The North Shore of Oahu. It’s surfing’s epicenter. If you surf or follow surfing, you’ve undoubtedly heard of the North Shore. Running from Haleiwa Beach Park to Sunset Beach, the Seven Mile Miracle, as it’s lovingly referred to, is a seven-mile stretch of coastline on Oahu’s North Shore that is home to some of the best waves in the world. During wintertime, the best surfers across the globe flock to the North Shore to train, compete, and score world-class waves.
When I first moved to Oahu, I was incredibly intimidated by the North Shore. I was, and still am, an intermediate surfer who mostly longboards and thought I had no right to paddle out anywhere up North. But my vision of the North Shore was essentially what I’d seen on TV and from live broadcasts of surf comps. I was under the impression that all of the North Shore had big, powerful, and barreling waves like Pipeline, Sunset Beach, and Waimea Bay. I hoped that I’d someday be a strong enough surfer to tackle some of the North Shore’s waves, but I didn’t think that day would be anytime soon.
Before I moved overseas from California to Hawaii, my friends encouraged me to set up a dating profile on Hinge. Encouraged is the wrong word; they set the entire thing up for me and checked in regularly to ensure I was using it. I wasn’t.
But when I first landed on Oahu, I only had a couple of friends, so I finally relented and opened the app. I began chatting with a guy who lived on the North Shore, and he invited me for a surf at Chuns. I stressed my ability level, and he assured me that I’d be fine. Chuns is a relatively mellow wave, and it was April – the North Shore was starting to slow down for its summer hibernation.
Paddling Out at Chuns
The drive from my temporary home in Kaneohe to Chuns took about an hour and I was nervous the entire way. Not so much about the date, but rather if I’d truly be able to handle surfing the North Shore. The drive from the east side along Kamehameha Highway hugs the coast the entire way, and the morning light on the water was the picturesque distraction I needed. When I pulled into the dirt lot across from Chuns, my heart rate had finally settled. I felt ready.
Before setting out, I’d loaded my log and my midlength into my car, as I had no idea what the conditions would be like. The forecast said 4-6 feet, a size I knew I could handle depending on the crowd and the wave. I walked across the street to take a peek at the waves. The waves were perfect, the crowd was light, and I could see groups of women clustered together on logs. In a male-dominated sport, there’s something settling about seeing other women out in the water. I was itching to get in the water.
My date greeted me on the beach, and after talking through the conditions, I opted for my longboard and we paddled out. As someone who learned to surf in California, I wasn’t accustomed to perfectly defined channels, but let me tell you, it’s a game-changer! The paddle out was easy, and we sat on the shoulder for a while, watching the waves and gauging my comfort level. We inched our way into the lineup and when a wave came my way, my date called me in, and I hesitantly paddled for it.
After that first wave, I was hooked. The wave itself was perfect, a long right, ideal for carves and nose rides. After that, I felt much more confident and caught wave after wave under the glorious Hawaiian sunshine. I chatted with some of the women in the lineup, befriending a girl from Santa Cruz, the place I’d called home during my college years. It was a successful first North Shore session – I was excited to come back and try other spots.
Post Surf Grinds
After surfing, my date and I cruised over to Haleiwa, the North Shore’s historic town, for some food. Like a lot of places on Oahu, Haleiwa has an assortment of food trucks and we settled for Surf n Salsa, a popular North Shore staple. Burritos always hit the spot after surfing, but I have a mean sweet tooth, so we ventured down the street to the best shave ice on island: Aikos.
If you’ve read any Oahu guidebooks, they’ll point you to Matsumoto, which always has a line out the door. You’d think the crowd would validate the guidebooks’ claims that it’s the best, but trust me on this one, it’s not. Do yourself a favor and bypass the line at Matsumoto and hit Aoki’s instead. There’s rarely a line, there’s seating, and if you add a scoop of the mango sorbet…chef’s kiss.
After I was thoroughly full, both stomach and soul, it was time to hit the road to head back to town. I gave my date a quick parting hug and headed out. Although he was nice enough, the chemistry wasn’t there, and we both knew there wouldn’t be a second date. Regardless, I was grateful for the positive initiation to the North Shore and didn’t mind that the date itself was a bust. It wouldn’t be until calling the island my home for nearly a year that I’d meet my now husband.
