No one would put Diamond Head on their list of highest quality surf breaks in the world, let alone on the South Shore of Oahu. But this still makes our list for a couple of simple reasons. First, there are consistently waves to surf here, year in, year out, no matter what. From slightly sloppy [...]

From a standing stop, the canoe seems way too heavy to move forward fast enough to catch the wave. The beach boy in the back of the boat is waiting for the perfect time. The surf is gentle, maybe 2 foot rollers, breaking in long, soft white pillows and slopes over the shallow reef and sandbars of Waikiki. The beachboy gives the word. Everyone on board grabs their paddle and pushes the water backwards…

The vast majority of people who learn to surf in Hawaii do so in Waikiki, the zany tourism Mecca on the southern shore of Oahu. A handful make the drive out to White Sands / Barbers Point where gentle rollers kiss the shores but the rides are not as long as in Waikiki. Those in the know, however, head out to country (aka the North Shore)…