HAWAII

A beautiful chaos, the ultimate surfing wave, a freak of nature, the advanced surfer's testing ground, a specialty wave, the premier tube riding arena, and, ultimately, the Mecca of surfing.A lot has been said and written about Banzai Pipeline. So, where is the Banzai Pipeline? The steep, fast Hawaiian barreling wave breaks almost all year round on the North Shore of Oahu, south of Sunset Beach, north of Log Cabins, and right in front of Kamehameha Highway.

Banzai Pipeline is one of the biggest, heaviest waves on the planet. Despite only lasting around seven seconds, a ferocious Pipe left will always spit its spray.

But before you reach its shoulder, you'll have to commit to an exigent take-off that quite often sends a large percentage of surfers over the falls.

The world's most famous wave offers a challenging left-hand experience that will not spare beginners, insecure intermediate riders, and advanced surfers with poor wave reading skills.

Location: west of Ehukai Beach Park, North Shore of Oahu, Hawaii;
Type of Wave: left-hand reef break;
Swell Direction: WNW/NW;
Wind Speed and Direction: light trade wind;
Tide: low to mid;
Size: 4-15 feet;
Best Months: October-March;
Best Boards: guns and shortboards;
Water Temperature: 75-80 °F;
Skill Level: advanced and pro;
Length of the Ride: 50-100 yards, 5-10 seconds;
Access: channel to the right;
Bottom: lava, coral, and sand;
Hazards: shallow waters, crowd, localism, sharks, powerful waves;