Banzai Pipeline
Beach · Pupukea, Hawaii
A surf reef break off Ehukai Beach Park in Pupukea on Oahu's North Shore, and one of the most famous waves in the world. It breaks in shallow water directly over a sharp, cavernous reef, forming the large hollow curls that surfers ride inside. There are three reefs at progressively greater depth further out, which activate as the swell increases. In winter this is the centre of professional surfing; in summer it is an ordinary quiet beach.
Ke Nui Road, Pupukea, Hawaii, United States
The beach is open at all times and FREE, as every beach in Hawaii is public to the high-water line. Lifeguards work posted daylight hours at Ehukai Beach Park. ⚠ THE SEASON IS EVERYTHING HERE: the wave that made this place famous only exists roughly from November to February, when North Pacific swell arrives. In summer the same water is flat and often calm enough to swim in, which surprises visitors who came to see Pipeline.