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Halfway up the North Shore, the Kam highway swings wide around a bay called Waimea: the spot that has set the standard for big wave surfing for over 40 years. Although somewhat eclipsed by outer reef tow-in breaks, mere mortals will find the 20-25ft (6.6-8.3m) swells that Waimea can handle more than enough of a challenge. On smaller days, when 'The Bay' proper isn't working, a sandbar section called Pinballs can reel off some juicey little pockets right along the lava rock point. Waimea's shorebreak is a gnarly mix of crashing lips and powerful pockets; once avoided, today it's packed with suicidal bodyboarders and even a few stand-up surfers.
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98%
78%
20%
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98%
73%
25%
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97%
60%
37%
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91%
27%
64%
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78%
20%
58%
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57%
12%
45%
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51%
6%
45%
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62%
8%
54%
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72%
22%
50%
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86%
39%
47%
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98%
56%
42%
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99%
76%
23%
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Jan
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Feb
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Mar
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Apr
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May
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Jun
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Aug
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Sep
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Oct
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Nov
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Dec
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This graph shows the percentage of days that had a ridable wind swell (7 seconds period or more) or groundswell (10 seconds period or more) of over 3ft. It also shows the dominant wind direction. Not all of these days will neccessarily give great surf, and very short lived wind swells or longer period secondary swells may produce surf not recorded, but it gives a clear idea of the seasonal trend and a rough guide to the chances of scoring something ridable.
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