hiya wa howa aswat

Spot Location: Queensland >  Greenmount

Whether it’s the crowds, the waves, or the locals, there is no stretch of beach quite as notorious as Oahu’s North Shore. Despite being one of the most intimidating locales in the world, Hawaii is the destination de jour every November when surfers arrive with bloated board bags, uneasy stomaches, and the dream of scoring the best waves of their lives. To help bring your pipe dreams into fruition, we talked to Hawaii’s Jesse Merle-Jones about making the most out of your trip to the proving grounds.

Never Be Under Gunned:
“Most of us aren’t going to be able to paddle out to Pipe and sit under the ledge on a small board like Bruce, Jamie, or John John—that’s just not gonna happen. As a mere mortal, you’re gonna need some more board underneath you to surf those kinds of waves. If you’re coming out to the North Shore, you’re going to want a quiver that fits the waves. And the best way to do that is to get boards from a local shaper that knows the lineups. Tokoro, Schaper, Arakawa and Nat Woolley are all guys you should check out. Also, keep in mind that these guys get a lot of board orders in the winter, so the best time to order boards is in the summer. If you can’t afford a whole quiver, the North Shore is the best place in the world to buy a used board. You can also check Craigslist or just keep an eye out, but finding a good used board shouldn’t be too hard. I’ve actually had someone buy one of my old boards from a surf shop for around $400—they loved the board so much that they looked me up on Facebook to see if I would sell any other boards for cheaper and of course I did and we were both stoked.”

Get Off the Beaten Path:
“If you’re not coming out here to get famous, then to be honest, you’re better off not even bothering with Pipe and some of the other more star-studded waves on the North Shore. If you can get away from the main drag a little bit, you’ll find that there are a ton of waves nearby that are a lot less crowded. Check out Lanis, Jockos, and some of the other lineups. If you’re not trying to get your photo taken, I promise you won’t regret it.”

Respect Is Crucial:
“You’ll hear a lot of people talk about respect in Hawaii and I think some of them don’t truly understand the concept. It’s not all about respecting the tough guy in the lineup, but it’s about respecting everyone and everything over here. Of course you don’t want to be burning some nuts local, but you also want to be cool to the guy that’s just learning. You also need to respect the beaches. Pick up trash when you see it, help someone out when they looked lost. That’s the kind of respect we need out here. It’s more than just about doing the right thing because you’re afraid of getting slapped, it’s about doing the right thing because it’s the right thing to do.”

Where to Stay:
“Come wintertime, trying to find a place to post up is gonna be a bit difficult. With everyone from the surf industry over here for the winter, it’s not easy finding something right in the middle of the action. But I actually think that’s a good thing. If you can stay a little bit removed from the action, I think that’s actually better. It’s less of a scene, which I like. There are some cheaper rentals around V-Land that aren’t bad either, or you can always go the hostel route. It’s always a good idea to check out Craigslist as well.”

Beware of Incoming Swells:
“The most dangerous time to be in the water on the North Shore is during an incoming swell. I’ve seen more people get hurt in those conditions than in any other situation. It can go from 2 feet to 8 feet in an hour, so you need to keep your guard up and be aware of how the conditions may be changing around you.”

Take a Lay Day:
“I think this rings true to any surf trip, but it’s important to take some time to get out of the lineup and see what else is out there. Hawaii has such an amazing history and it’d almost be a crime to not take a downday and go learn some things. Go check out the Polynesian Culture Center, go walk through Haleiwa, go to Town and check out Iolani Palace. You won’t regret it.”

With winter on the horizon, it’s time you start to prepare accordingly. Whether it’s California, Hawaii, or a far-flung reef pass, there will inevitably come a day when your standard shortboard has maxed out and you’ll need a step-up. To ensure that you have the right foam under your feet, we rang up the North Shore’s Pat Rawson for some insight into ordering the perfect step-up board.

First, let’s set the record straight on what exactly constitutes a step-up. As the name suggests, a step-up is a shape that’s slightly bigger than your standard shortboard but is built for waves a touch larger than you’re used to riding. It’s not a mini-gun. If you normally ride a 6‘ 0“ in surf up to 6 feet, your step-up should be around 6‘ 4“. The general design should actually mimic your standard board, but should be a tad bigger to accommodate for the larger swell. According to Pat Rawson, one of the North Shore’s most iconic shapers, “most good surfers will push their small-wave boards to just over head-high to double head-high waves, depending on their ability level and what wave they’re surfing, before they grab a step up.” To break things down further, Rawson compares the dimensions and specs of his standard shortboard to that of his standard step-up. Before you order your next step-up, consult the table below:


According to Rawson, when you’re ordering a step-up, it’s important to tell your shaper exactly what kind of conditions and what locations you’re looking to surf. “Six-foot Mentawais is a much different animal than 6-foot waves on the North Shore. Especially when you factor in wind, surface conditions, crowds, wave velocity, things like that,” says Rawson. “Teahupoo is another wave that requires a whole different set of rules.” In short, the more details you can give your shaper about the waves you plan on surfing, the better.

The more your shaper knows how you surf, the better your board will be. Rawson cites front-footed surfers and back-footed surfers as a prime example of how your approach in the lineup can affect how your board is shaped. Paddle power and confidence in overhead swells can also play a huge factor. Think of your shaper like a shrink. No one’s judging you here, but you’ll come out all the better if you’re up-front and honest. “I like to ask people ordering a board what their mindset is like regarding larger surf. I want to know if I can fit one of my intended designs into their surfing personality. If a surfer wants to ride a 6’4” in 10-foot Pipe, I’ll have to rethink my approach for that ability range, or more likely than not, that particular surfer may have a little too much optimism for that that 6’4”.

Although there are exceptions to every rule, as the size of the swell increases, most shapers and surfers generally opt to transition to a rounder tail or pin tail. In bigger surf, gaining speed won’t necessarily be an issue, but being able to control it will. With a rounder tail, you’ll have less surface area in the water, which will slow you down a touch and grant you more control over your board.


As a rule of thumb, the actual positioning of your fins shouldn’t change too much on your step-up, just the type of fin you’re using. For the most part, you’ll want to opt for a fin with a little less flex than the fins you’d use on your standard shortboard. Tech-flex and carbon fiber fins like the TP1 are a solid choice. While someone like John John has been known to ride small fins in just about any type of condition, for the rest of us, it’s not a bad idea to step up a fin size as well.