there a few weeks ago and got lucky with conditions - have fun!

**kootenayskier** · 11-20-2022, 12:07 PM

I longboarded chest high wind swell at Castles/Kailua (where I was staying) most days, and surfed Laniakea 3 days, in solid 6-10 ft conditions. It was incredibly busy (compared to Mexico and Central America) and a little intimidating at that size, but with an easy in and out, multiple peaks and a friendly vibe (lots of girls, a mix of all ages, abilities, and surf craft), I was able to pick off some memorable rides. Sunset also looked reasonable, but I figured I’d focus on trying to work out Lanis.

**subtle plague** · 11-22-2022, 08:28 AM

Originally Posted by kootenayskier

I longboarded chest high wind swell at Castles/Kailua (where I was staying) most days, and surfed Laniakea 3 days, in solid 6-10 ft conditions. It was incredibly busy (compared to Mexico and Central America) and a little intimidating at that size, but with an easy in and out, multiple peaks and a friendly vibe (lots of girls, a mix of all ages, abilities, and surf craft), I was able to pick off some memorable rides. Sunset also looked reasonable, but I figured I’d focus on trying to work out Lanis.

Are we talking 10 foot hawaii/indo or face? Hawai:That's like triple oh. I'd like to see some of those mixed abilities out there.

**I Skied Bandini Mountain** · 11-22-2022, 08:34 AM

here we go..

**kootenayskier** · 11-22-2022, 07:35 PM

Originally Posted by subtle plague

Are we talking 10 foot hawaii/indo or face? Hawai:That's like triple oh. I'd like to see some of those mixed abilities out there.

I’m not Hawaiian, and don’t really understand their system. I’m just going off the Magic Seaweed and Surfline forecast wave heights, which seemed accurate and consistent with what I grew up with surfing in Australia. The sets were solid double overhead on the face, but didn’t seem to phase the very diverse crowd.

**TahoeJ** · 11-23-2022, 06:48 AM

Originally Posted by kootenayskier

I’m not Hawaiian, and don’t really understand their system. I’m just going off the Magic Seaweed and Surfline forecast wave heights, which seemed accurate and consistent with what I grew up with surfing in Australia. The sets were solid double overhead on the face, but didn’t seem to phase the very diverse crowd.

Just curious, where'd you grow up surfing in Australia? I spent several months going along the east coast and surfing at every break we could find (my favorites were Narabeen and Byron Bay).

**kootenayskier** · 11-23-2022, 08:58 AM

Originally Posted by TahoeJ

Just curious, where'd you grow up surfing in Australia? I spent several months going along the east coast and surfing at every break we could find (my favorites were Narabeen and Byron Bay).

The outer suburbs of Melbourne, on the (surf less) Bay. Weekends surfing from Pt Leo to Portsea (the Victorian “East Coast”) and regular surfing/camping holidays (my dad was a surfer) up and down the Australian East Coast and to Bali a couple of times. I used to seek out obscure cold water barrels, but now much prefer warm water point breaks.

**TahoeJ** · 11-23-2022, 09:04 AM

Cool. I spent a few weeks around Melbourne as well. Those hook turns are fucked! ;-)

**subtle plague** · 11-23-2022, 11:57 AM

Originally Posted by kootenayskier

I’m not Hawaiian, and don’t really understand their system. I’m just going off the Magic Seaweed and Surfline forecast wave heights, which seemed accurate and consistent with what I grew up with surfing in Australia. The sets were solid double overhead on the face, but didn’t seem to phase the very diverse crowd.

Yeah Hawaiian is even more sandbagging than the swell thing. Doh faces fits 6 foot plus.

Outside of indo I have usually used simply headhigh, oh, doh and so on.

In indo it was swell x 2 = face. I was just confused because hawaii is supposed to be on the hard side of sizing. And Doh scares me a lot. Props to the mixed abilities.