Hawaii Snapshots: North Shore, Oahu

When conditions are right, surfers can drop in for a view like none other

 

When surfers describe something as “totally tubular,” this is what they mean. The view from within the curl of a breaking wave is known as the “green room.” Only a select number of wave riders will ever gain entry, because placing board and body in this legendary sweet spot requires both skill and the perfectly shaped wave.

One of the best places in the world to ride inside the tube is on the North Shore of Oahu, when winter storms far to the north generate large swells that travel across the Pacific and break on island beaches. Though most visitors to famous surf breaks such as Waimea Bay and Pipeline will never see the inside of a wave, it can be quite rewarding to watch from shore as some of the world’s best take on these towering walls of water.