Banzai Pipeline

Pipeline is the perfect wave it’s barrelling, spitting tubes typify most people’s mental image of surfing a wave. Pipeline is located on Oahu's North shore and it was not that long ago that it was considered an unrideable wave. Few possess the knowledge and experience to ride these waves come a big swell. 

Pipelines waves are the perfect size and shape for a number of reasons associated with the swell created off shore and the topography of the sea floor. The sea floor is essential for the formation of these powerful waves, the sea floor is a typical table top reef, when the waves breach the shallows of the reef they start to break due to the wave energy being compressed in the shallow waters, pipeline is notorious for its huge waves and perfect barrels that are created just above the sharp and cavernous reef, forming large, hollow thick curls of water that surfers can tube ride. Ocean swells also play a major role in the formation of Pipeline's idealistic waves, but they only form at certain times of the year. Prime time is three of the four months during the year, usually from about August to as late as July. But the best times are from the summer months of October to March. As the North shore which includes pipeline is directly in the path of all the swell energy pouring down from the Gulf of Alaska and the Sea of Japan during these months huge swells are created. And because of the topography of the sea floor at Pipeline, and the areas around the North shore, the energy that is travelling through the water is converted, the water/energy slows and shoots up, causing the top of the wave to spill over the front forming the perfect waves.