Hawaii Travel & Surf Guide

About Hawaii Surf Travel

When it comes to surfing, the conversations begins and ends in Hawaii. The birthplace of “the sport of kings,” known as heʻe ʻana by the ancient Hawaiians, the cultural and religious practice of riding waves in the islands dates back several thousand years. It was first documented by European explorers during Captain James Cook’s first voyage on the HMS Endeavour around 1770.

Tragically, surfing was nearly eradicated by European missionaries throughout the 1800s, who saw it as something vaguely savage. But the spirit endured. By the early 1900s a slow revitalization of the sport was underway as beach boys like Duke Kahanamoku began to spread its gospel once again. As soldiers came home from the frontlines, the conclusion of World War II brought the first big surf boom. Hawaii would serve as the epicenter.

The early action in Hawaii was primarily focused around Waikiki and the south shore of Oahu, but has surfers continued to push boundaries and surfboard designs and materials improved it wasn’t long before people were uncovering waves all over the islands. The North Shore became the obvious frontier for big-wave surfing thanks to breaks like Pipeline, Sunset Beach and Waimea. Meanwhile, the outer islands offered a bounty of other opportunities. On Maui, Honolua Bay gave guys like Mike Hanson, Gerry Lopez, Herbie Fletcher and Dick Brewer the opportunity to fine-tune their down-rail design, which would subsequently open up the whole world of tube riding. Kauai and the Big Island also held an allure for the romantics looking to live the island life.

Today, surfing in Hawaii is many things to many people. It’s home to some of the best surfers and surfboard builders in the world. It’s also home to a thriving tourism and surf school industry. The whole notion of riding waves and surfing is woven into the fabric of the Hawaiian islands. It’s a beautiful thing, and for any surfer worth his or her salt, a pilgrimage to the Hawaiian Islands is a must.

See Hawaii’s top surf schools and beaches to learn how to surf 

For the surfers lucky enough to call the North Shore home, this fabled stretch is the one place they feel most safe, secluded and whole. For the pros who descend to compete every winter — be it for photos or points — it’s the high wire act they must complete, before fans who compelled to follow “the greatest show on earth.” But for everyone else — for everyone who ever rides a wave, in fact — it is the holy land. The place everyone reveres; and the one sacred place you must visit once before you die. Maybe it’s to tackle Pipeline — the most famous testing grounds on the planet. Or perhaps to surf Sunset and experience the very reefs where ancient royalty once rode. Could be to watch an “Eddie Swell” explode across Waimea Bay from the safety from the beach — maybe just to play around at Rocky Point. Whatever the motivation, Oahu’s North Shore is the one place that beckons every single surfer to bow down and pray. Answering the call is mandatory — even if it’s just to say you made the pilgrimage.

Big high-rises. Small waves. Huge parties. Heaps of people. That’s the South Shore’s reputation. At least during winter, when Honolulu serves as little more than a place to fly into by day — or fly high at night. But come summer, the big city sheds it’s land-based utilitarian role as the south swells rise to fawn over Oahu’s less-famous, but still super fun surf zone. Traditionalists can cross-step in the Duke’s footsteps at Queens and Kaisers; tube-riders can trace Gerry’s signature lines and remember the Ala Mo. No matter the season, this is where you go to pick up the pace. Full of both hustle and bustle, there are always plenty of distractions to tickle your fancy – in and out of the water.

In a reverse example of the Napoleon complex, the largest Hawaiian island somehow demands the least attention. While Kauai and Maui are both widely recognized for both heaps of talent and world-class breaks, this more rural outpost is best known for cows, cheap land and the occasional high-profile expert. Don’t fret: fewer people + fewer pros = more waves for you. And in Hawaii, that’s always a good thing.