Pua’ena Point

Surf Guide

At the outermost northeast corner of Haleiwa Harbor, this wave is suitable for tow-teams all the way down to keikis. When the surf is small, the inside will be cluttered with tourists going for their maiden North Shore surfs. And when the entire North Shore is stormy and maxing, the protected innards of the point provide a respite from all the outer reef mayhem, still dishing up plenty of quality, rideable surf. But when a clean, long-period northerly angled swell pushes through, that's when Pua'ena really comes to life, and big righthand walls will steamroll off the outer tip of the point towards the harbor channel.

Ability Level

All Abilities

BegIntAdv

All levels, but depends on size.

Local Vibe

Doable

WelcomingIntimidating

Humility and respect appreciated.

Crowd Factor

Mellow

MellowHeavy

Light when it's big, heavy when it's small.

Spot Rating

Fun

PoorPerfect

Can transform from a beginners wave to an intense, experts only barrel.

Shoulder Burn

Medium

LightExhausting

The current rushing across the point on big swells that are more northerly can be very bad and with constant paddling to stay in position.

Water Quality

Fair

CleanDirty

The close proximity to Haleiwa Harbor makes pollution a common hazard.

Ideal Surf Conditions

Swell Direction

NW to NNE

Wind

Calm or light to moderate E to S.

Surf Height

Overhead-3X overhead-plus

Tide

Medium