MI OLA has waterwomen surfing all around the world - with our team in Costa Rica and in the states, plus our amazing sponsored athletes and rad ambassadors.
That means we have a collective wealth of knowledge on our home breaks (around the world) and we are stoked to share it with you. We have already dished some insider info on Rockaway, NY and Tamarindo, CR. Now here is the North Shore of Oahu from our brand ambassador Jordyn Barratt. Thanks Jordyn!
My name is Jordyn and I am 15 years old. I grew up in Haleiwa, Hawaii. I learned to surf when I was 4 years old and have always loved the water! I now live in Encinitas California; My Mom and I moved here last year so that I could pursue my other sports of skateboarding and beach volleyball along with more surfing. Every day I love to surf and skate and 3 days a week I play volleyball! I am in 10th grade at an alternative school so that I can be done with classes at noon to be able to go do my sports! This summer I trained to be a California Lifeguard and plan to work as a Lifeguard next summer when school is out.
I am a vegetarian and love to eat healthy and drink tons of smoothies! I love my dog, she is a Golden Retriever named Nani which means “beautiful” in Hawaiian! I grew up with only a Mom and we are very close. We love to travel together and hope to go to Australia and Costa Rica next year to skate and surf!
Location: North Shore of Oahu:
The North Shore of Oahu is the country side of Oahu, Hawaii. It has some of the best waves in the world and all of the best surfers come to train for the Triple Crown for Surfing that happens every December. The 7 mile miracle has incredible waves such as Sunset Beach, Pipeline and Haleiwa! Whether it is 5 feet or 50 feet, there are always amazing waves!
Pipeline. Click here to watch amazing footage!
Where to surf:
My favorite breaks are Ehukai and V-Land. Ehukai is the break next to the world famous Banzai Pipeline. It is a reef that builds into a sand bar on some swell and it super fun to play around in it with your friends. I like V-Land because it is a big powerful wave. It is super shallow and sucks up over an active reef that is full of fish and turtles and other sea creatures! This wave barrels and has a super fun face.
For beginners, head to Puaena Point or there are lots of surf schools at Chuns Reef. If there is a good swell over a couple feet then it is best for beginners to go to the West or East side though. Keep in mind that surf reports in Hawaii are “Hawaiian size” and that is nearly double the Mainland way of measuring a wave… so when they say 2-3 it is well overhead!
Best time of year to surf:
In the summer the north shore goes flat. It is crystal clear blue water and most of the reefs become covered up with a white sandy bottom. When its summer, I like to cave dive and swim with the dolphins, fish, and honus(turtle). In the winter the waves get as big as 50 feet. I don’t surf it when it’s that big but I love to watch everyone charge places like Waimea Bay or tow into places like Avalanche or Himalayas!
Crowd Factor:
Since it is world famous and has some of the best waves, it gets really crowded. The Triple Crown of Surfing start the first week of November and goes until December 20th every year so that time is the most crowded as the entire professional surf industry seems to ascend on the North Shore. But I know some secret spots that only the locals know about and get some waves!
How to get there:
No matter where you are, you have to fly into Honolulu. Then it is about an hour drive across the island to the country. Then you are at the 7 mile miracle! There is only one hotel called Turtle Bay but there are lots of vacation rentals. There is only one main grocery store on the North Shore but there are lots of good restaurants and now recently there are also lots of good food trucks!
Apres Surf:
My favorite smoothie /acai bowl is at Lanikai Juice in Haleiwa town. There are lots of food trucks popping up all over the North Shore, but the best one is still Pupukea Grill across from Sharks Cove. The Beet Box in Haleiwa has the best healthy food ever. AND my favorite nice restaurant is LeiLeis on the golf course at Turtle Bay…. great food, casual atmosphere, and you usually can find a pro surfer or two there dining!