Pupukea
Pupukea is a sand and rock bottom break between the Pipeline area and Rocky Point. Fun and surfable at smaller sizes, it becomes demanding at head-high-plus with legitimate barreling potential.
Pupukea surf forecast
Model forecast for swell, wind and tide.
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Spot Details
CustomizeCustomize this spotSwell Requirements
- Optimal direction
- NW (315°)
- Direction range
- 300° - 330°
- Size range
- 0.9m - 2.4m
- Ideal size
- 1.6m - 2m
- Height multiplier
- 0.97×
- Ideal period
- 14s+
Wind Requirements
- Optimal direction
- ESE (120°)
- Offshore range
- 90° - 160°
Tide Requirements
- Optimal tide
- low to mid
Water temp
25°C
Wetsuit
Boardshorts / Rashguard
Bottom
Mixed
Max wave face
3.5m+
Board
Shortboard
Consistency
7/10
Difficulty
6/10
Crowd level
5/10
Access: Beach access.
Frequently Asked Questions
What kind of wave is Pupukea?
Pupukea is a reef break in North Shore, Oahu, USA, with peaks that run both left and right. On its biggest days it can hold faces of around 3.5m. It's one of the more consistent spots around (7/10). A shortboard is the usual call.
What swell works best at Pupukea?
Pupukea picks up swell from the WNW round to the NNW, and it's best when it's coming straight out of the NW. That's a tight window, so it needs the swell direction to line up. It starts working at around 0.9m and handles up to about 2.4m, with the sweet spot around 1.6 to 2m. Period matters too: aim for 14s or longer, as anything under 10s tends to be weak. These are the numbers our scoring uses, so treat them as a guide rather than a promise.
What wind is offshore at Pupukea?
An ESE wind is dead offshore at Pupukea, and anything from the E round to the SSE keeps it clean. The morning is typically the best window, roughly 6am to 11am. Light winds from other directions can still be fine; strong offshores can make it hard to get into waves.
What tide is best at Pupukea?
Pupukea is at its best around the low to mid tide.
When is the best time of year to surf Pupukea?
The most reliable run of swell at Pupukea comes Nov to Feb. There's a second window in Mar and Oct too. Nov-Feb. Fun to 6ft, demanding to 10ft.
How cold is the water at Pupukea?
The water at Pupukea averages around 25°C, so boardshorts or a rashguard will do. It shifts a few degrees through the year, so check the season before you pack.
Is Pupukea good for beginners?
It's more of an intermediate wave, rated 6/10 for difficulty, so newer surfers are best off sticking to the smaller days. Expect a moderate crowd (5/10) when it's on. Sand and rock bottom. Fun to 6ft, demanding to 10ft. Barreling potential.
How do I get to Pupukea?
The nearest airport on our list is HNL, then it's roughly a 55-minute drive. Beach access.
What other surf spots are near Pupukea?
The closest breaks we track are Rocky Point (0.2 km), Gas Chambers (0.4 km) and Off The Wall (0.5 km), handy when Pupukea isn't working. We track 23 spots around North Shore, Oahu in total.
Best Season
Peak: Nov, Dec, Jan, Feb
Secondary: Oct, Mar
Nov-Feb. Fun to 6ft, demanding to 10ft.
Getting There
Nearby Spots
Rocky Point
📸 Photographer magnet • High performance • Shifty peaks
Gas Chambers
💀 Detonating barrels • Extremely shallow • Helmet recommended
Off The Wall
💪 Pipeline's neighbor • Powerful rights • Regular footer's dream
Pipeline
🏆 The proving ground • Among the heaviest barrels on Earth • Experts only
Backdoor
🔥 Pipeline's evil twin • Right-hand deathpit • NNW swell specialist
Rockpile
🪨 Gap in the Road • 150-yard lefts • Uncrowded alternative
Plan a trip around Pupukea
Compare this break with other destinations in these surf guides.