Haleiwa

Harbor town located at the western end of the North Shore of Oahu, Hawaii, fronted by an excellent but temperamental right-breaking wave. Haleiwa is best during winter, and requires a west swell. From three to eight feet it's a lively, hollow high-performance wave. At 10 to 15 feet it's a thrilling but punishing semi-beast that invariably winds down to a closeout finale in what is called the "toilet bowl." An eastbound current—"the treadmill," as locals call it—gets stronger as the waves get ...