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Teiki Mathieu Baillan surfing a self-made Alaya surfboard in Macaroni, Mentawaï, Indonesia. Photo by C. Naslain, 2009.
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Pakala
USA, Hawaii, Kauai
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Datum: WGS84 [ Help ] |
Latitude: 21° 56.031' N |
User rating (7)
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Thats a load of horse shot Pakalas is Amazing and yes you need to go for a very small 7 min walk down to the ocean and yes there are to prickly bushes but it's so worth it as anything in life that takes a little effort, everyone should enjoy this spot instead of local boys trying to act entitled to the good surf, the water is clean no sharks and keep in mind more people die of fallen coconuts every year in Hawaii then from shark attacks. Hope to see you out there! DistanceTake a car WalkShort walk (5-15 mn) Easy to find?OK Public access?Public access Special accessDon't know |
Surf Spot Characteristics
Alternative name Infinities - Infinity
Surf Spot Quality
Wave qualityWorld Class
ExperienceAll surfers
FrequencyRegular
Wave
TypeReef-coral
DirectionLeft
BottomReef (coral, sharp rocks etc..)
PowerFun
Normal lengthNormal (50 to 150m)
Good day lengthVery Long (300 to 500 m)
Tide, Swell and Wind
Good swell directionSouthWest, South, SouthEast
Good wind directionNorth, NorthWest, East, NorthEast
Swell sizeStarts working at Less than 1m / 3ft and holds up to 1m+ / 3ft+
Best tide position
Best tide movementRising tide
More details
Week crowdUltra crowded
Week-end crowdUltra crowded
Dangers
- Urchins
- Rocks
- Man-made danger (buoys etc..)
- Private beach
- Localism
- Pollution
- Sharks
Additional Information
Small waves and sharks. Not great!
Finding this spot is a bit difficult because it can't be seen from the road. There is guard rail and emergency call box about 100 yards west of mile marker 21 on highway 56, park there (you will probably see other cars parked there as well).
Pakala is a left point break, so goofy-footers will love this spot. It breaks on a coral reef that gets very shallow when you ride the wave all the way in, so be careful. Luckily the takeoff area is not too shallow (about 4-8 feet deep depending on the tide).
Both longboarders and shortboarders will like this wave. It is best on south swells. Water is a bit murky.
Atmosphere
If you make it to the water, look out for locals and sharks.The atmosphere at Pakala is pretty mellow. I got some bad looks from some of the locals, but others were extremely friendly and talked to me and my haole friends quite a bit. One older local guy even gave us tips on surfing the spot. Some of the less-mature locals dropped in on my buddy and were not friendly. There were a lot of couples and family's surfing together, with some of the really young kids on bodyboards. Overall, there was generally a great vibe at this spot.
General
This is a great spot, and should not be missed if surfing Kauai in the summer months. Pakala is a left point break, so you have to be a reasonably experienced surfer to enjoy this spot as you have to outpaddle others in the lineup to get a wave. The wave can last for a very long time (hence the name "Infinities"). The crowd varied from 4-15 surfers on the weekdays and weekend when I was there. The crowd is swell dependent (according to the friendly local talking to us about the spot), meaning it gets crowded when the surf is big...like most good spots worldwide.
Author: MS Contributors (3)
Comments
By Anonymous , 17-10-2008
Proper Respect - Aloha n shaka to the bros and pros on Kauai. I been surfing for a while (bout 19yrs) in the fridged waters of the Pacific NW. We don't really have crowds (except at like 3 spots on our 500mi of coastline), and with a very small coastal population, few of which surf, a "local" is usually just the first guy in the water... more than 5 guys in a spot, we find another. LOTS of "secret" spots, that really anyone can find if they care look. Anyway, all that to say, not too used to crowds, and I don't want to piss anyone off. I understand I need to give "respect" in the water in HI, but what exactly does that look like? Do i hang back off the peak, do I say "Hi", "aloha", "sup"?nothing at all? Do I call wave so other's know I'm droppin? If I botch a bomb wave will I get shunned? Some specifics on "proper Hawaiian respect" would be much appreciated for this very white, loneranger, cold water surfer who wishes to grab just a few warm water peelers next week, without the need for 5mil of rubber wrapped around me. (And whether in a local's fav spot, or even at a fairly open spot, I want to make sure I have respect as it is expected).
Mahalo,
wyldryd
PS, coming to the NW and not a newb, look me up here and lemme know when. I'm always down for a good sesh.
By Anonymous , 19-11-2007
Truth - I surf here whenever I come to visit family in the right season for swell. There are many old school and new school stories of sharks that people tell. I surf here anyway, but I do think that some of the stories are true.
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By Dustin , 09-10-2009
Super Sharky - Surfed this place for a year strait, tons of baby sharks, big ones too and bumped me a few times, the big red bulls are fun to mess with too.. Used to see baby sharks strung up in the trees and left for dead.
For all you haole's in shiny tourist cars, I recommend taking a left at the makaweli post office, take your first right and parking at the end of the road.. Make sure you leave all your valuables locked in your car in plain view, cameras, wallets etc..!