Pipeline surf forecast
North Shore, Oahu
Pipeline is well overhead with 10-second swell and moderate offshore wind - surfable, nothing special.
Colors
Surf conditions
- FlatNothing to ride
- PoorSmall, messy or blown out
- Poor to FairGetting there
- FairDecent conditions
- Fair to GoodFun waves
- GoodA great session
- EpicRare. Drop everything
The nearest spots today, best first
About this spot
- Works
- 5ft-16ft · 11s+
- Tide
- Mid
- Break
- Reef
- Level
- Expert
- Faces
- NW
- Offshore wind
- S/SE
Worth knowing: shallow reef, heavy lip, localism, crowds.
Pipeline is a reef break - the bottom doesn't move, so it breaks in the same place every swell.
Nearby
No shops listed yet.
Was today's call right?
Common questions
How big does Pipeline need to be?
A north-west swell of at least 6 ft Hawaiian with a long period; below that it is a softer, different wave. Above 12 ft the second and third reefs come alive.
Is Pipeline dangerous?
Yes - the most dangerous wave in the world for its size. It breaks metres from the beach over a shallow lava reef with caves in it, and injures surfers every winter. Surfers have died here.
What is the difference between Pipeline and Backdoor?
The same peak. Pipeline is the left, breaking towards the beach park; Backdoor is the right off the same takeoff, shorter, shallower and no easier.
When is Pipeline season?
November to February, with December and January the most consistent. The Pipe Masters runs in December. Summer is flat.
Where can I watch Pipeline?
Ehukai Beach Park on the Kamehameha Highway - the wave breaks right in front of the sand. Parking fills before dawn on a contest day.