Hawaii's Gnarliest Surf Spots

Only For The Experienced - Rookies Stay Out of The Water

In Hawaii, one of the defining local institutions is the neighborhood surf shop. There you'll find not just boards, but something far more valuable: solid advice.

Befriend the informal surf ambassadors who run the local shops, and they will impart wisdom not easily found in a surf map or guidebook, including personal insights into Hawaii's gnarliest breaks—places with evocative names like Point Panic, Suicides and Avalanche.

"As we know, Pipeline is the best surf spot in the world. It's the standard against which others are measured," says James Cuizon, owner of Crank and Carve, a surf, bodyboard and skate shop in the North Shore town of Haleiwa.

A good day at Pipeline means an encounter with fellow surfers who can be as friendly as pitbulls with migraines, and waves that can shatter boards into kindling. And then there's the reef. At Pipeline there can be 10 foot waves blasting over just three feet of water, so if you fall on the reef or get caught inside the break, you're lucky if you come out merely sliced up. In 2005 alone, Pipeline claimed the lives of two expert watermen, Tahitian surfer Malik Joyeux and photographer Jon Mozo. Follow for Full Coverage...